By Blessing Vava
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| Mugabe's campaign picture |
The political litmus test to a
democracy has always been defined with how a nation or unit is able to change
leadership in an orderly fashion successively. When Zimbabweans sacrificed
their lives during the liberation struggle the paramount political objective
was the supremacy of the vote – dramatised as one man one vote. It was the
thinking of the time that no man is infallible and leaders need to be changed
periodically as well as national and people’s interest come first. Never did
our forefathers, brothers and sisters pioneer a struggle meant for the creation
and self-enrichment of a demi-God on motherland. The idea was certainly not
about creating a permanent seat for a permanent personality in our body politic
– unlike Iran the liberation charter never sought to create a supreme leader.
That president Robert Mugabe has become a central figure in our country’s
political landscape for more than three decades now calls for serious
introspection and national evaluation against the core values of liberation
struggle. Egotism and unparalleled dogma have provided a fertile ground and
bred an unparalleled thirst for power in an era of contemporary democracies.
Need I say that am fully aware of the neoliberal machinations of the concept of
democracy but if taken on its own outside a hostile international environment
it is the paramount reason that mobilised our people to engage in the
liberation struggle against white domination. That Mugabe believes no one else
can do it better on the political scale is an indictment on our generation.....
we bred the monster in him – by failing to demand and safeguarding an
accountable political system which was the benchmark of our liberation
struggle.
President Mugabe has become
shrewd in dealing with opposition and each time after every election he seems
to emerge with a new level of astuteness and certainly fine art of extending
his grip on power skilfully (at times brutally) outwitting his opponents. After
losing the first round of elections in March 2008, he instead went on a rampage
of brutalising political opponents that intimidated his main opponent Morgan
Tsvangirai to eventually conduct a one-man election in June 2008. After the
sham election, Mugabe had to be part of an inclusive government which
legitimised his presidency. The coalition government was his political
resurrection from the dead; it saved him until its final collapse after the
July 31 poll. And as expected 31 July was the end of an era for his erstwhile
contenders – MDC-t. During the GNU the president remained an active player,
more energised and witty that even his age couldn’t corroborate with his
actions. It was all about the
President’s powers more than anything else. In fact the MDC spent most of the
time concentrating on social service delivery and the economy and forgot they
were in a political marriage awaiting a permanent divorce. They fell to
Mugabe’s witty tactics and neglected political reforms which will forever haunt
them. By neglecting constitutional and electoral reforms the MDCs are guilty of
resurrecting a political ghost which had been buried on 29 March 2008.
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A series of political blunders
spelt below indicate that the MDC is guilty of committing political suicide and
aiding the resurrection of Mugabe. The
year 2013’s first major highlight was when the coalition government of ZANU PF
and the two MDCs frog-marched Zimbabweans to vote for a constitution that they
had never set their eyes on under the guise that it contained their views. This
was not only a national fraud but a setback to the democratic values of
national foundations. We were tricked by President Mugabe, who in his maverick
style used Prime Minister Tsvangirai and Professor Ncube to further his interests.
The man outclassed them all systems out, and to suggest we were in a transition
as the opposition parties used to say i9s nothing but wishful thinking. A
political transition, Cdes, is a significant movement towards mass democracy –
ours was an unequal society less likely to consolidate democracy and ended up
oscillating between a brutal regime and a population that suffered substantial
fiscal volatility!!!
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The highlight of the July 31
elections is somewhat missed which in the history of Zimbabwe surpassed all by
being one of the most peaceful political events with less incidences of
physical political violence. The elections saw ZANU PF getting a two thirds
majority and above all fielding an 89 year old candidate, who eventually won
the elections. This was historic and record breaking, I wondered to myself how
a country with such a young educated lot (90.6% literacy) voted for an
octogenarian, and indeed there is something wrong somewhere. The campaign
itself was spearheaded by Mugabe himself, using his much looking younger
picture, his signature was all emblazoned on their party regalia, in total he
addressed a total of 10 star rallies across the country. Every ZANU PF official
who appeared on television addressing a rally would speak more about the
president than his own, whether it was a party directive or what, this was
Mugabe’s campaign. The election of 31 July was therefore pinned on idolising
and safeguarding the political life and legacy of Mugabe and the development
paradigm through the party’s indigenisation and empowerment proposals were
nothing but a tired political slogan less appealing to the people. The question
that immediately poses is what went wrong? The answer is bare for all to see
Cde Mugabe branded himself and manipulated the electoral process.
