A former deputy director general in Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) has made explosive claims, alleging that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and the late Perrence Shiri masterminded the 2017 military coup to evade prosecution for their roles in the Gukurahundi massacres.
According to Lovemore Mukandi, who once served as the deputy director of the CIO, the coup was part of a long-term strategy by Mnangagwa and his inner circle to seize power and avoid legal accountability for the atrocities committed during the Gukurahundi period. Mukandi detailed these allegations in a recent interview promoting his new book, How Mnangagwa Blindsided Robert Mugabe and Grabbed Zimbabwe, which offers his perspective on Zimbabwe’s political history.
The Gukurahundi genocide, which occurred in the 1980s, remains one of the darkest chapters in Zimbabwe’s history. During this period, the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade, under Shiri’s command, was deployed to Matabeleland and Midlands provinces to suppress dissent against the then-President Robert Mugabe’s regime. It is estimated that 20,000 people, mostly Ndebele-speaking civilians, were killed.
“This coup was planned as far back as the 1980s because Mnangagwa knew he could not win a free and fair election,” Mukandi said. “The key figures involved—Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, Shiri, and senior CIO officials like Edson Shirihuru and Menard Muzariri—had all played roles in the atrocities and feared that they might one day face prosecution.”
Mukandi further claimed that Mnangagwa and his associates were particularly concerned about the possibility of a future government that might not shield them from legal repercussions for their actions during the Gukurahundi era. “Their fear was rooted in the growing outcry over the genocide in Matabeleland,” he said. “They knew that one day they might be held accountable.”
Shiri, who infamously referred to himself as “Black Jesus” during the Gukurahundi, died in 2020. The moniker reflected the enormous power he wielded during the crackdown, where he had the final say on life or death for those targeted.
Mukandi also alleged that Mugabe had intended to hand over power to former Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, a move that did not sit well with Mnangagwa and his allies. “By 2017, Mugabe, due to his age and declining health, was ready to pass on leadership. I know from my time as deputy director that he preferred Sekeramayi to succeed him,” Mukandi explained.
“This knowledge emboldened Mnangagwa and his group to act, fearing that Sekeramayi would not protect them from prosecution for the Matabeleland atrocities,” he added. “The coup was a pre-emptive strike to ensure that power was not handed over to someone they could not trust.”
Mukandi fled to Canada after his dismissal from the CIO on charges of embezzling funds intended for building safe houses. He was deported back to Zimbabwe in 2011, though his trial, initially scheduled for December of that year, never took place.
Mukandi’s accusations come shortly after the release of a memoir by another former CIO director, Happyton Bonyongwe, whose book One Among Many: My Contribution to the Zimbabwe Story was launched at a ceremony attended by Mnangagwa and the military leadership.