Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe after the 2018 elections: is opposition politics strong or weaker after military coup?
04 Jan 2018 at 02:44hrs | Views
No doubt the focus on Mr and Mrs Mugabe as the bad eggs in terminal cancer politics of Zimbabwe made many well-wishers miss the real issue. Have Zimbabweans mastered who their enemy is after thirty-eight years of mismanagement and abuse?
The enemy of Zimbabweans is the desire to be better than even the wicked, abusive and corrupt in order to be at the top at any cost. Zanu has created a precedent of throwing out a failing leader by military coup leaving everyone wondering if elections can be a tool for a free and fair choice by the people of Zimbabwe. Is there people's power in Zimbabwe, where is it?
Much as the military made a good riddance strategy of deadwoods, this was more to save the face of Zanu and not to alleviate the burden upon masses in the country. It would not have made any common sense if we fought against each other while trying to get rid of an incompetent leadership (many) not leader (0ne). People should have called for a vote of no confidence in the government. Even if the army had come out they would have found a different strategy in place. To move for a new election, retirement of Zanu leadership and have campaigns begin immediately for restoration of a brand new people chosen government would have been a smarter position.
Now the new president has appealed to the best of intentions among all common sense Zimbabweans even though he is vague on reform specifics. For example, why Mr. Tobaiwa Mudede is so crucial not to be retired just as Mr Chihuri and other persons now sixty five years of age or above is known to Zanu and Mr. Mnangagwa? In the context of past immediate military coup these are persons of interest to state and the public.
Much strange are the country opposition parties because they are extra quiet as though their case is settled in full and final settlement. One asks, is all well inside the country or is hell already broken loose on ordinary citizens and from unknown forces masses are silently threatened with punishments?
In taking whatever role people need to know who is doing what to solve what issues from which chapter of the NEW struggle. Assuming we agree that President Mnangagwa could bring change, what are the people's expectations to measure against Zanu hopes and aspirations? In fact does Zanu have expectations what are they? On the other side what are the expectations of opposition?
Are people pleased of the promises made by Zanu in the last thirty eight years and to which nothing was done? The assumptions then were that people were beaten for making observations against the government. Is this still going on? Could it be that opposition are better as work horses for Zanu? Could it be that Zanu as a system, has a way of pacifying (corrupting)-none serious political fly by nights?
We need to seriously make these observations. Three political opposition parties is a luxury recipe for failure. Two political opposition parties could be an honest assessment to contest against another political party. One opposition political party is a truthful effort to bring real change because Opposition is being effective to attract support. I am convinced that our politics is opportunistic not analytical at all.
Not all planning needs money except organizing. When people are hungry there is no need to campaign against hunger but to take pockets of action constitutional to argue against state negligence for hungry and dying people? The question being guessed or wrongly answered is what the people of Zimbabwe want today, now after thirty eight years of painful experiences.
Unless people are willing to try Zanu again, there is no reason why people cannot walk the streets again against many ills still forcing silence on our people. Zanu government is not a people government, it is membership obsessed. We need to be people valued for what we can do not what Zanu want to make of us.
There is need for three strategy policy on investors. The first one is on attracting global money as we outline our ready projects through a government gazette to attract the seriousness it commands. The second one is what the government want to do with citizens outside who have both resources of capital and skills in order to begin small projects in areas of development priority and what is the incentive in back and white ie gazetted?
Corruption is when an open policy goes on so third part middle people score funds through frustrating potential investors until they go elsewhere to look at investing. Remember all neighbouring countries would like to do better than Zimbabwe. The truth is all Zimbabweans who wish to return home will be a loss to the neighbours since regional integration has remained strong on paper and not in reality due to corruption.
The third group of investors is the country learning to use its human resources with complete appreciation than neglect and disregard. We need leadership that lead from the middle than from the sky. The Mnangagwa era has seen the first lady make frantic efforts to make people aware of their roles but the rot is too strong. There is need for a strong corrupt commission with subpoena powers so the corrupt cause will not arrogantly pride openly about it again.
Finally if we are true to ourselves we need to relook at the reconciliation plan. We never begun but politicked of it which is worse than acts of crime then done to a region or group of families. We can only stop such errors as we document error against correction and restitution process in order to complete the process.
Zanu has no case but the opposition is fragmented and weak so Zanu may win. Issues are not clear because people know the issues and wonder if them are sick from the silence of those meant to be their saviors. The Savior has to be bald, strong in stating a case against the oppressor, corruption and offer tried solutions.
