Opinion / Columnist
Multiple Vice Presidency in Zimbabwean Political Parties?
10 Nov 2016 at 12:38hrs | Views
INTRODUCTION:
Since the inception of worker resistant movements led by Likes of Masotsha Ndlovu, all the way through PF-ZAPU, ZANUPF, Rhodesian Front (RF), the liberation struggle until the 1987 end of genocide pact, we never had any political party worth its salt with two or more vice presidents.
Question of the day then is: If PF-ZAPU and ZANUPF needed only single VP each during the war, why would any serious party need two or three VPs during peace times?
The mother of all parties in Zimbabwe UANC/ NDP and later PF-ZAPU have always been a national parties that embraced and balanced all existing tribes in Zimbabwe. How did they set this balance? These parties were blind as far as tribalism and segregation by language or colour or region went. Their main philosophy was freeing Zimbabwe. Up to today PF-ZAPU still holds this principle.
ZANUPF PF SYTEM
ZANUPF had a single vice president till things changed for the worst in 1987 when ZANUPF decided to end the genocide with a pact seemingly to balance up things in Zimbabwe but instead it was a continuation of the 1979 grand plan.
Right from 8th of August 1963 ZANUPF has made us aware of how Ndebele were different from Ndau who were different from Venda who were also different from the Shona people. This ZANUPF tribal divide was the Garden of Eden catastrophe for Zimbabweans.
Other ZANUPF people never really saw this coming. They mistook hatred of their countrymen with patriotism. We can't blame them. ZANUPF doctrines are like Ebola, once they touch you, you are gone!
In order to make sure that the 1979 grand plan to keep Ndebele as second class citizens was a success, Gukurahundi was unleashed. When it failed to obliterate the Ndebele tribe, PF-ZAPU bowed down to ZANUPF and a pact was reached. President R G Mugabe was to be the leader of the pact as the president. Normally then Dr J M Nkomo must have been the VP. Unfortunately the tribalistic ZANUPF kingmakers could have none of it, they pushed for their own VP as well.
One VP literally was for the ZANUPF (predominantly Shona speakers) while the other was from Matabeleland region to represent predominantly Ndebele speakers. This two tier system divided instead of uniting the nation. The tribal fissures deepened worse as years went by.
This two tier VP system has always been a reminder in minds of Matabeleland region people about how much President R G Mugabe would go to oppress them. It's a constant reminder of the pact that crushed them. It's a constant reminder of Mugabe victory over them and that a person from Matabeleland region must never hold a significant post alone.
Matabeleland is a land of brave warriors. They can fight their way to the top. They don't need pampering as much as they don't need limitations. They are the descendants of king Mzilikazi, Lobhengula and other warriors who fought bravely in several battles. Don't give them a dried game meat, instead show them where to hunt! The leader in them automatically gets awakened.
Weak men who always wanted dried meat never went to war but remained behind as they slowed down the armies, same applies in politics today. We need strong men and women. Brave people, who are not afraid of competition. People with vision, who know that losing is just another opportunity to restart the formula in a more clever way
Double VP is a ZANUPF scheme to keep Ndebele people under check. It's sad if there is any party which is even dreaming of employing such archaic divisive tactics. Even the original ZANUPF system has one VP. The second VP was put especially for PF-ZAPU and it was tribally motivated.
MDC SYSTEM
MDCT was formally launched on 12 September 1999 with aim of de-ZANUnisation of the country. It came with a slightly different style (though still presidency was tribalistically determined). Mdc had only one VP. VP was not tribally selected but was meritocratically selected. Mdc was a formidable force. It was a unifier then.
Fast forward to 2016, only to see MDCT leader Tsvangirai deciding to do the unthinkable and nominating two more vice presidents to the helm of the party. The ZANUPF Ebola has creeped into mdc as well….no Ndebele should rise above VP level. This is more so looking at the health of mdc t leader. Never under estimate the ZANUPF Ebola, it's too deep in us.
