Opinion / Columnist
Immortal Ghost of ZAPU 2000
05 May 2012 at 09:54hrs | Views
It is true what the Chinese say, "a Ghost is stronger than its human form." It has been more than ten years after ZAPU 2000 a gesticulation of young radicals was disbanded. It was obvious that this movement was predestined not to meet the threshold of the then Zimbabwean political field and surely to date it can't.
Preordination of doom for this movement was established on the basis that its founders were predominantly young, youthful and radical but lacked revolutionary substance. Contributing to the predetermination of the movement's doom was its genesis because it was not conventional since it was viewed to be regional contrary to the more popular and national Movement for Democratic Change which was being formed by both young and old who had clearer and more pragmatic revolutionary goal.
It is however very interesting how things turned out after the death of ZAPU 2000. First of all I for one think that the passing away of ZAPU 2000 saved the country from a possible civil war because the radical nature of this movement was too extreme to the extent that it was not surprising to have heard that a ZIPRA 2000 was in the pipeline.
After its inevitable death, a multi existent ghost emerged. Its strength is a serious force to reckon with, what makes it greater than the living ZAPU 2000 is the fact that ZAPU 2000 was regional contrary to the Ghost which I believe to be national. ZAPU 2000 was only a radical political wave and it was never in government as compared to its Ghost which is not seen only in political movements but in government and in institutions that regulate the government such as the Joint Monitoring Committee (JOMIC). If you do not believe me ask the Minister of State, Enterprises and Parastatals Hon. Godden Moyo whether or not the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is in government. Alternatively ask Dr Qhubani Moyo whether or not the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is in Jomic.
The Movement for Democratic Change that once seemed to be more visionary than the living ZAPU 2000 failed to maintain its vision because two classes existed, one being of democrats and the other being of non democrats, thus, leading to non democrats led by the then president Morgan Tsvangirai the ghost of ZAPU 2000 maintained its stance of being Omni-Present regardless of democratic values, it is today found in both top brass of MDC for democrats led by Professor Welshman Ncube and MDC for non democrats led by Tsvangirai.
The extent to which the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 has grown is really amazing, it no longer exists in politics only, be it newsrooms, law firms, advocate's chambers, treason trials, media houses, music record labels, civil society, etc, you find it. Common knowledge and sense has it that if one institution is as powerful as the Ghost of 2000 is considered to be a ruling party. Therefore I am one of those that would not blame a person who is of conviction that the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is the only party in the Unity Government of Zimbabwe that is not mentioned in the Global political agreement.
One then begins to think that this might have been the original plan of ZAPU 2000, to kill the organization and operate as an underground movement. In my own wisdom or lack of it I am tempted to believe that this was the original plan. I remember what the ZAPU 2000 Secretary General Cont Mhlanga said after losing all the 17 seats they contested in the Bulawayo municipality. He said it was a good experience because they then knew what they were walking into, ("We were testing the waters and we now know how deep the waters are."). Was this a statement of someone who is about to give up ? Or was it a statement of someone who was about to reform ?
Will ZAPU 2000 re-converge? One of the following owes the people of Zimbabwe an answer: Joshua Mhambi (Director of Strategy, MDC), Agrippa Madlela (whereabouts unkown), Hon Godden Moyo(Provincial Chairperson MDCT), Dr Qhubani Moyo (Secretary for Policy, MDC. JOMIC) , Jethro Mpofu (Exile), Sindiso Shephard Mazibisa (CEO of Chayah Media Services, CEO Cheda and Partners, President of Amavulindlela Group of Companies), Innocent Batsani Ncube (Director Contemporary Affairs), Advocate Lucas Nkomo (Director Hwange Colliery) , Kucaca Phulu (Byo Agenda, MDCT), Cont Mhlanga (National Arts Council), and Busani Ncube (Journalist Southern Star).
Preordination of doom for this movement was established on the basis that its founders were predominantly young, youthful and radical but lacked revolutionary substance. Contributing to the predetermination of the movement's doom was its genesis because it was not conventional since it was viewed to be regional contrary to the more popular and national Movement for Democratic Change which was being formed by both young and old who had clearer and more pragmatic revolutionary goal.
It is however very interesting how things turned out after the death of ZAPU 2000. First of all I for one think that the passing away of ZAPU 2000 saved the country from a possible civil war because the radical nature of this movement was too extreme to the extent that it was not surprising to have heard that a ZIPRA 2000 was in the pipeline.
After its inevitable death, a multi existent ghost emerged. Its strength is a serious force to reckon with, what makes it greater than the living ZAPU 2000 is the fact that ZAPU 2000 was regional contrary to the Ghost which I believe to be national. ZAPU 2000 was only a radical political wave and it was never in government as compared to its Ghost which is not seen only in political movements but in government and in institutions that regulate the government such as the Joint Monitoring Committee (JOMIC). If you do not believe me ask the Minister of State, Enterprises and Parastatals Hon. Godden Moyo whether or not the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is in government. Alternatively ask Dr Qhubani Moyo whether or not the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is in Jomic.
The extent to which the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 has grown is really amazing, it no longer exists in politics only, be it newsrooms, law firms, advocate's chambers, treason trials, media houses, music record labels, civil society, etc, you find it. Common knowledge and sense has it that if one institution is as powerful as the Ghost of 2000 is considered to be a ruling party. Therefore I am one of those that would not blame a person who is of conviction that the Ghost of ZAPU 2000 is the only party in the Unity Government of Zimbabwe that is not mentioned in the Global political agreement.
One then begins to think that this might have been the original plan of ZAPU 2000, to kill the organization and operate as an underground movement. In my own wisdom or lack of it I am tempted to believe that this was the original plan. I remember what the ZAPU 2000 Secretary General Cont Mhlanga said after losing all the 17 seats they contested in the Bulawayo municipality. He said it was a good experience because they then knew what they were walking into, ("We were testing the waters and we now know how deep the waters are."). Was this a statement of someone who is about to give up ? Or was it a statement of someone who was about to reform ?
Will ZAPU 2000 re-converge? One of the following owes the people of Zimbabwe an answer: Joshua Mhambi (Director of Strategy, MDC), Agrippa Madlela (whereabouts unkown), Hon Godden Moyo(Provincial Chairperson MDCT), Dr Qhubani Moyo (Secretary for Policy, MDC. JOMIC) , Jethro Mpofu (Exile), Sindiso Shephard Mazibisa (CEO of Chayah Media Services, CEO Cheda and Partners, President of Amavulindlela Group of Companies), Innocent Batsani Ncube (Director Contemporary Affairs), Advocate Lucas Nkomo (Director Hwange Colliery) , Kucaca Phulu (Byo Agenda, MDCT), Cont Mhlanga (National Arts Council), and Busani Ncube (Journalist Southern Star).
Source - Shephard Dube
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