Time to rise above factional fights

When the politburo, Zanu-PF's supreme decision-making body outside congress sat on June 21, they were dealing with internal struggles, suspicions, accusations and counter accusations. Barring all other issues, the main purpose of this particular sitting was to deal with one of their own, Saviour Kasukuwere, once and for all. Nine out of 10 provinces have given him votes of no confidence. They do not want him to continue serving as the ruling party's political commissar, a powerful position in Zanu-PF. He stands accused of setting up parallel structures in the provinces with the aim to wrest power from President Robert Mugabe. He denies the charges and the presidium is yet to conclude his case.

Though Kasukuwere was the main reason for the sitting, those privy to the conversations in the politburo leaked information that it became a tussle between Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo. There is no love lost between these two ever since the days of the Tsholotsho Declaration of 2004 when the heavyweights plotted to block Joice Mujuru's ascendancy to the presidium and they burnt their fingers in the process.

Moyo is said to have fought to save Kasukuwere, allegedly in the same G40 camp with him, as Mnangagwa tried hard to convince the floor that Kasukuwere was guilty. While Moyo watered down the findings and recommendations of the probe team led by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, the VP argued Kasukuwere had a case to answer and the meeting ended inconclusively.

When the politburo sat again on Wednesday, Moyo is said to have brought in a smart board on which he showed evidence of Mnangagwa's alleged succession plan, according to our sister paper, the Zimbabwe Independent, while the president listened and again they resolved that at the next meeting Mnangagwa would be given a chance to prove that Moyo is a spy agent. Three consecutive politburo meetings whose conversations are led by Moyo and Mnangagwa!

A few weeks ago, the controversy around command agriculture funding was again reduced to a war of words between these two. As Moyo questioned the funding model, the VP focused on the success of the programme, ignoring allegations of how it was bent on sinking Zimbabwe into debt. And before we forget, we need to acknowledge the hand of God in the bumper harvest - the rains were good in the last season.

My bone of contention is not Zanu-PF squabbles or the personalities of leading characters in the unfolding drama. The situation in this country is such that we do not need this sideshow. Why are we fixated with the G40-Lacoste fights? Why is our politics revolving around Moyo and Mnangagwa and accusations of trying to usurp power? Is the president's position all there is to this country?

Is government not losing focus of the real issues by concentrating on internal party fights? Zanu-PF is the ruling party and they should direct their energies on ameliorating our dire situation.

This week Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa presented a budget review that does not inspire confidence, just like several others presented before. We seem to get carried away with politicking at the expense of real bread and butter issues. No wonder our economics, learned as we are, cannot sustain a currency, let alone confidence in the banking sector. Depositors sleep outside banks just to get a few dollars to get by and nobody seems to care. This mineral-rich country cannot sustain itself and is drowning in debt.

We have been reduced to such desperation that we celebrate vending as a form of employment and beat our chests that we are building this economy around the informal sector.

The long-drawn war of words is a threat to national discourse. Zimbabwe can do better than this. Why not use the brains to bring down the budget deficit? Why not be resourceful in Cabinet?

May I remind Mnangagwa and Moyo to rise above personal fights - to rise above factions and take on a national outlook. The people are waiting for ZimAsset to materialise. All the people that voted five years ago and are being encouraged to vote again in next year's elections are not interested in egos and the tricks politicians are employing to trip each other in the race to succeed Mugabe. May the people of Zimbabwe get value for their votes.