They improved the ZANUPF system tenfold. They invented their own monster, no wonder its taking them so long to get into statehouse.
ZIM PF SYSTEM
2016 saw the birth of ZimPF. Still in its infancy, so far so good. Looking at its first draft constitution, ZimPF has shackled off the ZanuPF tag in the specific area of VPs. It remains to be seen if genuinely this party is purely pro-Zimbabweans or is another ZanuPF version that will introduce a multiple VP heavy top hierarchy.
Still to hold its congress, still amending its constitution, we hope they will be clever enough not to be a reflection of the 1979 grand plan and subsequently the 1987 end of genocide pact.
It seems like a party with a future, we hope that future will help us get rid of these several VPs who do nothing but use tax payers money. They just duplicate what president does or tells them to do. Let them not be ZANUPF or else they will find it hard to survive come 2018.
I pray ZimPF does not even dream to reintroduce or perfecting this ZANUPF tribalistic system of dividing us as one Zimbabwe. ZANUPF made sure there is a great divide between Shona and Ndebele speakers by pitting one Shona VP against another Ndebele VP.
MDCT improved and pitched two Shona VPs against one Ndebele VP. Tight.
We hope as they amend their constitution, then ZimPF people will make sure that the double barrelled VP is kept far even from the minds of contributors.
Let Dr J Mujuru refuse over burdening the overburdened Zimbabwean economy. Let her refuse to endorse this ZANUPF tribalistic manoeuvre. Let's bury ZANUPF together with its useless divisive theories.
WHO IS PUSHING THE MULTIPLE VP ISSUE
Most of often than not, the issue of double barrelled VPs is usually pushed by failures or people who are afraid of competition. Instead of facing the completion in the whole country, these people eliminate competition from other regions by dedicating VP post to one region. To appease the other region left without a VP and eliminate competition, the first region then allows the second region to have its own VP. This is a recipe for disaster.
Each member should meritocratically campaign for the post that they feel they want. They campaign in their province first, once accepted in the province, the war then moves to other provinces. Let the best man win voting time.
Other proponents of double barrel double expenditure vice president system are corrupt and tribalistic, selfish individuals who felt that as long as the VP post is taken by another tribe they stand to benefit nothing. To create room for themselves, these people then go all the way to come up with flimsy reasons to bloat the cabinet, just in the name of selfishness.
Our problem does not need multiple VPs. Our problem emanates from the fact that we no longer have statespersons but mere politicians. We are now led by politicians who think regionally than nationally, we are led by people who think tribally than globally, our
politicians view the world from their village view than from a PAN Africanist view. We are led by politicians whose vision goes as far as the size of their village. Let's stay clear of these mere politicians and start voting states man into power. Let's vote for people who put Zimbabwe first before their village, tribe or region.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE VPs
The issue of two vice presidents not only divides the nation but it helps to keep one tribe superior over another. Succession battles are fought to make sure one tribe will always be in the helm of the organisation through the positioning of first and second VPs. It's a dog eat dog cold war.
In order to keep one tribe under check, duties of a VP are duplicated and given to the other tribe as well. The president will not communicate same information to the two VPs but will have the favourite one, usually the successor, getting all the relevant information. That is the horror and undoing of two VPs in a political party in Zimbabwe.
ECONOMICAL EFFECTS
Economically the ZANUPF Ebola of spending has gripped Zimbabweans as well. Remember the pecks that are given to VPs, Presidents, minister and all. It's an eyesore considering state of our economy.
The only party that we want in Zimbabwe is a party that will not focus on President R G Mugabe but on the ways to boost our economy. I may not know all the ways to boost the economy but most definitely having a bloated two VP cabinet is not one of them.
People are tired of ZANUfication. A political party that will remove ZANUPF from power must first cleanse its mentality from ZANUPF colonialisation. We can't say we blame President R G Mugabe for his Gucci life style when we have two or three Vice Presidents in our parties. God knows how many more ministries we will add one we in government.
