Sara Dorman gave the following comentary on an article in the Tokyo Chunichi Shimbun newsite:
"Sara Dorman, senior lecturer in African politics at the University of Edinburgh, tells me: “Mnangagwa’s role in government, in particular as Minister for State Security, raises concerns about his respect for the rule of law and for the protection of human rights in Zimbabwe”. Dorman adds, however, that “people do understand his past and his background – but the question is could anyone else position themselves more convincingly. I don’t know… he has legal training and has spent ten years in jail, so you could say that he has a good understanding of legal issues and why they are important.” For Dorman one thing is clear: “economic reform can’t happen without political reform, so I think the new regime recognises the need for those two things… that is essential in order for real change to happen.”