By
Blessing Vava
It was
never a secret that President Mugabe wanted to rule Zimbabwe for life, and he
never envisaged anyone other than himself to be the President of Zimbabwe as
long as he is alive.
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| ZANLA Commander eliminated on the eve of Zimbabwe's | Independence |
Since
he took over as leader of ZANU in 1976, his tactics of intimidating, outwitting
and eliminating political opponents and anyone who dares challenge his power is
well documented. A great deceiver of our time Mugabe has used the ‘divide and
rule’ tactic for self-perpetuation in power. Some quarters say he had a hand in
the elimination of revolutionaries like General Josiah Tongogara, Herbert
Chitepo to mention but a few and all elements he saw as an impediment in his
road to his self-made ‘throne.’ Even in post-independence Zimbabwe the man’s
dirty tactics of thwarting opponents are all written and told from one
generation to the other. We all know how he plotted against the late Father
Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo, Dumiso Dabengwa and all the revolutionary leaders of
ZAPU, as he saw Nkomo as a threat falsely labelling him a dissident. He made
sure they were powerless and even unleashed the notorious Five Brigade to kill
the people of Matabeleland and Midlands Provinces, all this was done to
maintain his dominancy as the all-conquering leader of the Republic of
Zimbabwe. One thing for sure Mugabe succeeded in his plan and most of the ZAPU
leaders succumbed and, for the sake of ‘unity’ they joined Mugabe in 1987, to
become ZANU PF. But over the years Mugabe never rested, his life has always
been scheming and consolidating his power. Nkomo and his crew were just
figureheads used under the guise of a Unity Accord signed on the 22nd
of December 1987.
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| Pardoned by Mugabe: Dzikamai Mavhaire |
I pity
the late Edison Zvogbo, who was eyeing the Presidency and even going to the
extent of amending the constitution creating an Executive Presidency, possibly
to enjoy the same powers after Mugabe’s departure. His mistake was thinking
that Mugabe was a democrat who will at one point leave office to pave way for
another leader. That was not to be, Zvobgo got demoted by Mugabe to a Minister
without Portfolio. Dzikamai Mavhaire a Zvobgo ally braved the Mugabe’s
ruthlessness and became the first ZANU PF senior official to call for the
resignation of Mugabe. Not only was he suspended from the party, Mavhaire went
into oblivion and became a pale shadow of his former self until he was pardoned
by Mugabe post July 2013 when he was appointed a minister. And he was set as an
example. Mugabe has his way of managing
rifts and discord within his party and always his will carries the day. Those
in ZANU PF know this quite frankly. This is why both factions will be battling
to bootlick him at whatever platform and expense making reassurances that he is
the sole candidate at congress and that he is the party’s candidate in 2018,
even if they know he is no longer capable.
The Present….
For as
long as Mugabe is still the leader of ZANU PF, he determines what happens in
the party and who will compose the presidium and the politburo. He enjoys these
factional fights because he knows that they will be pre-occupied fighting
amongst themselves and not challenging his power. In fact all factional wars in
ZANU PF hover around the vice presidency and never an open contest to his post.
Mugabe has used patronage and fear as his weapon to weaken members of his
party. He has made them to believe (though they do not necessarily
believe) that he is the best thing ever to happen to ZANU PF. Given a closely knit patronage system that
has evolved over the past 38 years and has been supported by state sponsored
‘disciplinary’ wings none of the ZANU PF top leadership have the guts to openly
challenge his post. They cannot challenge him, they might do secret meetings
behind his back, but he has an effective intelligence system and he will be in
the know-how of all the plots to have him out. His comments at the luncheon
after the opening of the 2nd Session of the 8th Parliament
are clear that Mugabe is aware of those plotting to oust him, thereby
buttressing statements echoed by his wife during her ‘Meet the People Rallies’.
Mugabe is not prepared to go and from his speech it was clear that he is in
support of what his wife’s sentiments. However, he was trying to appear as if
he is managing both sides. It is these factional battles that maintain a balance
on his power as he then appears to be the mediator reigning sanity in the party;
in fact some of these factional fights have been a creation of Mugabe who lies
back with an eagle eye and strikes to bring sanity before they blow out of
proportion.
Oppressor turns Victim…………
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| Dressed in borrowed robes: Joice Mujuru |
As the
succession plot thickens in the revolutionary party, Zimbabwe’s so-called
opposition leaders and some elements within the civil society and the media
have gone to the extent of openly showing their allegiance and sympathy to
Joice Mujuru. How short their memory is, maybe they have forgotten that she is the
Second Secretary of ZANU PF, who has been part of a corrupt government
acquiring vast business empires through unscrupulous means – the ‘zamu ramai Mujuru’ case in Marange
cannot be easily wished away. She was part of government during Gukurahundi,
Operation Murambatsvina, 2000-2002-2008 violent elections……among numerous other
crimes against socio-economic and political justice. Joice Mujuru is no saint!!!
She has never on a single day condemned ZANU PF or state barbarism that is an
affront to the values of the liberation struggle. Any sympathy for her is a
great betrayal to what Zimbabweans have been fighting for since 1997 – a free
and open developmental society where every citizen is protected by the state. We
have all been fighting for a democratic country, where the rule of law is
respected, a free corrupt society; however it’s difficult to separate the Dr
Vice President from all the ills committed by her party. In 2004 she was used
to block Mnangagwa from the post of Vice President, subsequently she was
elevated by Mugabe and dressed in borrowed robes as the person to fill the post
of Vice President and second secretary of ZANU PF. Like all borrowed robes,
those given to Mujuru are beginning to wane down because of her ‘ambitions to
unseat Mugabe.’ And as Mugabe said yesterday that come congress ZANU PF will be
moving in one direction, and the same Joice will be part of it. The jostling in
civic society and opposition to support Mujuru has been successful in diverting
national attention from building strong political movement(s) to challenge ZANU
PF in the near future. Zvazviri!
Blessing
Vuvuzela Vava is a defender of the Peoples Charter and can be contacted on blessingvava@gmail.com
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