If these multiple VPs are a tribal balance then we are not ready to rule. Jew are few both the run the world economies. There Is no need to appease and balance, there is every need to balance up your act and be meritocratically motivated. We need to see the worked through the eyes of orphans in muzarabani or Tsholotsho not in the eyes of chauffer driven over fed officials. NO!
Does that orphan even need 26 ministries? No they need just under 14. Do they need hundreds of senators? No they need just over 40 senators. Do they need two vice presidents? No they don't even need a VP in the first place.
America with its 320million plus people has one VP, so does SA with its 53million plus people. Compare that with our mere 13 million plus people.
America has a GDP of 17 trillion USD and one VP, South Africa has a GDP of 350 billion USD with one VP, Zimbabwe has a GDP of 10 Billion USD and it's shocking to hear an opposition party advocating for a two or three VP system. Let's practice lean governance as political parties.
CONSTITUTIONAL JUSTIFICATION
The sixth schedule Section 14 (2) of the Zimbabwean constitution states that a person elected as President in any election must appoint NOT MORE THAN TWO Vice-Presidents, who hold office at his or her pleasure.
(3) Where -
(a) one Vice-President is appointed in terms of subparagraph (2), that person is the first Vice-President for the purposes of this Constitution;
According to this section 14 it simple means that it's not a must to appoint two vice presidents but it's a must to have at-least one vice president. This upper limit is no force matter. It's not a must that there be two VPs but it's a MUST that there be ONE VP.
If a party really has people at heart, and with tininess of Zimbabwe geographically and its none existent economy, it would even find it hard to over burden masses with even one VP… worse two or more VPs. Zimbabwe is too small for that, too united for that, to underdeveloped for that.
If the aim of incoming parties is to fight bloated cabinets, it must be reflective in their own party constitutions. Our current Zimbabwean constitution is not making sense on many issues as it ended up being a compromise document between ZANUPF and mdc.
CONCLUSION
The constitution of the country DOES NOT demand two Vice Presidents. It just demands one vice president. The second Vice President comes as per level of zanufication, tribalism, corruption and cabinet bloating of the governing party.
Let's refuse to be divided by this ZANUPF mentality of two VPs where one Shona VP was put to over shadow the Ndebele VP. That was President R G Mugabe, we as the Government in waiting are not President R G Mugabe, so let's not behave like him, unless of cause we are President R G Mugabe in a different skin.
If one feels they can contest presidency of a party we let them canvas for votes nationwide, we don't create another post for presidency for them. Same again if one wants to contest post for VP why should they be afraid of canvasing for support nationwide to an extent of begging a post to be tailor made for them? Let natural selection takes its course. Let failures be relegated to dust bin of politics, let the creama-della-creama float to the top.
In running a country we don't seek quantity but quality in leadership. Multiple vice presidents give us quantity and compromises on quality. Stop this ZANUPF rot in the bud. Keep your parties clean with a single vice president who has enough capabilities intellectually and age-wise to take over once president is done with their term of office.
Since the inception of worker resistant movements led by Likes of Masotsha Ndlovu, all the way through PF-ZAPU, ZANUPF, Rhodesian Front (RF), the liberation struggle until the 1987 end of genocide pact, we never had any political party worth its salt with two or more vice presidents.
Question of the day then is: If PF-ZAPU and ZANUPF needed only single VP each during the war, why would any serious party need two or three VPs during peace times?
The mother of all parties in Zimbabwe UANC/ NDP and later PF-ZAPU have always been a national parties that embraced and balanced all existing tribes in Zimbabwe. How did they set this balance? These parties were blind as far as tribalism and segregation by language or colour or region went. Their main philosophy was freeing Zimbabwe. Up to today PF-ZAPU still holds this principle.
ZANUPF PF SYTEM
ZANUPF had a single vice president till things changed for the worst in 1987 when ZANUPF decided to end the genocide with a pact seemingly to balance up things in Zimbabwe but instead it was a continuation of the 1979 grand plan.
