A true prophet of Robert Mugabe’s demise in 2017-Makandiwa or Ken Yamamoto?

A true prophet of Robert Mugabe’s demise in 2017-Makandiwa or Ken Yamamoto?

Brian Maregedze

Africans as J.S Mbiti a renowned scholar in Religious Studies argues, ‘are notoriously religious’ is apt when dealing with how predictions on Robert Mugabe’s leadership has been a subject of various interpretations. When will Robert Mugabe go? Who would be the next president after Robert Mugabe? Academics, analysts, man of the cloth have not been left out in efforts to respond to these questions. In this short piece I argue that the Tokyo based Research fellow on Africa, Ken Yamamoto deserves kudos for his article which clearly predicted the demise of Robert Mugabe in 2017. Allan Mhukuta aka Madzibaba Wimbo has been popularized for predicting that Robert Mugabe will be Zimbabwe’s independent leader way back in 1957. Pentecostal prophets critical of Robert Mugabe’s leadership have been labelled, ‘prophets of doom’ as a result of their position/s. To a student of Religious Studies, this has been an interesting topic when dealing with true and false prophets. I do not however intent to focus on whether there are true or false prophets per se but rather to focus on Ken Yamamoto’s interesting prediction which came to pass in November 2017. What has been the role of prophets in predicting the future of Robert Mugabe? Was Emmerson Mnangagwa close to these predictions? Public intellectuals’ vs prophets? The resignation of Robert Mugabe on 21 November 2017 makes this paper relevant in reflecting upon the recent past and other related issues following his 37 years reign in Zimbabwean politics.
Who is Ken Yamamoto?
Reading through his articles www.newzimbabwe.com, he is only identified as a research fellow on Africa at an Institute in Tokyo. It is also added that, he travels and researches frequently in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Prophets on Robert Mugabe’s leadership
Waiting is a human activity and due to various economic, political, social, religious problems in Zimbabwe some have been involved in various human activities waiting for change in all facets of their lives. While ‘waiting’ some have left the country, some have started activism in various ways, online activism and other means to counter the Robert Mugabe hegemony since ‘independence’ in 1980. In as much as there are many factors to consider when dealing with challenges facing Zimbabwe, focus has been put on Robert Mugabe as the leader. Lack of change of leadership has ended up becoming unbearable both within and outside Zanu PF, the ruling party since the country attained its independence. A number of people especially the clergy have made attempts to mobilise forces for the removal of Robert Mugabe as the president. Mediel Hove and Chenzi, Prophets of Doom: Zimbabwe Christian Community and Contemporary Politics, is an interesting read especially on how the Christian community has responded to politics in Zimbabwe. To these scholars, ‘the year 2016 registered a paradigm shift in the Christian community, that is, from passively or at times actively supporting Robert Mugabe’s political rule to an openly hostile entity to Mugabe’s political administration’. Paradoxically, prior to Mnangagwa’s dismissal, church leaders, and groups mainly from apostolic churches were assembled at the National Sports Stadium in the name of solidarity with the former first family, the Interface rally to be precise.
Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, founder and leader of United Family International (UFI), also made anti-government and anti-Mugabe remarks. On 10 July 2016, during a Sunday church service, Emmanuel Makandiwa told his congregants that Zimbabwe was to be ruled by an individual who is currently in the diaspora. Is this in tandem with events which took shape in Zimbabwe?
Emmanuel Makandiwa
Evans Mawarire of the #This flag movement was also critical of Robert Mugabe’s leadership in as far as addressing the challenges facing the ordinary people of Zimbabwe. However, to some, he has been neutralized since at one point in time, he left for the United States of America claiming the personal security factor.
Aaron Mhukuta, founder and leader of Vadzidzi Vajesu Apostolic Church nicknamed Madzibaba Wimbo, was also caught up in Zimbabwe’s political storm. He was implicated as a key figure in ZANU–PF’s succession politics. Wimbo is remembered for his prophesy in 1957 when he prophesied that independent Zimbabwe would be led by a man with the name of an angel, Gabriel. This was fulfilled when Mugabe whose full name is Robert Gabriel Mugabe became the first post-colonial leader of Zimbabwe in 1980. However, in 2014 Wimbo refused to reveal the identity of Robert Mugabe’s successor. The following lines will now focus on public intellectuals and their attempts to confront and challenge Robert Mugabe. In short, it is clear from Hove and Chenzi’s article that, church leaders played their part in challenging Robert Mugabe on issues affecting the ordinary citizens in Zimbabwe. What has been the role of Fidelis Mukonori a Roman Catholic Priest of Society of Jesus guild in facing this issue in as far as the plight of the people is concerned? I am interested in how some supported Robert Mugabe throughout his tenure, ‘being blind of a visionary leader notion’ noted by Yamamoto. A visionary leader thinks beyond his reign, he prepares for a leadership beyond his time.
