News / National
Zapu raps Zanu-PF and MDC-T over devolution
20 Aug 2015 at 03:45hrs | Views
Zapu's Department of Information Publicity and Marketing official Iphithule Maphosa has rapped Zanu-PF and the MDC-T for reneging to implement the devolution of power which was demanded by the people during the constitution making period.
"Zapu's Devolution of Power is the way. Zanu-PF finally admits," he said.
"Given the adamant refusal to include Devolution of Power in the Zimbabwean constitution by Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T, one would have been forgiven to think Devolution was not a governance system."
He said the constitutional making process, especially the negotiation stage, saw these Siamese twins publicly showing their affection and ganging up against the lone voice which spoke for those who advocated for Devolution of Power as a governance system.
"We saw Prof Welshman Ncube, whose MDC pushed for its inclusion in the constitution, in the absence of Zapu in the GNU, who have had the original concept since inception in 1961, being subjected to acts of alienation and humiliation at the hands of Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, with one Arthur Mutambara being used as a braai stick, only to be thrown away and be forgotten as we all know today," he said.
"Prof Ncube's crime back then was his resolute stance on the inclusion of Devolution of Power as his party and Zapu believe is the only solution to our current governance and leadership problems in Zimbabwe"
He said Zimbabwe got the needed Devolution included in their constitution, albeit in a watered down state, falling far short of the total Devolution as Zapu prescribes.
"The spirited efforts by the two, Mugabe and Tsvangirai, to portray Devolution as secession and a tribal and regionalist theory saw them including a preamble in the constitution that insinuates that the country is a unitary state and secession will not be constitutional," said Maphosa.
"Not only did they water it down, but they went further to clandestinely plot and agree to delay the implementation of Devolution-constitutionalism does not exist in these parties DNA."
Maphosa said however, two years down the line, it has finally dawned on one of the parties who were against this noble idea that Devolution is actually a good and necessary system for effective governance and accountable leadership in our country.
"Zanu PF, through Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, have admitted that only devolution can save our suffering people from the ills associated with a Centralised system we inherited from the imperialist regime of Ian Smith and his predecessors in 1980," he said.
"Mphoko, in his wisdom or lack of it, made the admission at the recent Gwanda Agricultural Show on Saturday 15 August 2015.He was addressing the gathering at the show when he urged the implementation of Devolution so as to fairly distribute the country's resources with locals getting first preference."
Maphosa said encouraging to the ordinary Zimbabwean as the admission by Mphoko is, it is in sharp contrast to what is currently obtaining on the ground where his party has been at the forefront encouraging a systematic displacement and dispossession of people from the Southern Provinces by those from the Northern Provinces of the country.
"Land in Matebeleland Provinces has been deliberately cut out and given to outsiders leaving the locals in abject poverty and some totally dispossessed and displaced, as happened in Maleme where the people fought and won against one Mashingaidze who was allocated Ebenezer farm and in the process disturbing the local community farming initiative being undertaken there," said Maphosa. "This has been done under the guise of Land Reform, when in actual fact it was dispossession of locals, just as the racist colonialists did at the turn of the previous century."
He also said employment opportunities have eluded the local children only for us to see people from outside provinces taking up jobs in local businesses and government departments.
"Marange diamonds have enriched outsiders as the locals are in abject poverty.
Companies have closed down in other cities and towns only for them to reopen in Harare," said Maphosa.
"These are just a few of the many problems Zanu PF's system of governance has caused this rich and resource endowed nation of Zimbabwe, where power and resources are centrally controlled and allocated, which leaves the citizen vulnerable to lack of transparency, fairness as this is riddled with unaccountable and highly corrupt episodes."
Maphosa said Zapu is encouraged by Mphoko's remarks, especially when he urges the people not to "allow people from other provinces to come here and dominate" them, and as such calls upon the current government, Zanu PF, MDC T and the people of Zimbabwe to embrace and expeditiously implement Devolution of Power in its totality, as prescribed by Zapu.
"The solution to the numerous problems our country faces is not far from us, it is enshrined in our new constitution as Chapter 14," he said. "All we need to do is to have it honestly implemented in its original form, with the traditional five provinces forming the basis of governance and development, with decision making, resource allocation and leadership coming from the local areas for a unitary state that has effective and accountable system of leadership and resource allocation."
"Zapu salutes the bravery in Mphoko as he finally sides with the people of Zimbabwe, against his party and masters who for the past three and half decades have presided over the suffering of the masses," he added.
Maphosa said it only takes a brave man to admit to thirty five years of dominance, misrule and oppression of others by a group of individuals who masqueraded as our liberators and leaders, Mphoko included, and adhering to the truth as has been preached by Zapu since 1961 as we advocated for a devolved governance system.
"As Zapu once wished Mphoko a happy, long and successful singing career in Zanu PF, we even wish him a sweeter and louder voice as he finally rimes with the peoples tune and singing to tear apart Zanu PF's politics of dominance, accountability and corruption," he said.
"It took thirty five years for Mphoko and his ZANU party and masters to realise that they have been on the wrong side of the national affairs. After hijacking the liberation struggle in 1963 and consolidating power in 1979-80, it took suffering of this magnitude by the people of Zimbabwe for them to realise and admit that Zapu's 1961 ideology is the way to go"
He said when they hijacked the Peoples struggle they only concentrated on individual self enrichment by a cabal who calls itself government.
"They had no ideological concept to apply in the new nation hence the blind and blanket adoption of the Ian Smith regime system and style of government that was designed to dominate and subdue one section of the greater society by the other, this time it was now a black man on another black Zimbabwean," he said.
