Opinion / Columnist
The fate of Vice President Mnangagwa
29 Jul 2016 at 02:27hrs | Views
"Pasi nemhandu, pasi nemhandu pasi nemhandu, pasi nemhandu....!!" (translated as Down with the enemy) gleefully chanted Vice President E.D Mnangagwa soon after his "appointment" as the Vice President of both ZANU-PF party and the Republic. He was almost in ecstatic frenzy buoyed by his political elevation. His political star which had remained stagnant for decades seemed to be rising, oblivious of the sacriligeous glass ceiling in ZANU-PF.
What Vice President ED Mnangagwa failed to bear in mind is that he had been "appointed" and not "elected" into the office. Every political office bearer has to know the background of his or her position because in the field of politics or corporate world those who appoint can also disappoint.
Everyone watched as the Vice-President was humuliated, teared apart by political novices in the name of Hurungwe West legislator Sarah Mahoka and recently by Mandi Chimene at the crisis management meeting in front of the public. Vice- President Mnangagwa's crime is his cosy relationship with the War Veterans who recently issued a communique severing ties with the President. Mandi Chimene spoke without qualms, candidly, without an iorta of hesitation and obviously at the behest of the First Family, the Chief puppeteer. One then wonders if Gynecocracy (petticoat (mis)governance) has slowly but surely gained mementum in ZANU-PF. People are wondering if this is the feared "crocodile" we know or something else. Surely ED political sojourn has been signposted by political invincibility episode to political vulnerability epilogue.
However it's too early to take this as Mnangagwa's Waterloo. The G40 crew therefore risk premature political orgasm if they assume that it's fait accompli. In fact this is the beggining of a new political discourse in Zimbabwe. This ought to be taken as the trial and not the triumph of securocracy given the fact that the Vice- President flirts with the Security Sector.
As the Post Modernists hinted people must embrace and acknowledge uncertainty for every discpline even politics will never be certain. However the paradox of the postmodern position is that, in placing all principles under the scrutiny of its skepticism, it must realize that even its own principles are not beyond questioning.
Well, needless to say Cde Mnangagwa is having a good taste of his own medicine. He is now being subjected to the very same political molestation that Joice Mujuru was subjected to. Do to others as you would love them to do unto you.Thats a cardinal policy that ED Mnangagwa failed to understand. It reminds me of the memoir of Tony Blair in which he rightly pointed out that its unwise to deliberately create enemies in the field of politics because you can also create a myriad of them unknowingly.
As the shadow boxing and mudslinging continue to take centre stage, its important to realise that it is the masses who happen to be the collateral damage, unintended casuality, as service delivery is now a last a priority. As the drama unfolds the masses remain in perpetual servitude as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the recalcitrant regime.
As the chimera of Mnangagwa's Presidency seem to be on the wall in the face of cataclysmic factionalism one wonders why some political figures in ZANU-PF have chose to adopt some form of Quite Diplomacy, some wait and see atittude. The silence of people like Sidney Sekeramayi and Ignatious Chombo needs to be interrogated. One wonders whether they are happy or unhappy but the bottom line is that there is more to meets the eye. They seem to be privy to some nicodimous tête-à-têtes . Their "zip lip" policy will speak for itself one day. Only time will tell. After all has been said and done one still wonders what the actual borne of contention is between warring factions in ZANU-PF. Is it a crime to have presidential ambitions? One wonders why the President and his hangers on take umbrage to constructive criticism if the anti protests protest by the ZANU-PF youths is to go by, of which the youths are the demographic group hard hit by ZANU-PF's ill-conceived ruinous policies.
It is important to come to terms with the fact that President Mugabe's altercation with the War Veterans is not new. The President's relationship with the War Veterans has been characterised by love and hate from time immemorial but given the political dynamics of the day the President Mugabe would cajole the War Veterans leaders and engage in some form of comoflouged surrender to solidify his octopus grip on power.
In 1999, War Veterans leader the combative Chenjerai "Hitler" Hunzvi was arrested in corruption case regarding the alleged embezzlement of Z$45m of the War Victims' Funds. However critics argued that Hunzvi had just followed the example set by the President who had "helped" his brother in-law Reward Marufu to fraudulently benefit from the War Victims Compensation Fund.
In 2005, War Veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was expelled from ZANU-PF after attending the ill-fated Tsholotsho Declaration.Jabulani Sibanda was then brought back and he spearhearded the infamous Million march of hungry men in support of the President. Jabulani Sibanda was then arrested in 2015 after he pointed out that War Veterans would not countenance a "bedroom coup" in Zanu PF referring to the entry of First Lady in politics.
We now talk of the arbitrary arrest of current War Veterans leaders Mahiya and Mutemadanda for expressing their constitutional right of freedom of expression in form of a communique severing ties with the President. The civic liberties of the masses are honestly in intensive care.
