Opinion / Columnist
Way into disgruntled Zanu PF member's head is through his stomach - Mugabe knows that too well!
10 Dec 2015 at 19:44hrs | Views
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach! Many people would agree.
The way into a disgruntled Zanu PF member's head is through his/her stomach! Anyone remotely familiar with Zimbabwe politics will agree to that; there is nothing Zimbabwean politicians would not do for you if you feed them, especially meat, beer and/or weed – strictly in that order for the best results.
Last year Didymus Mutasa had 8 out 10 provinces lined up to vote for Joice Mujuru and had lined up the Zanu PF Youth League conference to launch what he was thought was the first bid for demand for change and power. The nation's economy was sinking fast and the youths, like everyone else, were feeling the ill effects of unemployment and growing poverty. Mutasa was confident the Youth League conference would be calling for change.
As if to underline the point of the worsening economic situation, the party was struggling to raise the money to buy food to feed the delegates to the Youth Conference. A fact President Mugabe seized upon and used to his advantage.
When President Mugabe met the conference delegates the eve of their conference, instead of talking about the country's worsening economic situation, the hordes of unemployed and the need for meaningful leadership change; Mugabe talked about Mutasa, as party secretary for administration had let the delegates down by failing to secure the money to buy them food. Mugabe promised the youths he will kill 30 cattle from his farm to ensure they have meat and supply milk for their tea. By the end of the evening the youths were singing Mugabe's praises and would have lynched anyone who dared criticize Mugabe!
President Mugabe has managed to keep everyone in Zanu PF behind him regardless his sorry record as a national leader because was clever to give each one a share of the looted wealth, just enough to keep them happy. He did the same with Tsvangirai and his MDC friends.
Some people are talking of fireworks during the Zanu PF conference starting tomorrow as a result of the worsening factional wars in the party. There will be no fireworks because President Mugabe has made arrangements to ensure the conference delegates are well fed. The party has raised some money to pay for the conference but even if it had failed to raise a dollar President Mugabe would have footed the bill – this is where some of the $ 2 billion a year from the looting and plunder in Marange goes.
The nation is in the middle of a serious economic meltdown and Zanu PF is imploding as the succession war heats up still President Mugabe will have all the conference delegates singing his praise; he knows the surest way to win them over is through their stomach. Every delegate member will have their fill of meat and beer and any angry thought they had before the conference will be squeezed out of their minds!
The way into a disgruntled Zanu PF member's head is through his/her stomach! Anyone remotely familiar with Zimbabwe politics will agree to that; there is nothing Zimbabwean politicians would not do for you if you feed them, especially meat, beer and/or weed – strictly in that order for the best results.
Last year Didymus Mutasa had 8 out 10 provinces lined up to vote for Joice Mujuru and had lined up the Zanu PF Youth League conference to launch what he was thought was the first bid for demand for change and power. The nation's economy was sinking fast and the youths, like everyone else, were feeling the ill effects of unemployment and growing poverty. Mutasa was confident the Youth League conference would be calling for change.
As if to underline the point of the worsening economic situation, the party was struggling to raise the money to buy food to feed the delegates to the Youth Conference. A fact President Mugabe seized upon and used to his advantage.
When President Mugabe met the conference delegates the eve of their conference, instead of talking about the country's worsening economic situation, the hordes of unemployed and the need for meaningful leadership change; Mugabe talked about Mutasa, as party secretary for administration had let the delegates down by failing to secure the money to buy them food. Mugabe promised the youths he will kill 30 cattle from his farm to ensure they have meat and supply milk for their tea. By the end of the evening the youths were singing Mugabe's praises and would have lynched anyone who dared criticize Mugabe!
President Mugabe has managed to keep everyone in Zanu PF behind him regardless his sorry record as a national leader because was clever to give each one a share of the looted wealth, just enough to keep them happy. He did the same with Tsvangirai and his MDC friends.
Some people are talking of fireworks during the Zanu PF conference starting tomorrow as a result of the worsening factional wars in the party. There will be no fireworks because President Mugabe has made arrangements to ensure the conference delegates are well fed. The party has raised some money to pay for the conference but even if it had failed to raise a dollar President Mugabe would have footed the bill – this is where some of the $ 2 billion a year from the looting and plunder in Marange goes.
The nation is in the middle of a serious economic meltdown and Zanu PF is imploding as the succession war heats up still President Mugabe will have all the conference delegates singing his praise; he knows the surest way to win them over is through their stomach. Every delegate member will have their fill of meat and beer and any angry thought they had before the conference will be squeezed out of their minds!
Source - Patrick Guramatunhu
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