"It is worrying that this nation is led by people who lack the wisdom to take preventive measures when it comes to national issues and resort to correcting things they otherwise could have avoided."
"Zapu's Devolution of Power is the way. Zanu-PF finally admits," he said.
"Given the adamant refusal to include Devolution of Power in the Zimbabwean constitution by Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T, one would have been forgiven to think Devolution was not a governance system."
He said the constitutional making process, especially the negotiation stage, saw these Siamese twins publicly showing their affection and ganging up against the lone voice which spoke for those who advocated for Devolution of Power as a governance system.
"We saw Prof Welshman Ncube, whose MDC pushed for its inclusion in the constitution, in the absence of Zapu in the GNU, who have had the original concept since inception in 1961, being subjected to acts of alienation and humiliation at the hands of Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, with one Arthur Mutambara being used as a braai stick, only to be thrown away and be forgotten as we all know today," he said.
"Prof Ncube's crime back then was his resolute stance on the inclusion of Devolution of Power as his party and Zapu believe is the only solution to our current governance and leadership problems in Zimbabwe"
He said Zimbabwe got the needed Devolution included in their constitution, albeit in a watered down state, falling far short of the total Devolution as Zapu prescribes.
"The spirited efforts by the two, Mugabe and Tsvangirai, to portray Devolution as secession and a tribal and regionalist theory saw them including a preamble in the constitution that insinuates that the country is a unitary state and secession will not be constitutional," said Maphosa.
"Not only did they water it down, but they went further to clandestinely plot and agree to delay the implementation of Devolution-constitutionalism does not exist in these parties DNA."
Maphosa said however, two years down the line, it has finally dawned on one of the parties who were against this noble idea that Devolution is actually a good and necessary system for effective governance and accountable leadership in our country.
"Zanu PF, through Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, have admitted that only devolution can save our suffering people from the ills associated with a Centralised system we inherited from the imperialist regime of Ian Smith and his predecessors in 1980," he said.
"Mphoko, in his wisdom or lack of it, made the admission at the recent Gwanda Agricultural Show on Saturday 15 August 2015.He was addressing the gathering at the show when he urged the implementation of Devolution so as to fairly distribute the country's resources with locals getting first preference."
Maphosa said encouraging to the ordinary Zimbabwean as the admission by Mphoko is, it is in sharp contrast to what is currently obtaining on the ground where his party has been at the forefront encouraging a systematic displacement and dispossession of people from the Southern Provinces by those from the Northern Provinces of the country.
"Land in Matebeleland Provinces has been deliberately cut out and given to outsiders leaving the locals in abject poverty and some totally dispossessed and displaced, as happened in Maleme where the people fought and won against one Mashingaidze who was allocated Ebenezer farm and in the process disturbing the local community farming initiative being undertaken there," said Maphosa. "This has been done under the guise of Land Reform, when in actual fact it was dispossession of locals, just as the racist colonialists did at the turn of the previous century."
He also said employment opportunities have eluded the local children only for us to see people from outside provinces taking up jobs in local businesses and government departments.
"Marange diamonds have enriched outsiders as the locals are in abject poverty.
Companies have closed down in other cities and towns only for them to reopen in Harare," said Maphosa.
"These are just a few of the many problems Zanu PF's system of governance has caused this rich and resource endowed nation of Zimbabwe, where power and resources are centrally controlled and allocated, which leaves the citizen vulnerable to lack of transparency, fairness as this is riddled with unaccountable and highly corrupt episodes."
Maphosa said Zapu is encouraged by Mphoko's remarks, especially when he urges the people not to "allow people from other provinces to come here and dominate" them, and as such calls upon the current government, Zanu PF, MDC T and the people of Zimbabwe to embrace and expeditiously implement Devolution of Power in its totality, as prescribed by Zapu.
"The solution to the numerous problems our country faces is not far from us, it is enshrined in our new constitution as Chapter 14," he said. "All we need to do is to have it honestly implemented in its original form, with the traditional five provinces forming the basis of governance and development, with decision making, resource allocation and leadership coming from the local areas for a unitary state that has effective and accountable system of leadership and resource allocation."
"Zapu salutes the bravery in Mphoko as he finally sides with the people of Zimbabwe, against his party and masters who for the past three and half decades have presided over the suffering of the masses," he added.
Maphosa said it only takes a brave man to admit to thirty five years of dominance, misrule and oppression of others by a group of individuals who masqueraded as our liberators and leaders, Mphoko included, and adhering to the truth as has been preached by Zapu since 1961 as we advocated for a devolved governance system.
"As Zapu once wished Mphoko a happy, long and successful singing career in Zanu PF, we even wish him a sweeter and louder voice as he finally rimes with the peoples tune and singing to tear apart Zanu PF's politics of dominance, accountability and corruption," he said.
"It took thirty five years for Mphoko and his ZANU party and masters to realise that they have been on the wrong side of the national affairs. After hijacking the liberation struggle in 1963 and consolidating power in 1979-80, it took suffering of this magnitude by the people of Zimbabwe for them to realise and admit that Zapu's 1961 ideology is the way to go"
He said when they hijacked the Peoples struggle they only concentrated on individual self enrichment by a cabal who calls itself government.
"They had no ideological concept to apply in the new nation hence the blind and blanket adoption of the Ian Smith regime system and style of government that was designed to dominate and subdue one section of the greater society by the other, this time it was now a black man on another black Zimbabwean," he said.
"It is worrying that this nation is led by people who lack the wisdom to take preventive measures when it comes to national issues and resort to correcting things they otherwise could have avoided."
Source - Byo24News