Events taking place in ZANU-PF can force even a hardcore atheist to read the bible,peruse the book of Revelation and engage in some of meditatiom. Are these the end time signs? Typical era of stolen dreams and vandalised aspirations.
Wilton Nyasha Machimbira, a Political Analyst. For feedback and comments can be contacted on wiltonnyash@gmail.com
What Vice President ED Mnangagwa failed to bear in mind is that he had been "appointed" and not "elected" into the office. Every political office bearer has to know the background of his or her position because in the field of politics or corporate world those who appoint can also disappoint.
Everyone watched as the Vice-President was humuliated, teared apart by political novices in the name of Hurungwe West legislator Sarah Mahoka and recently by Mandi Chimene at the crisis management meeting in front of the public. Vice- President Mnangagwa's crime is his cosy relationship with the War Veterans who recently issued a communique severing ties with the President. Mandi Chimene spoke without qualms, candidly, without an iorta of hesitation and obviously at the behest of the First Family, the Chief puppeteer. One then wonders if Gynecocracy (petticoat (mis)governance) has slowly but surely gained mementum in ZANU-PF. People are wondering if this is the feared "crocodile" we know or something else. Surely ED political sojourn has been signposted by political invincibility episode to political vulnerability epilogue.
However it's too early to take this as Mnangagwa's Waterloo. The G40 crew therefore risk premature political orgasm if they assume that it's fait accompli. In fact this is the beggining of a new political discourse in Zimbabwe. This ought to be taken as the trial and not the triumph of securocracy given the fact that the Vice- President flirts with the Security Sector.
As the Post Modernists hinted people must embrace and acknowledge uncertainty for every discpline even politics will never be certain. However the paradox of the postmodern position is that, in placing all principles under the scrutiny of its skepticism, it must realize that even its own principles are not beyond questioning.
Well, needless to say Cde Mnangagwa is having a good taste of his own medicine. He is now being subjected to the very same political molestation that Joice Mujuru was subjected to. Do to others as you would love them to do unto you.Thats a cardinal policy that ED Mnangagwa failed to understand. It reminds me of the memoir of Tony Blair in which he rightly pointed out that its unwise to deliberately create enemies in the field of politics because you can also create a myriad of them unknowingly.
As the shadow boxing and mudslinging continue to take centre stage, its important to realise that it is the masses who happen to be the collateral damage, unintended casuality, as service delivery is now a last a priority. As the drama unfolds the masses remain in perpetual servitude as hewers of wood and drawers of water for the recalcitrant regime.
As the chimera of Mnangagwa's Presidency seem to be on the wall in the face of cataclysmic factionalism one wonders why some political figures in ZANU-PF have chose to adopt some form of Quite Diplomacy, some wait and see atittude. The silence of people like Sidney Sekeramayi and Ignatious Chombo needs to be interrogated. One wonders whether they are happy or unhappy but the bottom line is that there is more to meets the eye. They seem to be privy to some nicodimous tête-à-têtes . Their "zip lip" policy will speak for itself one day. Only time will tell. After all has been said and done one still wonders what the actual borne of contention is between warring factions in ZANU-PF. Is it a crime to have presidential ambitions? One wonders why the President and his hangers on take umbrage to constructive criticism if the anti protests protest by the ZANU-PF youths is to go by, of which the youths are the demographic group hard hit by ZANU-PF's ill-conceived ruinous policies.
It is important to come to terms with the fact that President Mugabe's altercation with the War Veterans is not new. The President's relationship with the War Veterans has been characterised by love and hate from time immemorial but given the political dynamics of the day the President Mugabe would cajole the War Veterans leaders and engage in some form of comoflouged surrender to solidify his octopus grip on power.
In 1999, War Veterans leader the combative Chenjerai "Hitler" Hunzvi was arrested in corruption case regarding the alleged embezzlement of Z$45m of the War Victims' Funds. However critics argued that Hunzvi had just followed the example set by the President who had "helped" his brother in-law Reward Marufu to fraudulently benefit from the War Victims Compensation Fund.
In 2005, War Veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda was expelled from ZANU-PF after attending the ill-fated Tsholotsho Declaration.Jabulani Sibanda was then brought back and he spearhearded the infamous Million march of hungry men in support of the President. Jabulani Sibanda was then arrested in 2015 after he pointed out that War Veterans would not countenance a "bedroom coup" in Zanu PF referring to the entry of First Lady in politics.
We now talk of the arbitrary arrest of current War Veterans leaders Mahiya and Mutemadanda for expressing their constitutional right of freedom of expression in form of a communique severing ties with the President. The civic liberties of the masses are honestly in intensive care.
Events taking place in ZANU-PF can force even a hardcore atheist to read the bible,peruse the book of Revelation and engage in some of meditatiom. Are these the end time signs? Typical era of stolen dreams and vandalised aspirations.
Wilton Nyasha Machimbira, a Political Analyst. For feedback and comments can be contacted on wiltonnyash@gmail.com
Source - Wilton Nyasha Machimbira
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