The Guardian (November 15)
“In a fluid, confusing and opaque situation, the fact that a coup was taking place was one of the few certainties.” Yet, to avoid international complications, nearly everyone avoided that four-letter word when describing the military overthrow of Robert Mugabe. A cautious optimism prevails. Zimbabwe may have escaped a worst fate. “Yet the prospect of President Mnangagwa is hardly a cause for celebration. His long years as Mr Mugabe’s chief enforcer tell one much of what we need to know about his record. The nickname he earned, ‘the Crocodile’, says the rest…. Ordinary Zimbabweans appear as far as ever from taking power.”
Tags: Complications, Confusing, Coup, Mnangagwa, Mugabe, Power, The Crocodile, Zimbabwe