Zanu-PF has a clear succession plan

The headlines in certain tabloids tell a big story of how some journalists have thrown the ethics of their profession in pursuit of partisan politics.

A reader can hardly draw a line between a story written by a professional journalist and the one originated from a Headquarter of a political party. There are more political activists than reporters in most of the newsrooms. Some of the scribes have shamelessly assumed new roles of being foot soldiers of certain political parties.  

Political activism in the newsroom is being practised at the expense of the captive readers who are daily fed with trivialities. While the media has a watchdog role over the political powers, that role must be exercised responsibly. Constructive criticism from the media is needed for checks and balance in the whole political matrix.  However, that criticism must not be sensationalized to an extent that it scares away potential investors and cause alarm and despondency within the public.

There are lots of developmental issues that should be accorded more space and airtime in the media. These important issues are, unfortunately relegated to the peripheries in preference of sensationalized political narratives.     

For instance, Adma organized an agricultural show last Friday, just outside Harare where agricultural mechanized equipment was exhibited and sold. With the threat of food insecurity that the country is facing due to climatic conditions, the show could not have come at a better time.

That event needed first class media coverage. Thanks to the ZBC crew which gave it a fair coverage. The Newsday crew was also available. They spent the larger part of the day visiting different stands, eating and interviewing company representatives manning stands, including this writer.  We all anticipated a big story from this event, for it was surely of national interest.

The agricultural show had nothing adverse on President Mugabe despite being dominated by whites. I suppose it was a great disappointment to the Newsday reporter who went back to the newsroom to look up for other stories that are compatible with their political editorial policy. He browsed the facebook where he ‘fortunately' bumped into some vomits by one disgruntled former Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central provincial youth chairperson.

The expelled former chairman said that President Mugabe was reluctant to choose a successor because he feared that he (successor) would turn against him and send him to jail. This story became the paper's front page article with a sensational headline ‘Mugabe family scared.' The agricultural show story was relegated to the fringe. It was used as a filler story, dumped at a very invisible corner of the paper. That's how far polarization has taken our media to.

Although I might appear like I am teaching the editor on how to place his stories, that story did not deserve a front page space for many reasons. Tsenengamu is not a credible source deserving attention from a whole newspaper worth its salt. All what he uttered are motivated by nothing else but frustration. In all his senses, how can he say President Mugabe is not naming a successor because he fears that the chosen successor would turn against him and persecute him?  What crime did he ever commit that deserves persecution? That's hogwash at its worst form.

The Zanu-PF constitution does not require President Mugabe to name his successor. Tsenengamu must know this better. The successor will come from the people. Even President Mugabe himself is serving at the pleasure of the people. By pushing President Mugabe to name his successor, detractors are trying to force him to violate his party constitution. They will be the same people will turn and say here is a dictator. In shona they say anyangira yaona.

Zanu-PF constitution is very clear on succession. There will be no chaos in the party and government as the diviners of doom are prophesying. Again, the succession issue is not in any way a threat to investment. We have had a number of investments coming into the country and some of them are at an advanced stage. Genuine investors will continue to flow in despite attempts by detractors to paint a gloomy picture of the country.

 President Mugabe has often said if people tell him to retire, he would gladly do so. These are the people who gave him the mandate to rule in 2013. The same people gave him the blessing in 2014 to stand as the Zanu-PF candidate in the 2018 polls. Therefore, it is a sheer waste of time and resources to talk about succession issue in Zanu-PF.

What is interesting is that the opposition is the one with the loudest voice on this issue. They cry more than the bereaved. Even President Mugabe himself was perplexed by the opposition's ‘empathy.'

"Vanhu vanguka ndovangati aah chiregai. Ko MDC itsitsi here dzekunzwira VaMugabe kuti vaneta kana kutya VaMugabe? Kutya VaMugabe," said the President in his address to the multitudes who thronged the Robert Mugabe Square during the recent million-man march organized by the Youths League to reaffirm their support for the revolutionary leader.

Indeed the MDC-T and all opposition parties including their benefactors in the west are dead scared of President Mugabe. They know that with him at the helm of Zanu-PF, winning an election would remain a dream that will never come true. Even Morgan Tsvangirai himself is not lost to this reality. While addressing journalists at his party's headquarters early February, Tsvangirai indicated that he had lost hope of winning against President Mugabe. "We all know that instead of fighting for succession, let us wait until he dies," said Tsvangirai.

Indeed, it is chasing wind for one to entertain hopes of winning against the tried and tested leader. Heed Mr Tsvangirai's advice. Wait until the man dies but only God knows who die first.

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John Sigauke <johnsigau@gmail.com