Opinion / Columnist
ZPF entry into political field not unique anyway
09 Mar 2016 at 05:25hrs | Views
The entry by Dr Joice Mujuru the former Vice President of Zimbabwe into the political framework in the country has sent many tongues wagging with some prophets of doom already discarding ZANU PF as a spent force which is only waiting for the 2018 harmonized elections for it to be dumped out of power.
Some people in the country think that Dr Mujuru`s Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party would be the saviour to their problems as it has come at the time when the economic fortune of Zimbabwe is at its lowest. The ZPF is seen by people as an alternative party to support in place of ZANU PF which has been in power since independence. Some Zimbabweans in the opposition political sphere feel that 2018 is very far away to them, to see the demise of this revolutionary party, ZANU PF led by the well respected and esteemed Pan Africanist Statesman in Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Some prophets of doom are already circulating reports around the country suggesting that the ZPF has already gained political ground with other people leaving behind their political parties in favour of it. Some private media houses have also joined the bandwagon of those prophets of doom into supporting the notion that the ZPF is gaining political ground in the country. People in the country now believe that the ZPF has come to bring bread and butter on their tables. Some of them have allegedly resigned from their traditional political parties and joined the ZPF hoping that they will get something better in return.
Some recent headlines in the private media allegedly showed that Dr Mujuru`s ZPF has come with thunder powers to sweep into victory come 2018 harmonized elections. Headlines like: Mujuru in grand political entry, Newsday 2 March 2016, Mujuru "tsunami" ruptures into life, Dailynews 2 March 2016, Will Mujuru shutter the glass ceiling? Newsday 5 March 2016, Mujuru rattles Mugabe camp, The Standard 6 March 2016, Mujuru, ZPF hit ground running, Dailynews 9 March 2016 and some others not mentioned here were coined in a way to confuse people into believing that the ZPF`s entry into the political arena means business in the country.
Interestingly Zimbabweans are quick to forget that ZANU PF has been in power for quite some time and throughout its life in power quite a number of some political parties came and were swept away like the morning dew facing the sunrise. It should be known that Dr Mujuru who has been in ZANU PF and government since 1980 until December 2014 cannot be trusted and viewed as a saviour today just because she was dismissed from the ruling party. The fact that she was in ZANU PF all along and failed to serve the ailing economy and only formed her party after her expulsion shows that she has nothing to offer. She is only fond of having a political power hence being out of politics is a threat to her accumulated wealth.
There is nothing which the electorate could celebrate because of Mujuru`s entry into politics since Mujuru has been in government doing nothing for the revival of the economy. Actually she was part and parcel of the establishment which is now being blamed by the opposition as failing to run the country. It is surprising that Mujuru who has felt cold outside politics wants to make people believe that she holds keys to unlock the economic fortunes of Zimbabwe. People should ask her why she took more than three decades to realise that she can revive the economic fortunes in the country.
Mujuru is quite aware that her wealth which she accumulated as a result of her position in government is under threat from flourishing as she is no longer using state machinery to accumulate more so her entry into politics is to safeguard that. Since her ouster from ZANU PF in 2014, Mujuru felt that it was cold outside political field hence the move to dupe the electorate into thinking that she is their political saviour. Only time would real tell.
People should realise that ZANU PF is the people`s party which cannot be intimidated by the fly-by night political outfits. Those who still recall would still remember how the Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) was like in 1990s as it was formed by one of the respected revolutionary and former Secretary General of ZANU PF Edgar Tekere. Throughout the country ZUM was received with fan and pomp fare with people concluding that the then 1990 elections would bring a new government. But despite ZUM being formed by the revolutionists coming from the revolutionary party ZANU PF but ZANU PF was never threatened by Tekere`s party in the 1990 elections.
While some Zimbabwean thought the ZANU PF government was over but then the revolutionary party romped into victory in the 1990 election leaving ZUM disjointed. ZANU PF remained intact and those who thought the revolutionary party was going to be dumped out of government amended their views and then returned back to the ruling party later.
It is not ZUM alone which received the drubbing from ZANU PF alone since independence. Other opposition political parties like the once powerful and labour backed political party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by the former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Secretary General, Morgan Tsvangirai came and also received the same drubbing by ZANU PF in all elections since its formation in 1999 up to the recent elections in 2013.
So those who are quick to forget that ZANU PF is a revolutionary party which cannot be intimidated by few of its disgruntled members who always think that forming a political party to challenge it is a solution are wrong. During years in which the MDC was formed, Zimbabweans thought that ZANU PF`s dominance was over but history has proved them wrong. Now the same people are forgetting that ZANU PF is there to stay and the ZPF will receive the same fate that befell its predecessors come 2018.
Actually recent reports from both the private and public media revealed that Mujuru has lost support from her home area in Dotito the same way as Morgan Tsvangirai was dumped by his people in Buhera when he tried to stand as an MP in the 2000 parliamentary elections. Tsvangirai was cleanly beaten by Kennedy Manyonda of ZANU PF leaving him to rue the day he decided to join that political race in Buhera. So people should be aware of reading too much into the so called Mujuru entry in the opposition politics.
