Passenger 34. This sounds catchy like some name of a movie on Netflix. However, it has of late come to refer to Saviour Kasukuwere, Zimbabwe’s former secret spy and minister for Local Government, Public Works and National Housing; Environment, Water and Climate; Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
He has straddled many spheres of government in many hats culminating in an appointment as the Zanu-PF party National Commissar.
It should be noted that the national commissar is a very powerful post in the party. It oversees the day-to-day running of party business as well as assuming a supervisory role in party internal elections right from primaries where party candidates put forward their names for selection.
Famed for his baritone voice, imposing figure, Mugabe-like oratory skills, fluency, clarity of thought, and contagious laugh, Kasukuwere is no stranger to Zim’s political landscape.
He once taunted South Africans on Talk Radio 702 with then Redi Direko when questioned about the chaotic Fast Track Land Reform programme that Zimbabwe undertook to redress land imbalances in the process of reclaiming vast tracts of arable land from about 4000 white former farmers to landless black Zimbabweans.
He said Zimbabweans do more quietly than South Africans who only make noise about the land that still largely belongs to white minorities.
“In Zimbabwe we do more and South Africans talk more” he said.
Passenger 34 is the proud owner of a 54- bedroom house in upmarket Harare that he built when he was a government minister.
He is neighbours with some of his G40 friends like Jonathan Moyo and also close to where President Munangagwa used to live in Hellensville.
He was also the owner of a lush and fertile citrus farm Corncodia in Mazoe close to Grace Mugabe’ s orphanage and Bona Mugabe’s Chinese- built mansion in the vicinity of Mazoe dam till government decided to repossess it in light of his flight to exile when attempts were made at his life.
Many have seen the forfeiture of his farm and that of Professor Jonathan Moyo as political persecution by the current leadership.
In Zanu PF, many commissars previously have died under mysterious circumstances and these include Elliot Manyika who died in a road accident and the widely-known Border Gezi who suffered the same fate among others.
For Border Gezi, it took a very short while for an army helicopter to be on the spot where he died enroute to Masvingo whisking his corpse away.
Gezi had become a political threat to the establishment enjoying the command of a paramilitary wing commonly known crudely by his name.
He was the godfather of Zim’s first programme to give military training to youths before they venture into various sectors of the economy. It was to be a mandatory national service thenceforth.
Unfortunately, the trainees became notorious for a reign of terror that engulfed the nation whenever state events or elections were held. They became a terror group enjoying state immunity despite their comeuppance being noble.
But Kasukuwere is many things. He is said to have been a brilliant secret agent during Mugabe’s tenure. Yes, an officer up there in the ranks of the dreaded CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation). Saviour is said to be an expert in dark arts.
Of course, the CIO is infamous for the disappearances of opposition political figures, torture of activists taken out from their homes in the middle of the night. Itai Dzamara, a journalist is a case in point who was abducted from a barbershop close to his home by unknown men in an Isuzu bakkie.
Today, neither his cadaver nor his whereabouts have been located.
There are thousands of officers in the secret employ of this publicly-funded organisation that reports directly to President Emmerson Munangagwa but is headed by one Isaac Moyo.
Those who know Saviour Kasukuwere say he was Mugabe’s hatchet man. In fact he is rumoured to have been a favourite to succeed Mugabe when it seemed unfashionable for someone so young to do so.
Mugabe, rumour has it, was considering him and the stern-looking, elderly liberation war veteran Sydney Sekeramayi as favourites.
But then again, Kasukuwere was a key figure in the G40 (Generation 40) ie, a younger grouping in the Zanu PF structures that sought to wrestle power from the former statesman Mugabe ahead of the Lacoste grouping. The Lacoste team comprised mainly Zimbabwe’s aged war veterans led by the current leader Emmerson Munangagwa.
The G40 group included the former firebrand first lady Grace Mugabe who has a gift of garb and is notorious for disparaging her competitors in public. She was brash, fearless and ambitious.
Other notable figures included former Minister of Tourism Walter Muzembi, former Minister of Information Professor Jonathan Moyo, Mugabe’s nephew and Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Patrick Zhuwawo, Mandy Chimene who has reportedly fallen on hard times in Mozambique and many others.
G40 was a cunning, energetic group of politically driven younger people who wanted to change the trajectory of Zimbabwe’s politics. They came close to taking over power from Mugabe pushing for Grace Mugabe at the front seat.
However, in all this, long time Mugabe protege Emmerson ‘Crocodile’ Munangagwa watched the happenings in animated silence only to bounce back with the help of then Army General Constantino Chiwenga in a coup that sought to remove ‘criminals’ around Mugabe.
The G40 members were the criminals.
Kasukuwere and co-ran helter- skelter scattering across Africa for their lives when army goons came for their blood.
Ironically, he is credited for saying African politics means politicians must stay close to their suitcase in case the business goes sour and one needs to bolt to safer havens without much prior notice.
Their stories of escape across Africa on the eve of the coup in November 2017 make for some riveting reading.
There has been footage of Kasukuwere and Prof Moyo piggybacking a motorcyclist deep in the night somewhere in Mozambique.
