Hope Jonathan Moyo now knows 'chine vene vacho chinhu ichi?'

WHEREVER he is, Professor Jonathan Moyo should know vakarumwa nechekuchera. As he reflects and takes stock with his G40 cabal, he should always remember James 1 vs 19 which says: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." Proverbs 12 vs 15 is even more explicit: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."

What happened to the G40 cabal over the last few weeks was always coming. It was so obvious that the G40 train of shame was soon to crush with devastating and even fatal consequences. Was the G40 cabal really serious that they could put their political lives in the hands of Amai Grace Mugabe? Couldn't they see that Amai Mugabe was relying on borrowed power? The President's power, otherwise the whole G40 cabal was politically undressed – no power, no nothing.

You really want to tell me that Prof Moyo, such a learned politician couldn't see that the G40 cabal was standing on shaky ground – no principles and no ideology. You tell me that Prof Moyo, with the way he is widely read doesn't know that in Africa, just like elsewhere in the world, you don't get into power if you don't have the support of the armed forces?

Someone once said, Prof Moyo lacks "social sophistication." It now sounds so, so true. Or maybe it's true that we tend to overestimate these professors. Vanhuwo, just like everyone else but isu tobva tafunga kuti they know everything and so they should always be right in their judgments.

But Prof Moyo was warned so many times. Very clear and bold warnings. I remember sometime last year, the then Herald Columnist, Nathaniel Manheru who later went on to reveal himself as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba said something to the effect that let's hope our politics won't get to a stage where whoever takes over from President Mugabe will come in with a hit list of people he/she would want to eliminate.

See what's happening now. The G40 cabal are scattered all over the world scared to death and wetting their pants with fear. Where is Savior Kasukuwere, Patrick Zhuwao, Phelekezela Mphoko, Ignatious Chombo, Makhosini Hlongwane, Walter Mzembi and many others? If only, their arrogance was measured.

Despite the sickening and reckless stubbornness from the G40 cabal, Mr Charamba still under the cover of Nathaniel Manheru continued his warnings. Remember the "chine vene vacho chinhu ichi," killer statement?

Well, let me quote this statement in full. "Chine vene vacho chinhu ichi and you won't be there when great questions of the day are settled mumatare avo! Too young, too small, simply a late arrivant, my good soul-mate," wrote Mr Charamba as he warned Prof Moyo that he was a small boy in the succession game.

I remember Prof Moyo ridiculing Mr Charamba about this "chine vene vacho chinhu ichi," statement. As a Bishop I just said; Proverbs 18 vs 13 is so spot on when it says: "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

But then Prof Moyo decided to go even more suicidal. Without any provocation, he gave an interview to the private media explaining in detail why he would not support the then VP Mnangagwa in the succession race. Let me make it clear here. Its Prof Moyo's democratic right to support or not to support anyone, but what shocked many was the closure of all avenues for future engagement.

Bishop Lazarus even chipped in with a few words telling Prof Moyo that in whatever disagreements, in whatever anger and in whatever political clashes, it is always wise to leave room for engagement tomorrow. I remember my poor self saying, "usatsamwe zvekubva wabvarura hembe dzese. Ukasara wakashama zvozoita sei?" Still nobody listened.

You see, nobody listened because people were drunk with borrowed power. In fact, it sounded more like assumed power. Kwanzi "Gire ndiye ane yese!" However, the killer statement was "munhu wese kuna Amai!" Chiona zvoita Amai vacho?

It started as "pane munhu anogara achitichichidzira" to "vaMnangagwa ava vanofunga tinovatya," and then it got worse, when it was "Emmerson uyu." Some of us knew kuti ngoma kana yoririsa like this, yoda kutsemuka. Sekuru vangu Matope (may his soul rest in peace) would say; "kugarira pfumo soo muzukuru, manje, manje umwe achachema."

Along the road, we were reminded kuti "ndiri mukadzi waMugabe ini!" Silently as a stunned Bishop, I was like "asi pane vari kuramba here nhai Amai?" She even called herself "mafirakureva" and shocked many when she said "handitye kupfurwa nepfuti ini." Kikikikiki, those who were there say, when the army flexed its muscles under Operation Restore Legacy, munhu akabvundza iyeye. Kudzikama kuita mukadzi kwaye. Let's not go into detail about Amai's "un-Amai" behaviour at that gungano remapositori. Imika imi?

Now tell me, stuck in those faraway lands, what is Prof Moyo and the G40 cabal thinking? Are they blaming anyone or they are still in denial kuti its game over?

As a Bishop I have counselled many people and I know how it goes. During the first days like this, machinda anosimbisana. Hehe, let's regroup, hehe we still can turn this around with assistance from our friends. Then it gets to a point where some of the colleagues silently start questioning the wisdom of what they were doing and the wisdom of continuing to be in denial. Some of the friends, start deserting the cabal.

Bishop Lazarus knows very well that the majority of politicians in the G40 cabal are not well-oiled financially and very soon tumaritwo tuchapera and raramo ichatanga kushupa. When that happens, the divisions in the group will start with some saying, "let's reach out to President Mnangagwa" and others saying "comrades we can't give in."

Rumwe, rumwe we will soon see them trooping back home. First and very fast it was Kudzanai Chipanga, who didn't waste time spilling out the beans. Imi vanhu masoja akawoma mhani. As we speak, Letina Munamato Undenge, that lady who seemed so, so powerful a few weeks ago is already on bended knees. "I admit that I was blindly used by my boss. My apologies if the position put me in the limelight because all of us on salutation we had to praise Mugabe and Amai Mugabe, something which I did innocently.

"My deepest apologies to everyone in the party and I wish them to forgive me and leave me in the party. Our excitement could have hurt others and in God's name, I ask for forgiveness and wish to continue with my party Zanu-PF. I was not part of a planning cabal against VP Mnangagwa or the army," said Mai Undenge.

Shame, shame stereki! Heya munotoziva kunaMwari? Vakadzi vakuru shuwa. Waibva wangoona kunobviwa. Ana marujata. Mujamba jecha. Zvino kwakazoita kunyaradzwa kwaChauruka. The silence was deafening as the G40 cabal scurried like rats.

A few verses from the Holy Book can assist us here. Jeremiah 11 vs 8 says: "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not."

Zechariah 7 vs 11 hammers the point home saying: "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing," while Proverbs 16 vs 18 confirms that indeed, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Vatendi munonzwa Bishop wenyu here?

If you ask me, there is nothing to be stubborn about. The G40 cabal should be man enough to accept that there is a new era in Zimbabwe. They should swallow their pride, deflate their over-sized egos and return home to mend relations. I have to be very honest here, the mending of relations won't be an easy walk in the park and it may bring lots of discomfort to some in the G40 cabal, but it's better to come back home and face the music now than to postpone the inevitable.

As Mr Charamba would say, we want Prof Moyo to come back home "to build and organise real knowledge, without doubt always your forte, your competence. Not this dabbling in Zanu-PF succession politics you know you will not win."

Whatever the G40 cabal is planning, they should know that the tide is against them and the people are against them. It's very possible that the G40 cabal can choose to be reckless and continue pressing the suicidal button but before parading their selfishness, they should think about their families and relatives. Machinda, musafurirane ikoko. Todii nemhuri dzenyu kuno?

President Mnangagwa has been preaching about forgiveness. The army has been preaching that there is no need for vengeance. Of course, I can hear mischievous whispers saying; "imi Bishop musafurire vanhu," but then vene vechinhu vava nacho, dzokai muchigara matare ezera renyu.

Bishop is out!