Zimbabwe – A nation in limbo
Elections came and went and the task of nation
building lies in a clueless regime that destroyed the very fabric of our
economic being and political progress. The appointment of the cabinet proved to
be a painstaking exercise for the Harare regime which took more time than
expected. A number of factors account for this delay but perhaps more concisely
it was because President Mugabe could not choose from a large pool, not of
competent comrades, but a click of bootlickers. Such is the patronage system
which has characterised his leadership from the party down to parastatals and
councils. Like the Black Prince Wrathion Mugabe is known to richly reward those
who earn his trust and support his endeavours. Of course not forgetting the
balancing act on widespread factionalism in ZANU PF. The delays somehow
affected the government business as the Executive and the judiciary remained
the only functioning organs of the state. It left a leadership vacuum, and dealt
a blow to the economy as business continued on a speculative path. Needless to
say service delivery becomes a neglected stepchild.
Most are privy of the talk
about recycling old wine in new bottles or rather portfolios. The role of
cabinet in a presidential system has been to advise the president on policy
direction as well as administer executive branch government agencies. The
system owes its being to the English Privy Council from the 16th Century and
has been a means by which the executive can effectively discharge development
on the political, social and economic sphere. The appointment of a cabinet
would require individuals with capacity and zeal to assist the president
effectively govern a nation. These individuals should not sing praises all the
time on the president but provide a balanced view on how to take the nation
forward. A striking difference can be drawn with how mafias operate – the Don
surrounds himself with hero worshipping beneficiaries of an illicit
unit/system. These are henchman. In
Zimbabwe, the appointment of key ministers namely Chombo, Chinamasa, Moyo,
Kasukuwere ,Nhema, Mavhaire etc left a lot to be desired. I still hear wild
cries because of the composition of the Ministers chosen by President Mugabe.
He chose his close old friends who have been there before and have a record of
failure, Ministers who cannot interpret their own policies; they can only read
out at press conferences but not in the loop of what they are talking
about. The current cabinet like their
leader has characters who are way old and cannot respond to the needs of the
younger generation who occupy more than 60% of the country’s population. These are more henchmen in a mafia system
than cabinet minister and to expect delivery of an effective government work
programme for the next five years is expecting impossible. The major highlight
of this ‘cabinet’ has been a futile after-though budget. The nation has been
betrayed, the nation mourns, the nation is in limbo, and the nation is in dire
need of a political nemesis. That Mugabe can dream of consolidating his power
in 2018 is at the age of 94 should send shivers in our nation. What is it that
he is capable of doing that no other Zimbabwean is capable of achieving? If its
Mugabe chete chete does it mean that Zimbabwe will cease to exist the day he
dies? Zimbabwe needs a political leadership that will resurrect the ideals of
the liberation struggle and realise their fruition. The future should see a
reengagement with the Zimbabwe People’s Charter, resetting the motion for a
genuine people driven democratic constitution intertwined with substantive
electoral reforms, rethinking the course of our national economy and connecting
with the people’s struggles for a functional economy. Debate should no longer
be premised on personalities but discourse that takes Zimbabwe out of the limbo
it has been plunged. Slogans about a pro-poor development course must now be
realised with the de-Mugabeisation of our beloved nation. The democratic ideals
we fought for should now take centre stage with a leadership change. Certainly
motherland deserves better.
Blessing 'Vuvuzela' Vava is with the Committe of the People Charter (CPC), and a blogger who writes from Chipinge, he can be contacted on blessingvava@gmail.com
