OPINION: When A Dead Zimbabwe President Attracts More People Than A Current

An opinionist in The Zimbabwean has drawn a parallel between the late former President Robert Mugabe and President Mnangagwa and said a dead Mugabe drew a much bigger crown than an alive Mnangagwa.

The writer opined:

….However, what I found most interesting was the undeniable fact that far much more people attended his funeral and body viewing than those who attended his successor’s ‘anti-sanctions march’ – in fact, a dead Mugabe managed to fill a huge stadium (over a period of two consecutive days), in stake contrast to his successor who barely managed to mobilise only a tenth of the 60,000 seater giant National Sports Stadium

in spite of the day being declared a national public holiday, government pouring in $4 million of money that we do not have as a nation, a concerted propaganda onslaught in state media, a hundred free buses and a train to ferry people to the march venue from all corners of the country, reports of rural people being threatened to attend, and free takeaways for each attendee – only an approximate 7,000 people gathered into the giant 60,000 seater stadium.

If we were to make a comparison, when Mugabe passed away a month earlier, notwithstanding his loathed record, far much more people turned up to bid him farewell at another huge Harare stadium – in fact, the venue was filled to be brim on two consecutive days, without provision of any free transport, neither was his death declared a public holiday, nor free food offered or threats issued.

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…The people have had enough, and their boycott of the ‘anti-sanctions march’ was their loudest demonstration against the government ever – rather choosing to travel to see a dead president than a living one

This comes after very few people turned up for the anti-sanctions march that was slated for 25 October 2019.

More: The Zimbabwean