ZIMBABWE is entering a dangerous political phase of lawlessness and authoritarianism masked as patriotism following the emergence of vigilante groups targeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s critics, analysts have said.
Only last week, a Zanu PF affiliate calling itself the “Presidential Mafia” posted a video threatening to harm government critic Munyaradzi Shoko.
Shoko is the former leader of the Children of War Veterans of Zimbabwe Association.
One member of the Presidential Mafia is seen in the video wearing regalia normally associated with the once feared National Youth Service graduates.
The Presidential Mafia outfit warned ordinary Zimbabweans saying its members were dotted across the country and were ready to pounce on any government critic.
“We are in all corners of the country and if you criticise the President, you would have pressed the wrong button,” a leader of the group said.
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“Our agents are all over...”
The emergence of the vigilante group came after Zanu PF political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha disowned the Zimbabwe Anti-Presidential Criticism, which is also targeting Mnangagwa’s critics.
Australia-based analyst Reason Wafawarova said the emergence of the Presidential Mafia outfit was deeply worrying.
Wafawarova accused the vigilante outfits of political opportunism.
“These groups understand exactly what game they are playing,” Wafawarova said.
“They are not confused. They are not naïve.
“They are opportunists operating in a system that rewards noise over principle and loyalty over competence.
“They behave immorally, amorally and selfishly — not because they are uniquely corrupt, but because the system incentivises corruption as survival.”
He said the groups exposed profound institutional decay.
“The tragedy is that while these groups claim to be defending the dignity of the Presidency, they are, in fact, degrading it.
“They reduce constitutional authority to street-level bullying. They replace law with loyalty contests.”
Wafawarova said Zimbabwe did not need Anti-Presidential Criticism teams.
“It does not need a Presidential Mafia. It does not need groups named after individuals.
“It needs citizens protected by law, not terrorised by initials.
“Until then, every vigilante act committed ‘in the name of ED’ will remain an indictment — not just of those who commit it, but of the silence that enables it.”
Analyst Tendai Ruben Mbofana said mafia-style conduct of the vigilante groups should never be condoned in a constitutional democracy.
“In a constitutional democracy, no political party or President should be protected by informal gangs or self-appointed enforcers,” Mbofana said.
“When such groups emerge and operate publicly, it signals a dangerous erosion of the rule of law and a shrinking space for free expression.
“Power begins to rely not on institutions, but on fear and intimidation.”
He said what was alarming was that the groups had the temerity to act openly.
“That raises serious questions about tolerance, complicity or institutional weakness,” Mbofana said.
“If this trend is not decisively confronted, we risk normalising proxy repression — where democracy exists on paper, but citizens are policed by unofficial actors.
“So yes, this is an assault on democracy and it is a warning sign of a country drifting away from constitutional governance towards informal authoritarianism.”
Analyst Rahsweat Mukundu echoed similar sentiments.
“The political leadership needs to be careful that they don’t allow entities of violence that will slowly drive the country into chaos,” Mukundu argued.
“The State must be run on the basis of laws and we have criminals who will take advantage of the desire for political support by our leaders to form all sorts of political yet criminal
groups.”