OPPOSITION political party leaders fell over each other during the Sadc Heads of State and Government summit as they battled for attention at the meeting held amid a blitz on political activists and human rights defenders.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over the bloc’s chairmanship from Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco.
The summit, one of the most significant political events on the regional calendar, saw the convergence of power players from across southern Africa.
Dressed in their finest, they arrived with entourages, surrounded by an aura of importance and privilege.
However, firebrand Zanu PF spokesman Chris Mutsvangwa cut a lonely figure while other politicians battled for recognition at the high profile event.
This publication, however, witnessed that while high-ranking officials mingled, exchanged pleasantries and jostled for recognition, Mutsvangwa was conspicuously alone, a solitary figure amid a sea of handshakes and embraces.
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At one point, Mutsvangwa was seen wandering outside the walls of Parliament, his posture reflecting an air of resignation.
It was a moment that captured the attention of many onlookers, including journalists, who could not help but wonder what had led to his apparent isolation.
Some journalists ended up requesting interviews with Mutsvangwa after seeing him walking alone and uncharacteristically quiet outside Parliament building.
Earlier this year, Mnangagwa fired Mutsvangwa from the position of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs minister.
Last week on Defence Forces Day at Rufaro Stadium, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga avoided a handshake with Mutsvangwa.
There are also reports that Mutsvangwa was booted out of Manhize Steel plant, with close sources citing the reason as being too vocal.
Mutsvangwa’s phone was not reachable yesterday.
However, political analyst, Ruben Mbofana yesterday said Mutsvangwa’s unpredictable nature had led to his marginalisation within the administration.
“Mutsvangwa is a very unpredictable, volatile and quite unstable person. During the Mugabe era, Mutsvangwa ended up being fired because of his volatile and divisive nature.
“We have been seeing the same thing happening here again with the Mnangagwa administration. At first Mnangagwa kept Mutsvangwa close to him but of late with all his comments, reckless comments actually being made in the media, he was let go.
“He is somebody who cannot be trusted. So at the end of the day you lose allies, you lose people who can actually trust you and become isolated,” Mbofana said.
Meanwhile, three familiar yet increasingly marginalised figures of the country’s political landscape made their presence felt at the summit.
MDC T leader Douglas Mwonzora, self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, who is now a senator, and National Constitutional Assembly president Lovemore Madhuku, once prominent names in the country’s political discourse, were seen navigating the summit's events with a determined air, seeking validation and perhaps a resurgence on the regional stage.
Despite its diminished political clout, the trio was afforded the same hospitality as other delegates at the summit.
Mwonzora, Tshabangu and Madhuku were provided with the best treatment, enjoying the luxurious amenities reserved for summit attendees.
The trio’s attendance at the summit raised eyebrows, given their recent fall from grace on the political arena.
Observers said their presence at the summit appeared to be a last-ditch effort to reclaim relevance, if not within the country, then at least among regional peers.
Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya yesterday expressed shock at the opposition political leaders’ presence during the summit.
“Indeed I noticed with interest that the Polad group and those 'opposition' leaders generally subservient to Zanu PF were invited at the Sadc meeting.
“Without denigrating their freedom of choice and association, the question being; why are Mwonzora and Madhuku comfortable in a meeting that has caused so much strife for fellow opposition leaders and activists?”
Approximately 200 Zimbabweans have been netted in government’s crackdown according to a report by a network of human rights organisations.
The crackdown caught the eye of the international community, including the United Nations that called for the release of jailed opposition supporters and civil society workers.
Ngwenya added: “Their hatred of Nelson Chamisa manifests in defiance and spite of popular resentment against anything Mnangagwa. Also the body language of Christopher Mutsvangwa said volumes about factionalism in Zanu PF.”
The summit was also marked by an atmosphere of heightened security, as the host country took extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of the event.
From the early hours of the morning, the city’s streets were bustling with uniformed officers, with roadblocks set up at strategic points leading to the venue.
The imposing security presence was palpable and even before reaching the summit location, visitors were subjected to thorough checks.
Delegates and journalists alike had to navigate tight security with each checkpoint meticulously scrutinising credentials and passes.
Inside the summit venue, the security measures were even more intense with every entry point guarded by armed officers and access to different areas of the conference was tightly controlled.