Right from 8th of August 1963 ZANUPF has made us aware of how Ndebele were different from Ndau who were different from Venda who were also different from the Shona people. This ZANUPF tribal divide was the Garden of Eden catastrophe for Zimbabweans.
Other ZANUPF people never really saw this coming. They mistook hatred of their countrymen with patriotism. We can't blame them. ZANUPF doctrines are like Ebola, once they touch you, you are gone!
In order to make sure that the 1979 grand plan to keep Ndebele as second class citizens was a success, Gukurahundi was unleashed. When it failed to obliterate the Ndebele tribe, PF-ZAPU bowed down to ZANUPF and a pact was reached. President R G Mugabe was to be the leader of the pact as the president. Normally then Dr J M Nkomo must have been the VP. Unfortunately the tribalistic ZANUPF kingmakers could have none of it, they pushed for their own VP as well.
One VP literally was for the ZANUPF (predominantly Shona speakers) while the other was from Matabeleland region to represent predominantly Ndebele speakers. This two tier system divided instead of uniting the nation. The tribal fissures deepened worse as years went by.
This two tier VP system has always been a reminder in minds of Matabeleland region people about how much President R G Mugabe would go to oppress them. It's a constant reminder of the pact that crushed them. It's a constant reminder of Mugabe victory over them and that a person from Matabeleland region must never hold a significant post alone.
Matabeleland is a land of brave warriors. They can fight their way to the top. They don't need pampering as much as they don't need limitations. They are the descendants of king Mzilikazi, Lobhengula and other warriors who fought bravely in several battles. Don't give them a dried game meat, instead show them where to hunt! The leader in them automatically gets awakened.
Weak men who always wanted dried meat never went to war but remained behind as they slowed down the armies, same applies in politics today. We need strong men and women. Brave people, who are not afraid of competition. People with vision, who know that losing is just another opportunity to restart the formula in a more clever way
Double VP is a ZANUPF scheme to keep Ndebele people under check. It's sad if there is any party which is even dreaming of employing such archaic divisive tactics. Even the original ZANUPF system has one VP. The second VP was put especially for PF-ZAPU and it was tribally motivated.
MDC SYSTEM
MDCT was formally launched on 12 September 1999 with aim of de-ZANUnisation of the country. It came with a slightly different style (though still presidency was tribalistically determined). Mdc had only one VP. VP was not tribally selected but was meritocratically selected. Mdc was a formidable force. It was a unifier then.
Fast forward to 2016, only to see MDCT leader Tsvangirai deciding to do the unthinkable and nominating two more vice presidents to the helm of the party. The ZANUPF Ebola has creeped into mdc as well….no Ndebele should rise above VP level. This is more so looking at the health of mdc t leader. Never under estimate the ZANUPF Ebola, it's too deep in us.
They improved the ZANUPF system tenfold. They invented their own monster, no wonder its taking them so long to get into statehouse.
ZIM PF SYSTEM
2016 saw the birth of ZimPF. Still in its infancy, so far so good. Looking at its first draft constitution, ZimPF has shackled off the ZanuPF tag in the specific area of VPs. It remains to be seen if genuinely this party is purely pro-Zimbabweans or is another ZanuPF version that will introduce a multiple VP heavy top hierarchy.
Still to hold its congress, still amending its constitution, we hope they will be clever enough not to be a reflection of the 1979 grand plan and subsequently the 1987 end of genocide pact.
It seems like a party with a future, we hope that future will help us get rid of these several VPs who do nothing but use tax payers money. They just duplicate what president does or tells them to do. Let them not be ZANUPF or else they will find it hard to survive come 2018.
I pray ZimPF does not even dream to reintroduce or perfecting this ZANUPF tribalistic system of dividing us as one Zimbabwe. ZANUPF made sure there is a great divide between Shona and Ndebele speakers by pitting one Shona VP against another Ndebele VP.
MDCT improved and pitched two Shona VPs against one Ndebele VP. Tight.
