Mnangagwa's political survival at the ‘Deep End'

Zimbabwe is now falling into the dungeon again after prices of all commodities started to sky rocket like nobody's business. Citizens of Zimbabwe are in a state of panic not knowing what to do. The prices of the basic commodities raised with an unimaginable percentage that can be predicted to be more than hundred. It is in the public records that price hiking was exacerbated by an immense shortage of foreign currency and the reaction to the rise of the electronic transaction tax that was declared by the minister of finance and development.

Zanu pf will only be saved by making Zimbabwean economy to shine again after this madness of taking the country to 2008 again. Every sane Zimbabwean hate 2008 political and economic anathema that was saved by the political dialogue which was mediated by former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. The highly contested election of 2008 was won by MDC under the leadership of the late Morgan Tsvangirai, but the state apparatus in the name of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared Tsvangirai a winner but without 50% +1 vote which is a legal requirement for one to be declared a winner. Following a gruesome horror and terror campaign against the opposition supporters, Tsvangirai decided to withdraw from the run-off, giving Mugabe a chance to go for a race alone. As these political events unfold leave Zanu Pf with no option but to go to the negotiation table.  The political dialogue gave birth to the government of national unity.

The whole hullabaloo about the prices that are rising every minute is attributed to the disputed harmonised elections of July 2018 in which Emmerson Mnangagwa won with a narrow margin. Nelson Chamisa from the main opposition refused to accept the victory of his political revival due to the political dossiers that he identified. He cited a plethora of dossiers which includes vote buying, number of assisted voters which was not realistic considering the fact that Zimbabwe has got 95% literacy rate, media impartiality, use of the traditional leaders to mobilise the mass, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission numbers which were not tallying among others. The issue of elections was even taken to court but ED was declared the winner by the constitutional court of Zimbabwe. According to the Con Court the case was dismissed due to the absence of primary evidence that can prove beyond reasonable doubt that the election was stolen.

The highly contested election that was marred by freedom of expression and assembly respectively was quickly sunk into the muddy by 1 August shooting by army. The shooting took the lives of seven people and others were seriously injured. The army intervened in a bid to try to curb citizens from demonstrating, demanding elections results to be released.

The economic crisis being faced by the country right now is accredited to the legitimacy crisis. Most of the investors are just standing with one leg, they don't even know what the future of Zimbabwe holds. They are still deciding on whether to dine with or to snub ED administration. It's hard for the investors to come to invest in a country where the legitimacy question is in limbo.

Emmerson Mnangagwa is supposed to solve the legitimacy crisis in order for him to shine in Zimbabwe and save his political career from thrown into the political dustbin. The legitimacy crisis can only be solved by going into the negotiation table with Chamisa to work together for the good of the country. The problem that we have right now cannot be solved through economics but rather through political avenues. Good politics lures good economy.

To show the seriousness of the legitimacy question, European Union has just issued the results of their observing mission. According to them the elections were highly contested, the environment in which election was held was peaceful as compared to previous elections during the draconian Mugabe regime. It praised the new administration efforts to do right thing for the good of the country

However the European Union has described the election of Zimbabwe as a murky because the basic principles of democracy have not been met. European Union cited a plethora number of aspects to be met in order democracy to be fully realised, independence of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, nonpartisan of the media, abuse of the state resources and unbiased traditional leaders among others. The report issued by European Union echoed Claudius Ake statement that in "Africa there is pseudo democracy". Election is nothing but a window dressing in Africa.

It is the high time for Zanu Pf swallow its pride and incorporate the Movement Democratic Change led by Chamisa. They are supposed to distance themselves from the concept of "winners takes all". Patriotism or jingoism tell us to work together for the country and everyone has a role to play in order for Zimbabwe to return back to its glory days of being the jewellery of Africa. MDC is supposed to understand the suffering of the general citizens hence the need to depart from the ‘tozvidira jecha' slogan. There is a general adage which say when the elephants fight it is only the grass that suffer.

Zanu PF has to take their tools and start to implement the good principles of democracy. All the recommendations that has been alluded by EU need to be fully implemented in order Zimbabwe to return back to its heydays. Gone are the days when dictatorship can make the country better off. In the modern world foreign direct investment can only be attracted by good policies and respect of human rights.

It is a pity to make all efforts to engage the whole world under the mantra Zimbabwe is open for business then those efforts just pass unnoticed. Zimbabwe is very young to make enemies but rather we need to make more friends. We need friends to make our juvenile economy to rise and be self-sufficient.

To be warned is to be forearmed.

Tolexy is a student @ Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He can be contacted on mhupile@gmail.com