History might come to repeat itself and a lot of people would be surprised to find out that their so called saviour Dr Mujuru and her ZPF party would be history come 2018 harmonized elections. ZANU PF the revolutionary party is there to stay. Icho.
Some people in the country think that Dr Mujuru`s Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party would be the saviour to their problems as it has come at the time when the economic fortune of Zimbabwe is at its lowest. The ZPF is seen by people as an alternative party to support in place of ZANU PF which has been in power since independence. Some Zimbabweans in the opposition political sphere feel that 2018 is very far away to them, to see the demise of this revolutionary party, ZANU PF led by the well respected and esteemed Pan Africanist Statesman in Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Some prophets of doom are already circulating reports around the country suggesting that the ZPF has already gained political ground with other people leaving behind their political parties in favour of it. Some private media houses have also joined the bandwagon of those prophets of doom into supporting the notion that the ZPF is gaining political ground in the country. People in the country now believe that the ZPF has come to bring bread and butter on their tables. Some of them have allegedly resigned from their traditional political parties and joined the ZPF hoping that they will get something better in return.
Some recent headlines in the private media allegedly showed that Dr Mujuru`s ZPF has come with thunder powers to sweep into victory come 2018 harmonized elections. Headlines like: Mujuru in grand political entry, Newsday 2 March 2016, Mujuru "tsunami" ruptures into life, Dailynews 2 March 2016, Will Mujuru shutter the glass ceiling? Newsday 5 March 2016, Mujuru rattles Mugabe camp, The Standard 6 March 2016, Mujuru, ZPF hit ground running, Dailynews 9 March 2016 and some others not mentioned here were coined in a way to confuse people into believing that the ZPF`s entry into the political arena means business in the country.
Interestingly Zimbabweans are quick to forget that ZANU PF has been in power for quite some time and throughout its life in power quite a number of some political parties came and were swept away like the morning dew facing the sunrise. It should be known that Dr Mujuru who has been in ZANU PF and government since 1980 until December 2014 cannot be trusted and viewed as a saviour today just because she was dismissed from the ruling party. The fact that she was in ZANU PF all along and failed to serve the ailing economy and only formed her party after her expulsion shows that she has nothing to offer. She is only fond of having a political power hence being out of politics is a threat to her accumulated wealth.
There is nothing which the electorate could celebrate because of Mujuru`s entry into politics since Mujuru has been in government doing nothing for the revival of the economy. Actually she was part and parcel of the establishment which is now being blamed by the opposition as failing to run the country. It is surprising that Mujuru who has felt cold outside politics wants to make people believe that she holds keys to unlock the economic fortunes of Zimbabwe. People should ask her why she took more than three decades to realise that she can revive the economic fortunes in the country.
Mujuru is quite aware that her wealth which she accumulated as a result of her position in government is under threat from flourishing as she is no longer using state machinery to accumulate more so her entry into politics is to safeguard that. Since her ouster from ZANU PF in 2014, Mujuru felt that it was cold outside political field hence the move to dupe the electorate into thinking that she is their political saviour. Only time would real tell.
People should realise that ZANU PF is the people`s party which cannot be intimidated by the fly-by night political outfits. Those who still recall would still remember how the Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) was like in 1990s as it was formed by one of the respected revolutionary and former Secretary General of ZANU PF Edgar Tekere. Throughout the country ZUM was received with fan and pomp fare with people concluding that the then 1990 elections would bring a new government. But despite ZUM being formed by the revolutionists coming from the revolutionary party ZANU PF but ZANU PF was never threatened by Tekere`s party in the 1990 elections.
While some Zimbabwean thought the ZANU PF government was over but then the revolutionary party romped into victory in the 1990 election leaving ZUM disjointed. ZANU PF remained intact and those who thought the revolutionary party was going to be dumped out of government amended their views and then returned back to the ruling party later.
It is not ZUM alone which received the drubbing from ZANU PF alone since independence. Other opposition political parties like the once powerful and labour backed political party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by the former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) Secretary General, Morgan Tsvangirai came and also received the same drubbing by ZANU PF in all elections since its formation in 1999 up to the recent elections in 2013.
So those who are quick to forget that ZANU PF is a revolutionary party which cannot be intimidated by few of its disgruntled members who always think that forming a political party to challenge it is a solution are wrong. During years in which the MDC was formed, Zimbabweans thought that ZANU PF`s dominance was over but history has proved them wrong. Now the same people are forgetting that ZANU PF is there to stay and the ZPF will receive the same fate that befell its predecessors come 2018.
Actually recent reports from both the private and public media revealed that Mujuru has lost support from her home area in Dotito the same way as Morgan Tsvangirai was dumped by his people in Buhera when he tried to stand as an MP in the 2000 parliamentary elections. Tsvangirai was cleanly beaten by Kennedy Manyonda of ZANU PF leaving him to rue the day he decided to join that political race in Buhera. So people should be aware of reading too much into the so called Mujuru entry in the opposition politics.
History might come to repeat itself and a lot of people would be surprised to find out that their so called saviour Dr Mujuru and her ZPF party would be history come 2018 harmonized elections. ZANU PF the revolutionary party is there to stay. Icho.
Source - Mukachana Hanyani
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