Opinion / Columnist
Zanu PF factional fight was savage - it was fuelled by fear of growing poverty
29 Nov 2017 at 07:05hrs | Views
"Mapere rakusha ropa rembudzi rinorwira kuuraya!" (Hyenas smeared with goat's blood fight to kill!) Each sees the other as a hyena but their nose tells them if it smells like goat, it is meat. And there is nothing like the smell of meat to give the cowardly hyena courage!
Zanu PF's factional wars have been as savage as two starving hyenas smeared with goat's blood fighting. Whatever one was able to bite off it swallowed, the two were eating each other alive!
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown has taken a heavy toll of the ordinary Zimbabweans, there is no question about that. With unemployment a nauseating 90%, there are hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans out there who have never had a formal job for 15 years or more. I was once unemployed for a couple of months and myself confidence took a serious knock; my heart bleeds for each and every one of the millions out of work.
Zimbabweans are today the poorest nation in Africa. 72.3% of the population live on US$1.00 or less a day. Where poverty reigns supreme there too you will find her three wicked sisters; hunger, disease and death.
Robert Mugabe and his cronies' insatiable greed for absolute political power and the influence and luxuries it brings is the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown. Whilst many people may think the tyrant and his cronies have grown rich and fat from all the corruption and wholesale looting, untouched by the economic chaos. A close look will show that the economic chaos has caused havoc amongst the ruling elite too!
Old Zanu PF grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarira and Enos Nkala lived in poverty and paupers. Mugabe ordered the potholes in the road to Shamuyarira house repaired and the house painted to hide the decades of rot and decay the day he died. Other less mortals, party members have suffered and died with the rest of us povo.
"It is cold out there!" Professor Jonathan Moyo marked, after a brief spell outside the protective custody of the party. He had met the four witches; poverty, hunger, disease and death; face to face and they had winked at him with wicked lust! He had felt the cold chill running down his spine and went back to Mugabe begging to be readmitted back into Zanu PF!
The certainty of poverty for anyone who, for whatever reason, failed to keep their position on the feeding trough has made the fighting amongst the members fierce. The country's worsening economic situation has meant there was less to share amongst the members and thus fighting to keep one's position that much fiercer. The total economic meltdown of 2000 to 2008 was so bad Zanu PF members were fighting each as savagely as hyenas smeared with goat's blood!
The need to find the successor to the aging and sickly party leaders helped to focus the party members' attention as backing the right horse would meaning keeping one's position on the feeding trough.
In 2014, the Zanu PF factional war claimed its first casualties when former VP Joice Mujuru and half a dozen or so of her close supporters were "baby dumped" out of the party, as Grace Mugabe boosted. The rest of her supporters were demoted or they quickly switched their loyalty. But before the dust of that factional war had even settled, the party quickly split into two new factions the G40 and Mnangagwa faction.
The last three weeks have seen dramatic climax as the two factions clashed with the force of two 20 tonne buffalo bulls, their bodies awash with testosterone, galloping at 30 km/hr clash head-on. G40 faction lost the factional war and here is the list of some of the casualties:
Robert Mugabe - lost his life-president when he was asked to resign at gun point. He got US$10 million, immunity from all prosecution, keep all his looted wealth plus all current benefits. He will lose it all if Zanu PF was to lose power which is very likely.
Grace Mugabe - dreams to becoming president went up in smoke, she will not hold on family's looted wealth after Mugabe's death. Never.
Phelezela Mphoko - lost his VP post. He is holed up in Botswana fearing arrest Ignatious Chombo (MP for Zvimba North) - lost his MP and ministerial post and in jail facing fraud charges. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth. Saviour Kasukuwere (Mount Darwin South) - lost his MP and ministerial post in hiding in Mozambique. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Professor Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho North) - lost MP and ministerial post in hiding in Mozambique. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Kudzanayi Chipanga (Makoni West) - lost his MP post and in jail on fraud charges. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Mandiitawepi Chimene (Makoni South) - lost her MP and ministerial post. Can kiss good bye to her looted wealth.
