Opinion / Columnist
My Sunday thoughts ahead of the Zimbabwean historical elections
29 Jul 2018 at 07:10hrs | Views
Prof Jonathan Moyo characterises the 30th July 2018 elections as a transition from what he calls the first republic to the second republic. In his thesis, Prof Moyo argues correctly that, the 1980 elections ushered in not only a new administration but a new name for our country. Under the reactionary Abel Muzorewa administration, the country was known as Zimbabwe - Rhodesia, this name was changed on 18th April 1980 to become the Republic of Zimbabwe following the black majority rule. The MDC Alliance Presidential candidate Adv Nelson Chamisa is proposing to change the country's name from Republic of Zimbabwe to Republic of Great Zimbabwe. This is the second Republic that Prof Jonathan Moyo speaks about.
In understanding Prof Moyo thesis, we need to ask ourselves , how we came to be in the First Republic in 1980? In his thesis, Prof Moyo forgets the revolutionary role played by the liberation armies , ZIPRA and ZANLA in weakening the Rhodesian army which gave practical support to the sellout Abel Muzorewa. Prof Moyo argues that , not withstanding the military support enjoyed by Muzorewa, the peoples will prevailed in ushering in a what he calls the First Republic in 1980. What Prof Moyo forgets is that, the liberation movement enjoyed not only overwhelming support from the masses, but it had the gun power to capture the State House something that the MDC Alliance does not have. While the MDC Alliance enjoys massive support, the lessons of June 2008 taught us that, the Zimbabwean masses are not yet organised in a way that they can crush the military but the military stand ready to reverse the will of the masses.
In reality, the 30th July elections is not about a transition to a Second Republic, on the part of the MDC Alliance which Prof Moyo now supports, it is about restoring the comprador bourgeois class character of the Zimbabwean State. While the MDC Alliance enjoys massive support from the working class as the liberation movement did in 1980, it is pursuing a neo liberal agenda which does not advance the struggle of the working class.
On the part of ZANU (PF), 30th July is about entrenching the Deep State class character of the Zimbabwean State and pursue militaristic capitalism in rebuilding our economy through cheap labour.
It is naive for any political scientist to think that an election will cure the November 2017 Bond Coup. It is common cause that those who lost political battle inside ZANU (PF) in a bid to succeed former President Robert Mugabe rolled the military tanks in the streets of Harare. To expect that the military will just hand over power to the opposition that now enjoys the support of the "criminals" that surrounded President Mugabe ahead of the coup is unthinkable.
One can not cure a coup by isolating the authors of the coup themselves. The expectations of the masses in November 2017 was that, the coup authors were to establish a National Transitional Authority as advocated by Dr Ibbo Mandaza and Prof Brain Raftopolus. This National Transitional Authority was to bring together ZANU (PF), the pro democracy movements, civil society to transit from a Bond Coup to constitutionalism. The global celebrations by ordinary Zimbabweans was in part, the endorsement of a transition from Mugabeism to a democratic Zimbabwe through a transition mechanism. The delay in the resignation of Mugabe forced the civilian ZANU (PF) political leadership to go it alone by convening the November Central Committee which fired the other faction in ZANU (PF). That Central Committee meeting and the utterances by Minister Chinamasa put paid to the National Transitional Authority.
The visit by President Mnangagwa and Gen Chiwenga to the home of the late Morgan Tsvangirai before his death was seen by others as part of a mission to agree on the transition to constitutionalism. It was reported then that, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were proposing the delay of holding elections for three years. This discussion happened in the presence of Adv Nelson Chamisa. Of course this proposal if its true, came a bit late when already a government had been established under Mnangagwa.
While many in the opposition join Prof Jonathan Moyo in hoping for the end of the Junta on 30th July 2018, the reality though is that, the military will not let go. For us to cure the Coup as advocated by Prof Moyo, is for us to usher a Government of National Unity post the 30th July elections. This is what we need if we are to heal our nation. We need to win over the coup authors by working together as opposed to isolating them, a battle we will not win in the near future. The South African 1994 democratic breakthrough that brought together the party of apartheid and the liberation movement into forming a Government of National Unity can be used as our case study.
Ngqabutho Mabhena
Marxist - Leninist student.
In understanding Prof Moyo thesis, we need to ask ourselves , how we came to be in the First Republic in 1980? In his thesis, Prof Moyo forgets the revolutionary role played by the liberation armies , ZIPRA and ZANLA in weakening the Rhodesian army which gave practical support to the sellout Abel Muzorewa. Prof Moyo argues that , not withstanding the military support enjoyed by Muzorewa, the peoples will prevailed in ushering in a what he calls the First Republic in 1980. What Prof Moyo forgets is that, the liberation movement enjoyed not only overwhelming support from the masses, but it had the gun power to capture the State House something that the MDC Alliance does not have. While the MDC Alliance enjoys massive support, the lessons of June 2008 taught us that, the Zimbabwean masses are not yet organised in a way that they can crush the military but the military stand ready to reverse the will of the masses.
In reality, the 30th July elections is not about a transition to a Second Republic, on the part of the MDC Alliance which Prof Moyo now supports, it is about restoring the comprador bourgeois class character of the Zimbabwean State. While the MDC Alliance enjoys massive support from the working class as the liberation movement did in 1980, it is pursuing a neo liberal agenda which does not advance the struggle of the working class.
On the part of ZANU (PF), 30th July is about entrenching the Deep State class character of the Zimbabwean State and pursue militaristic capitalism in rebuilding our economy through cheap labour.
It is naive for any political scientist to think that an election will cure the November 2017 Bond Coup. It is common cause that those who lost political battle inside ZANU (PF) in a bid to succeed former President Robert Mugabe rolled the military tanks in the streets of Harare. To expect that the military will just hand over power to the opposition that now enjoys the support of the "criminals" that surrounded President Mugabe ahead of the coup is unthinkable.
One can not cure a coup by isolating the authors of the coup themselves. The expectations of the masses in November 2017 was that, the coup authors were to establish a National Transitional Authority as advocated by Dr Ibbo Mandaza and Prof Brain Raftopolus. This National Transitional Authority was to bring together ZANU (PF), the pro democracy movements, civil society to transit from a Bond Coup to constitutionalism. The global celebrations by ordinary Zimbabweans was in part, the endorsement of a transition from Mugabeism to a democratic Zimbabwe through a transition mechanism. The delay in the resignation of Mugabe forced the civilian ZANU (PF) political leadership to go it alone by convening the November Central Committee which fired the other faction in ZANU (PF). That Central Committee meeting and the utterances by Minister Chinamasa put paid to the National Transitional Authority.
The visit by President Mnangagwa and Gen Chiwenga to the home of the late Morgan Tsvangirai before his death was seen by others as part of a mission to agree on the transition to constitutionalism. It was reported then that, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were proposing the delay of holding elections for three years. This discussion happened in the presence of Adv Nelson Chamisa. Of course this proposal if its true, came a bit late when already a government had been established under Mnangagwa.
While many in the opposition join Prof Jonathan Moyo in hoping for the end of the Junta on 30th July 2018, the reality though is that, the military will not let go. For us to cure the Coup as advocated by Prof Moyo, is for us to usher a Government of National Unity post the 30th July elections. This is what we need if we are to heal our nation. We need to win over the coup authors by working together as opposed to isolating them, a battle we will not win in the near future. The South African 1994 democratic breakthrough that brought together the party of apartheid and the liberation movement into forming a Government of National Unity can be used as our case study.
Ngqabutho Mabhena
Marxist - Leninist student.
Source - Ngqabutho Mabhena
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