'Zimbabwe has no Queen, nor is Mugabe a King'

Zimbabweans are calmly analysing and sharing information about what Zanu-PF is trying to do, but whatever happens they will not accept the unconstitutional imposition of a royal family, even if the Minister of Justice Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, supports it.

Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy which has no place for queens, let alone queens whose thrones are based on their relationship to the President, such as Grace Mugabe. The nearest thing we have resembling monarchy is our traditional chiefs, and Robert Mugabe is not one.

If President Mugabe can impose his girlfriend on his party, it does not mean he can do so on all Zimbabweans, let alone the democracy-loving members of the Movement for Democratic Change, which celebrates its 14th Independence anniversary this weekend in Masvingo.

A Minister of Justice whose ambition now blinds him to his constitutional obligations - Emmerson Mnangagwa

Mnangagwa has proved to be a real sycophant, if not a bootlicker, not worth the title Minister of Justice, and definitely not deserving the support that he is seeking from Zimbabweans to become President; he is a coward.

When he told Parliament that President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace, is a queen to whom traditional leaders and opposition politicians should pay homage, he out-did even the late Tony Gara who likened Mugabe to Jesus Christ and Webster Shamu who liked him to Cremora.

We would be forgiven for thinking that Mnangagwa, a lawyer and a liberation war hero of significance, was being sarcastic when he made the remarks, but according to the reports he was asked seriously by Kuwadzana MP Nelson Chamisa whether it was proper for traditional leaders to be involved in party politics.

Chamisa was referring to the chiefs' reported endorsement of Grace's candidacy for the Zanu-PF Women's League, yet even the endorsement itself was not done voluntarily by the chiefs, according to other reports - they were railroaded into it.

The chiefs were forced by the chairman of the chief's council, Fortune Charumbira, and told only that they should report to a Harare hotel for a meeting with local government minister Ignatius Chombo; but when they arrived there they were told that the meeting was going to be at Grace's farm in Mazowe.

At the meeting Charumbira then rose and purported to be speaking on behalf of the chiefs, endorsing Grace. Now analysts say there is more to these endorsements than meets the eye, because she has already secured the nomination and has no challenger, so why take our dignified chiefs to be abused by this woman who has no shame? See her address here.

But Mnangagwa, who reportedly aspires to be president, told Parliament that it was right for the chiefs to go there and be subjected to that performance because Grace is "the queen of the land" - in his own words.

"Every country has its owners and rulers. I do not see anything wrong when chiefs pay a visit to the queen. She is their queen and they could do so willingly," Mnangagwa said to applause from Zanu-PF MPs, according to the report.

So the chiefs have been reduced to President Mugabe's subjects, with the help of his Local Government Minister Chombo, and reduced in esteem to the same status accorded to them by the colonialists - give them a few trinkets on the tax-payers' account and they will do anything you want.

Not to be outdone in outrageously licking the First Family was Transport Minister Obert Mpofu who said there was absolutely nothing amiss about the loss-making parastatal, Zupco, having its buses emblazoned with the First Lady's picture as part of her political campaign.

Nothing was said about whether she had paid for the adverts, but the MDC's inquisitor in Parliament, Chamisa had been ejected from the House and called a nuisance by Patrick Chinamasa in Parliament. The Zanu-PF Speaker of Parliament did nothing to protect him despite that the last time Chinamasa was shoved in the same House, the perpetrator was jailed for 15 months.

But lawlessness is now endemic in Zanu-PF as it continues to fail to manage its succession, thus leaving the country adrift while factions of Zanu-PF continue to battle one another, with all rationality thrown out the window.

In their stampede to be seen to be supporting the First Lady some were described as grovelling, with Martin Dinha, the Mashonaland Central Governor saying the province was ready to defend Grace's elevation to the leadership of country, as if he had consulted the whole province.

"Mother, do not be scared, the country is fully behind you, even if we are insulted or beaten hatikendenge (we do not care). No doubt, amai, tinomira nemi (we will stand by you)."

And to expose the opportunism that is associated with the rise of Grace, Dinha said that the support for her was a freedom train which, if one did not jump on the bandwagon, they would be left behind!

President Mugabe is obviously now turning his household into a royal family, using patronage, with Chief Charumbira, who is supposed to protect the institution of the chieftaincy, justifying its usurpation by the President.
He said even in churches it was common for them to be led by the church leader's wife, but he was almost surpassed by a deputy Minister, Joel Biggie Matiza, who reportedly said that Grace's business empire was a clear indication that she was ready for the big role.

It was as if they were falling over each other to praise-sing in order to curry favour with the First Family. This is what is now driving all movement in Zanu-PF, but this has no relation whatsoever to the people.

In fact to us it only confirms that Zanu-PF no longer has a future, it is decaying and no longer cares about the people, or about the constitution under which it is ruling. It is now up to us to force this government to be accountable to the people.