Same script same actors different tactics

Fellow countrymen the events of the past fortnight have been breathtakingly amazing. First was the unceremonious firing of the then vice president, his escape to RSA, his statement from there stating that he will back in two weeks to takeover the leadership of ZANU, government and commander in chief of the defence forces, then ZDF ultimatum demanding that the then president RGM reinstate ED or face his demise. The rest is history.

My greatest worry is that the whole country has normalised the abnormal where the defence forces become the ultimate king makers and not the citizens.

ZANU and MDC failed to exercise their constitutional duty of impeachment when they had all the right and time to do so without calling on the army. When a whole institution of the state decides to side with one political party, supervises  its leadership choices and ensures the installation of such leadership without going through the normal electoral processes signifies difficult times ahead. When the political party is guided in its choices that breeds anarchy.

The country cannot allow such to be the norm. The military's duty is to defend the country from foreign threat, to defend the government of the day and uphold the constitution, be aligent and loyal to their commander in chief.

Yes the country has been going through difficult times - bedevilled by endemic corruption, accelerated economic decline, dictatorship of ZANU PF, record unemployment levels; simply the country had become totally dysfunctional. If Zimbabwe was a private company it could have been liquidated years ago. Why was the action taken so rapidly in the preceding week not taken a decade or so ago.

We run the risk of getting to a point of no return in terms of who decides our destiny.  It cannot be the military for goodness sake but the electorate stupid

What has happened has happened now we look to the future with baited breath. All the necessary reforms that will return our country to the community of nations ought to be done with lightning speed. These include, inter alia, electoral reforms to level the political playing filed. The recent peaceful demonstrations themselves are a clear testimony that ZANU will not win a free, fair and credible election.

That party, ZANU, has categorically stated that it cannot reform itself out of power. The mantra "tichatonga tigotonga tigotonga zwe vibrates across the country accompanied by the chuckle vachihukura. This means that the political playing field remains skewed in favour of ZANU . God forbid.

What the country needs now is real healing involving all stockholders. It cannot and must not be ZANU alone, after all the ZANU leadership has been superintending over  this mess. ZANU leadership must accept collective failure. The country can ill afford the luxury of: the same script, the same actors, the same mantra but different tactics. The presidential speech has some hope in it, it needs a brand new team with untainted bias to implement. The team's terms of reference must include the immediate reforms of the electoral laws, economic reforms, management of financial institutions, restructuring of state enterprises, rehabilitation of the ZRP, immediate alignment of laws to the new constitution. Immediate reengagement with the world.

The governing team must present a national character and must exude confidence.

Jacob JD Dube
Treasurer General
Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)