Public intellectuals on Robert Mugabe
Just like Blessing Miles Tendi in his PhD thesis come 2010 publication, Making History in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe: Politics, Intellectuals and the media, public intellectuals are individuals educated in a specific academic discipline, such as political science, history or economics, who choose to write and speak to a broader audience than offered by professional academic colleagues. In this interesting book, a number of public intellectuals are dealt with, both sympathetic to Robert Mugabe and out right critics. Those sympathetic to Robert Mugabe in Miles-Tendi’s work and beyond include Tafataona Mahoso, the late Vimbai G. Chivaura, Kenneth Manungo, Claude Mararike among others. Jonathan Moyo was both an enemy outside Zanu PF and later on became a chief proponent of  Robert Mugabe’s reign. Richard Mahomva has also been a rising young public intellectual who admired Robert Mugabe as noted from selected articles he wrote who seemed also to over gloss on Robert Mugabe’s leadership. Interesting to note is that, Ken Yamamoto, far from public intellectuals sympathetic to Robert Mugabe he has been critical of his leadership being able to identify pros and cons.
In an article of 09 August 2016, Yamamoto wrote, Yamamoto: Five Reasons why Mugabe will be gone in 12 months. In this article, Yamamoto notes that, ‘what rises what must’ and this is in relation to all leaders. He starts his writing by identifying how Robert Mugabe rose to power from the Mgagao declaration of October 1975 for instance whereby there was a leadership vacuum as a result of many factors. The death of Herbert Chitepo, Leopold Takawira had also died in detention whilst Ndabaningi Sithole had been sacked among many other factors. Notable main reasons pointed out by Yamamoto include, Old age, the poor economy, the succession problem, a pesky demographic problem and no more rewards to war veterans. The most interesting observation is that according to Yamamoto, Robert Mugabe, and ‘will be forced to retire-peacefully if he is lucky’.
However, the events which took shape in Zimbabwe particularly on the succession issue made Robert Mugabe’s demise evitable. The way Robert Mugabe handled or mishandled the succession issue led to his demise to a greater extent. Just like Yamamoto, l also need another day, another space to deal with the succession issue and the demise of Robert Mugabe. It is however true that there are many factors which can be addressed in dealing with the fall of Robert Mugabe like the introduction of madam Grace “Dr. Stop It” in politics in 2014, putting Zanu PF politics in the hands of Jonathan Moyo as a key adviser to affairs in the running of the party as he was more good at fueling confusion in their policies. With Jonathan Moyo, factionalism within the party also became more manifest than ever before among others. It also true that as the economic crisis was crumbling Robert Mugabe was more surrounded by the so-called young turks who were interested in money spending and projecting a popular Robert Mugabe which as rather a paradox. The likes of Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Patrick Zhuwao among other close associates of the G40 cabal will go down in history of Zimbabwe just like Grace Mugabe will likely to be put within the context of Chairmen Mao’s wife though differences can be identified. Yamamoto’s prediction is clear when he boldly notes that, here are five reasons why Robert Mugabe will not be President of Zimbabwe beyond December 2017.
Conclusion
Ken Yamamoto aptly deserves the kudos in offering cutting edge analysis on Zimbabwe’s former longtime president Robert Mugabe particularly his demise which many have made attempts to predict but without success. The UFIC founder and leader’s prediction still needs some other analysis as this only highlights some challenges when dealing with prophets in contemporary Zimbabwe. Is the criterion of prediction worth pursuing when dealing prophets? What is the role of the public intellectual in dealing with the status quo? In as much as Ken Yamamoto managed to have a prediction which came to pass, to some it is a wild guess hence creating challenges. It is notable that Emmerson Mnangagwa was not near any of the predictions made by any of the prophets. Being in diaspora and exile may need to be problematized to give Makandiwa credit for his prediction. This shall be addressed in another paper.

Brian Maregedze (MAFH candidate [UZ], B.A Special Honours in History [UZ], B.A.A Major in History and Religious Studies [UZ] is a young academic, historian writing in his own capacity. He also teaches undergraduate courses in African History at the University of Zimbabwe and also a High school consultant.