Does Mnangagwa actually feel proud to be president of Zimbabwe?

This question becomes even more pronounced when I see him alongside other world leaders.

Does he feel worthy in their presence?

Does he see himself as a leader who stands tall among peers, or does the weight of the failures of his governance haunt him?

For a man entrusted with the leadership of a nation, pride and a sense of accomplishment should come from serving the people and uplifting their lives.

However, in Mnangagwa’s case, it is hard to see what he could possibly feel proud about.

He presides over a nation trapped in an unrelenting economic crisis, where the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans continues to worsen by the day.

Seventy percent of the population lives below the poverty line, a staggering and heart-wrenching reality that raises the question: does Mnangagwa feel he is doing a fantastic job?

How does he reconcile his position as head of state with the fact that millions of Zimbabweans go to bed hungry—not necessarily because of drought but due to the crushing poverty that his administration has failed to alleviate?

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Reports of rural citizens in areas such as Guruve being coerced into registering as ZANU-PF members to access government aid, such as wheat seeds under the “Pfumvudza” program, are chilling.

It is incomprehensible that in a drought-stricken country, subsistence farmers, already teetering on the brink of survival, are given a mere 50kg bag of seed to share among six families.

Does Mnangagwa feel pride in presiding over such indignities?

Unemployment among the youth stands at an alarming 90%.

Instead of contributing meaningfully to the economy, these young people are forced into the informal sector, where survival is a daily struggle.

They eke out a living without job security, health insurance, or pensions.

For many, the sheer hopelessness of their circumstances has driven them to alcohol and drug abuse, creating a generation marked by despondency and despair.

How does Mnangagwa feel about this tragedy unfolding under his watch?

Can he truly believe he has succeeded as a leader?

Zimbabwe’s public healthcare system, once the envy of many, is now a shadow of its former self.

Hospitals lack basic necessities, such as functioning cancer machines, surgical theatres, ambulances, and essential medicines.

Even ZANU-PF stalwarts, like Chief Hwenje, have to seek medical treatment in neighboring South Africa because Zimbabwe’s public healthcare facilities are so inadequate.

Does Mnangagwa feel proud when he and other top government officials jet off to foreign countries for their medical needs, leaving millions of ordinary citizens to suffer and die due to substandard medical care?

What kind of leader derives any satisfaction from such a scenario?

How does he feel presiding over a nation that cannot even provide sufficient electricity for its industrial and domestic needs, with power outages lasting between 18 and 14 hours, leading the Zimbabwe economy losing billions of dollars?

Then there is the matter of corruption—an enduring stain on Mnangagwa’s presidency.

His name has been repeatedly linked to dubious figures like Wicknell Chivayo, a businessman implicated in multiple corruption scandals.

How does Mnangagwa feel knowing that his administration is synonymous with graft and mismanagement?

The Al Jazeera documentary Gold Mafia implicated his Ambassador-at-Large, Uebert Angel, in gold smuggling and money laundering, with Mnangagwa himself mentioned in the revelations.

What goes through his mind when he sees such damning accusations being leveled against those closest to him?

On the political front, does Mnangagwa feel proud that his tenure is widely viewed as a result of electoral fraud, abuse of state institutions, and the use of intimidation, coercion, and violence against voters?

Does he believe he has earned his position when opposition leaders are jailed, dissent is brutally crushed, and freedom of expression is stifled?

As SADC chair, does he feel worthy when Zimbabwe remains one of the few countries in the region with political prisoners?

Mnangagwa’s misuse of his SADC chairmanship to meddle in the internal affairs of other member states further casts doubt on his sense of pride and legitimacy.

He openly supported the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) during their election campaign, only to face humiliation when the crowd booed him at the inauguration of Botswana’s new president, Duma Boko, of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

How did he feel in that moment, knowing that his interference had backfired and that he was now an unwelcome guest in a neighboring country?

Perhaps the most troubling question is whether Mnangagwa ever asks himself any of these questions.

Does he reflect on the state of the nation he governs?

Does he acknowledge the widespread suffering, the erosion of hope, and the despair of millions of Zimbabweans?

Or has he become so insulated from the realities of ordinary life that he no longer possesses a conscience?

Does Mnangagwa actually feel proud to be president of Zimbabwe?

It is a question that only he can answer, but from the outside looking in, it is difficult to see how he could.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283795, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/