Mnangagwa is just a buffoon and not the "intelligent" leaders Mutsvangwa claims.

 Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa has publicly declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the intellectual and ideological leader of the ruling party, emphasizing his quick absorption of new ideas and his practical approach to implementing them. Mutsvangwa made these remarks in a recent podcast hosted by economic analysts Tinashe Murapata and Rufaro Zengeni, where he also dismissed claims that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is the strategic thinker or military leader of the organization.

According to Mutsvangwa, President Mnangagwa's ability to swiftly grasp new concepts and translate them into actionable policies sets him apart as the ideological guide of Zanu-PF. He described Mnangagwa as an "intelligent" leader who drives the party's ideational activities, contrasting his leadership style with that of Vice President Chiwenga, who is often associated with the military wing of the party.

Mutsvangwa scoffed at the idea of comparing Chiwenga to the late Josiah Magama Tongogara, the revered military commander of the Zimbabwe Liberation Army (ZANLA) during the liberation struggle. He stressed that there is no comparison between the two, highlighting the difference in their natural endowments and capacities. While Tongogara was lauded for his strategic thinking and military acumen, Mutsvangwa argued that Chiwenga does not possess the same qualities, particularly in the realm of ideation and strategy within Zanu-PF.

The comments come as a surprise to many, as Mnangagwa is not typically regarded as the intellectual and ideological leader of the party. Instead, he is often perceived as a pragmatic securocrat and enforcer, who rules with a firm hand. Critics have long referred to him as a "brawn and no brains" leader, focusing on his background as a military leader and security chief rather than his intellectual contributions.

In the context of Zanu-PF's history, intellectuals and strategists have always played a crucial role in shaping the party's narrative and policy direction. For years, the late former president Robert Mugabe, who passed away in 2019, was seen as the intellectual and ideological cornerstone of the party. Under his leadership, Mugabe was revered for his ability to craft policies and narratives that resonated both domestically and internationally.

Mutsvangwa's assertion, however, signals a shift in how President Mnangagwa is viewed within the party, positioning him as not only a political enforcer but also as the ideological driving force of Zanu-PF's future.

Mnangagwa’s intellectual incompetency is there for all to see already from his failure to revive the Zimbabwe economy his taking over in 2017, for example. He was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” mantra was going to open the flood gate of investors. No such thing! Investors are a shrewd lot they knew the November military coup was nothing but musical chairs game that saw one dictator being replaced by another. 

Zimbabwe was a pariah state ruled by corrupt and murderous thugs who rigged elections to stay in power. Many businesses had collapsed because it was notoriously difficult to do business in a pariah state. It was laughable to even suggest that the swapping of one dictator for another could ever be viewed as ending the pariah state and “opening Zimbabwe for business.”

Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030, by which date Zimbabwe is supposed to have risen from the ashes of the failed state it has sunk into to be a upper middle income status, is a mirage. corruption was bad under Mugabe but since Mnangagwa took over in the November 2017 corruption has gone into overdrive. 

An Al Jazeera documentary showed that 80% the country’s US$2 billion gold was lost to smugglers. In 2019 the then Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya said Zimbabwe could pay off its US$20 billion foreign debt and still have money to finance its development needs without borrowing another penny if the looting of its gold and diamonds alone were stamped out. 

Mnangagwa is just a buffoon and not the “intelligent” leader Mutsvangwa portrayed! But then, Mutsvangwa himself is just another buffoon, a toad, masquerading as a genius!