There is a bonfire at a rondavel in the environs and Moyo is seen clutching a paper bag of belongings sarcastically laughing at Kasukuwere that ” Hausi bhoo” translated to ‘you are not good’.
Theirs had been a dramatic yet gruelling journey of espace from the wrath of the people in charge of the November 2017 coup.
Going forward, it later emerged most of the G40 members were earmarked to be shot dead on sight in the course of the famous coup. There were reports of exchanges of heavy gunfire at some homes of political figures such as former police commissioner Augustine Chihuri such that lives were lost.
Chihuri has fallen out of favour with the coup leaders notably President Munangagwa and their friction dates back to the war of liberation when the President is alleged to have forced himself on the former commissioner’s heavily pregnant wife who was a combatant also. It marked a turning point in their relationship that has never been comradely for ages.
Prof Moyo settled in Kenya from whence his wife comes from while Zhuwawo, Mzembi, and Kasukuwere found solace in neighbouring South Africa. The threat of violence, arrest and detention upon arrival on home soil in Zim has been so profound that even Zhuwawo never went home to bury his uncle Robert Mugabe upon his demise.
It was both a sad and Damascus moment for observers. Patrick loved Mugabe and had immensely contributed to his upbringing and political career. But it revealed the unforgiving nature of the rulers in Harare. In fact, it gave credence to what Mugabe himself had said about the current President Munangagwa that he never forgets and never forgives. Mugabe was interred at his rural courtyard without Patrick to witness the sombre event.
And this threat lingers on to date despite Kasukuwere and Walter Muzembi having joined hands in a tag team from South Africa that seeks to challenge the Presidency of President Munangagwa in the forthcoming elections pencilled in for 23rd of August this year.
Kasukuwere’ s candidature for the Presidency as an independent came as a surprise to many despite him not being ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe.
Nonetheless, the law enabled him to successfully file his nomination papers in abstention.
Kasukuwere’ s challenge to the throne despite the other 10 other political contestants is significant in many ways.
He is the proverbial cat thrown amongst the pigeons since he has been part of the ruling party all his life. It is an open secret that Zimbabwe’s national elections are in recent years generally a two-horse race between Zanu PF and the CCC ( Citizens Coalition for Change).
There are celebratory undertones on the political landscape as Kasukuwere’ s gauntlet will reap some rewards for him. The move is bound to divide votes amongst the two leading contenders as it is rumoured, he still enjoys a sizeable chuck of popularity within the rank and file of Zanu-PF that sees him as a genuine contender to the throne.
Interestingly, Kasukuwere has never renounced his association with the Zanu PF party. He still refers to Zanu-PF as ‘our’ party.
” We cannot afford to continue to be divided by binary and toxic politics. Our motherland is hurting and needs all hands-on deck. My candidacy is for all Zimbabweans including those marginalised and frightened in Zanu-PF and those inside and outside other political formations”. He writes hinting that there are many of his followers in the ages old party of the late Mugabe, Rex Nhongo, Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara, Parirenyatwa, Shamuyarira and many other luminaries before him.
In addition, he said” I will be a President for those looking for a political home that embraces talent and meritocracy. We must focus on a sustained fight against poverty, uplift the poor, widows and orphans in our society. It is time we roll our sleeves and fix our broken system”
This he said in plain reference to the current government where nepotism is rife wherein appointments and business linkages are on family and ethnic lines.
He continues saying ” It is time to build our nation together. There is more that unites than divides us. Our political differences are not ideological. Hence, with unity of purpose and visionary leadership, we will overcome our current and future challenges”
This system is the fulcrum of his campaign drive making it clear that he still espouses all the ideological aspirations of Zanu-PF.
In other words, he is still Zanu PF through and through despite him being chucked out of leadership positions. What he has reservations about is the current leadership of the party that has put the interests of the extractive foreign investor ahead of the locals that should benefit more from Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.
Kasukuwere has accused Munangagwa of taking over the fuel industry from imports and the entire distribution system in the country obscenely enriching himself and a coterie of henchman in the process.
He accuses the President of running the country business on partisan and family lines neglecting the majority of citizens to wallow in abject poverty. It is now an open secret the Zimbabwe bond currency has crashed against the greenback.
Passenger 34 came about when Kasukuwere put up a Trojan Horse booking himself a plane ticket as passenger number 34 on an Airlink flight from Johannesburg to Harare.
On the day of the flight, he only to checked in but withdrew from flying in a move that drew out secret service foes in Harare. They were ready to pounce on him at Robert Gabriel International airport upon his appearance.
Whether he is the next government-in-waiting remains everyone’ s guess. Whether he will eventually leave the comfort of South Africa and cross the Rubicon landing in Zimbabwe to face his political adversaries is also a mystery.
Can he repeat the feat by Adama Barrow of The Gambia who was inaugurated in neighbouring country when he won the election against long time strongman Yahya Jammeh?
He has openly admitted to making mistakes before and is ready to correct himself.
However, one thing is for sure, Harare politicians are wary of his comeuppance. It is going to be an intriguing theatre of political gamesmanship in Zimbabwe as August beckons.
Given his background in the secret service with access to classified state secrets and personal dossiers, Kasukuwere is surely one man that knows the emperor has no clothes.
Image Credit: REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File photo