The savage conclusion of Zanu PF's factional will probably force many party members to toe party line for a while at least. Even those should find themselves living cheek and jowl with poverty, will suffer and die in silence. If you live on US$1.00 or less per day you have invited poverty and her three sisters; hunger, disease and death; in your home.
Zanu PF's factional wars have been as savage as two starving hyenas smeared with goat's blood fighting. Whatever one was able to bite off it swallowed, the two were eating each other alive!
Zimbabwe's economic meltdown has taken a heavy toll of the ordinary Zimbabweans, there is no question about that. With unemployment a nauseating 90%, there are hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans out there who have never had a formal job for 15 years or more. I was once unemployed for a couple of months and myself confidence took a serious knock; my heart bleeds for each and every one of the millions out of work.
Zimbabweans are today the poorest nation in Africa. 72.3% of the population live on US$1.00 or less a day. Where poverty reigns supreme there too you will find her three wicked sisters; hunger, disease and death.
Robert Mugabe and his cronies' insatiable greed for absolute political power and the influence and luxuries it brings is the root cause of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown. Whilst many people may think the tyrant and his cronies have grown rich and fat from all the corruption and wholesale looting, untouched by the economic chaos. A close look will show that the economic chaos has caused havoc amongst the ruling elite too!
Old Zanu PF grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarira and Enos Nkala lived in poverty and paupers. Mugabe ordered the potholes in the road to Shamuyarira house repaired and the house painted to hide the decades of rot and decay the day he died. Other less mortals, party members have suffered and died with the rest of us povo.
"It is cold out there!" Professor Jonathan Moyo marked, after a brief spell outside the protective custody of the party. He had met the four witches; poverty, hunger, disease and death; face to face and they had winked at him with wicked lust! He had felt the cold chill running down his spine and went back to Mugabe begging to be readmitted back into Zanu PF!
The certainty of poverty for anyone who, for whatever reason, failed to keep their position on the feeding trough has made the fighting amongst the members fierce. The country's worsening economic situation has meant there was less to share amongst the members and thus fighting to keep one's position that much fiercer. The total economic meltdown of 2000 to 2008 was so bad Zanu PF members were fighting each as savagely as hyenas smeared with goat's blood!
The need to find the successor to the aging and sickly party leaders helped to focus the party members' attention as backing the right horse would meaning keeping one's position on the feeding trough.
In 2014, the Zanu PF factional war claimed its first casualties when former VP Joice Mujuru and half a dozen or so of her close supporters were "baby dumped" out of the party, as Grace Mugabe boosted. The rest of her supporters were demoted or they quickly switched their loyalty. But before the dust of that factional war had even settled, the party quickly split into two new factions the G40 and Mnangagwa faction.
The last three weeks have seen dramatic climax as the two factions clashed with the force of two 20 tonne buffalo bulls, their bodies awash with testosterone, galloping at 30 km/hr clash head-on. G40 faction lost the factional war and here is the list of some of the casualties:
Robert Mugabe - lost his life-president when he was asked to resign at gun point. He got US$10 million, immunity from all prosecution, keep all his looted wealth plus all current benefits. He will lose it all if Zanu PF was to lose power which is very likely.
Grace Mugabe - dreams to becoming president went up in smoke, she will not hold on family's looted wealth after Mugabe's death. Never.
Phelezela Mphoko - lost his VP post. He is holed up in Botswana fearing arrest Ignatious Chombo (MP for Zvimba North) - lost his MP and ministerial post and in jail facing fraud charges. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth. Saviour Kasukuwere (Mount Darwin South) - lost his MP and ministerial post in hiding in Mozambique. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Professor Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho North) - lost MP and ministerial post in hiding in Mozambique. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Kudzanayi Chipanga (Makoni West) - lost his MP post and in jail on fraud charges. Can kiss good bye to his looted wealth Mandiitawepi Chimene (Makoni South) - lost her MP and ministerial post. Can kiss good bye to her looted wealth.
The savage conclusion of Zanu PF's factional will probably force many party members to toe party line for a while at least. Even those should find themselves living cheek and jowl with poverty, will suffer and die in silence. If you live on US$1.00 or less per day you have invited poverty and her three sisters; hunger, disease and death; in your home.
Source - Wilbert Mukori
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