If that has failed lets work to build Zimbabwe first, restore rule of law and constitutional supremacy. It's not happy to see masses taken through the pain of singing all night on hungry stomachs in order people remember who got the country from white enemies. That is not true, it was never true. Let's look for good spirited leadership and speak to build that philosophy.
The enemy of Zimbabweans is the desire to be better than even the wicked, abusive and corrupt in order to be at the top at any cost. Zanu has created a precedent of throwing out a failing leader by military coup leaving everyone wondering if elections can be a tool for a free and fair choice by the people of Zimbabwe. Is there people's power in Zimbabwe, where is it?
Much as the military made a good riddance strategy of deadwoods, this was more to save the face of Zanu and not to alleviate the burden upon masses in the country. It would not have made any common sense if we fought against each other while trying to get rid of an incompetent leadership (many) not leader (0ne). People should have called for a vote of no confidence in the government. Even if the army had come out they would have found a different strategy in place. To move for a new election, retirement of Zanu leadership and have campaigns begin immediately for restoration of a brand new people chosen government would have been a smarter position.
Now the new president has appealed to the best of intentions among all common sense Zimbabweans even though he is vague on reform specifics. For example, why Mr. Tobaiwa Mudede is so crucial not to be retired just as Mr Chihuri and other persons now sixty five years of age or above is known to Zanu and Mr. Mnangagwa? In the context of past immediate military coup these are persons of interest to state and the public.
Much strange are the country opposition parties because they are extra quiet as though their case is settled in full and final settlement. One asks, is all well inside the country or is hell already broken loose on ordinary citizens and from unknown forces masses are silently threatened with punishments?
In taking whatever role people need to know who is doing what to solve what issues from which chapter of the NEW struggle. Assuming we agree that President Mnangagwa could bring change, what are the people's expectations to measure against Zanu hopes and aspirations? In fact does Zanu have expectations what are they? On the other side what are the expectations of opposition?
Are people pleased of the promises made by Zanu in the last thirty eight years and to which nothing was done? The assumptions then were that people were beaten for making observations against the government. Is this still going on? Could it be that opposition are better as work horses for Zanu? Could it be that Zanu as a system, has a way of pacifying (corrupting)-none serious political fly by nights?
We need to seriously make these observations. Three political opposition parties is a luxury recipe for failure. Two political opposition parties could be an honest assessment to contest against another political party. One opposition political party is a truthful effort to bring real change because Opposition is being effective to attract support. I am convinced that our politics is opportunistic not analytical at all.
Not all planning needs money except organizing. When people are hungry there is no need to campaign against hunger but to take pockets of action constitutional to argue against state negligence for hungry and dying people? The question being guessed or wrongly answered is what the people of Zimbabwe want today, now after thirty eight years of painful experiences.
Unless people are willing to try Zanu again, there is no reason why people cannot walk the streets again against many ills still forcing silence on our people. Zanu government is not a people government, it is membership obsessed. We need to be people valued for what we can do not what Zanu want to make of us.
There is need for three strategy policy on investors. The first one is on attracting global money as we outline our ready projects through a government gazette to attract the seriousness it commands. The second one is what the government want to do with citizens outside who have both resources of capital and skills in order to begin small projects in areas of development priority and what is the incentive in back and white ie gazetted?
Corruption is when an open policy goes on so third part middle people score funds through frustrating potential investors until they go elsewhere to look at investing. Remember all neighbouring countries would like to do better than Zimbabwe. The truth is all Zimbabweans who wish to return home will be a loss to the neighbours since regional integration has remained strong on paper and not in reality due to corruption.
The third group of investors is the country learning to use its human resources with complete appreciation than neglect and disregard. We need leadership that lead from the middle than from the sky. The Mnangagwa era has seen the first lady make frantic efforts to make people aware of their roles but the rot is too strong. There is need for a strong corrupt commission with subpoena powers so the corrupt cause will not arrogantly pride openly about it again.
Finally if we are true to ourselves we need to relook at the reconciliation plan. We never begun but politicked of it which is worse than acts of crime then done to a region or group of families. We can only stop such errors as we document error against correction and restitution process in order to complete the process.
Zanu has no case but the opposition is fragmented and weak so Zanu may win. Issues are not clear because people know the issues and wonder if them are sick from the silence of those meant to be their saviors. The Savior has to be bald, strong in stating a case against the oppressor, corruption and offer tried solutions.
If that has failed lets work to build Zimbabwe first, restore rule of law and constitutional supremacy. It's not happy to see masses taken through the pain of singing all night on hungry stomachs in order people remember who got the country from white enemies. That is not true, it was never true. Let's look for good spirited leadership and speak to build that philosophy.
Source - Andrew M Manyevere
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