We hope as they amend their constitution, then ZimPF people will make sure that the double barrelled VP is kept far even from the minds of contributors.
WHO IS PUSHING THE MULTIPLE VP ISSUE
Most of often than not, the issue of double barrelled VPs is usually pushed by failures or people who are afraid of competition. Instead of facing the completion in the whole country, these people eliminate competition from other regions by dedicating VP post to one region. To appease the other region left without a VP and eliminate competition, the first region then allows the second region to have its own VP. This is a recipe for disaster.
Each member should meritocratically campaign for the post that they feel they want. They campaign in their province first, once accepted in the province, the war then moves to other provinces. Let the best man win voting time.
Other proponents of double barrel double expenditure vice president system are corrupt and tribalistic, selfish individuals who felt that as long as the VP post is taken by another tribe they stand to benefit nothing. To create room for themselves, these people then go all the way to come up with flimsy reasons to bloat the cabinet, just in the name of selfishness.
Our problem does not need multiple VPs. Our problem emanates from the fact that we no longer have statespersons but mere politicians. We are now led by politicians who think regionally than nationally, we are led by people who think tribally than globally, our
politicians view the world from their village view than from a PAN Africanist view. We are led by politicians whose vision goes as far as the size of their village. Let's stay clear of these mere politicians and start voting states man into power. Let's vote for people who put Zimbabwe first before their village, tribe or region.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE VPs
The issue of two vice presidents not only divides the nation but it helps to keep one tribe superior over another. Succession battles are fought to make sure one tribe will always be in the helm of the organisation through the positioning of first and second VPs. It's a dog eat dog cold war.
In order to keep one tribe under check, duties of a VP are duplicated and given to the other tribe as well. The president will not communicate same information to the two VPs but will have the favourite one, usually the successor, getting all the relevant information. That is the horror and undoing of two VPs in a political party in Zimbabwe.
ECONOMICAL EFFECTS
Economically the ZANUPF Ebola of spending has gripped Zimbabweans as well. Remember the pecks that are given to VPs, Presidents, minister and all. It's an eyesore considering state of our economy.
The only party that we want in Zimbabwe is a party that will not focus on President R G Mugabe but on the ways to boost our economy. I may not know all the ways to boost the economy but most definitely having a bloated two VP cabinet is not one of them.
People are tired of ZANUfication. A political party that will remove ZANUPF from power must first cleanse its mentality from ZANUPF colonialisation. We can't say we blame President R G Mugabe for his Gucci life style when we have two or three Vice Presidents in our parties. God knows how many more ministries we will add one we in government.
If these multiple VPs are a tribal balance then we are not ready to rule. Jew are few both the run the world economies. There Is no need to appease and balance, there is every need to balance up your act and be meritocratically motivated. We need to see the worked through the eyes of orphans in muzarabani or Tsholotsho not in the eyes of chauffer driven over fed officials. NO!
Does that orphan even need 26 ministries? No they need just under 14. Do they need hundreds of senators? No they need just over 40 senators. Do they need two vice presidents? No they don't even need a VP in the first place.
America with its 320million plus people has one VP, so does SA with its 53million plus people. Compare that with our mere 13 million plus people.
America has a GDP of 17 trillion USD and one VP, South Africa has a GDP of 350 billion USD with one VP, Zimbabwe has a GDP of 10 Billion USD and it's shocking to hear an opposition party advocating for a two or three VP system. Let's practice lean governance as political parties.
CONSTITUTIONAL JUSTIFICATION
The sixth schedule Section 14 (2) of the Zimbabwean constitution states that a person elected as President in any election must appoint NOT MORE THAN TWO Vice-Presidents, who hold office at his or her pleasure.
(3) Where -
(a) one Vice-President is appointed in terms of subparagraph (2), that person is the first Vice-President for the purposes of this Constitution;
According to this section 14 it simple means that it's not a must to appoint two vice presidents but it's a must to have at-least one vice president. This upper limit is no force matter. It's not a must that there be two VPs but it's a MUST that there be ONE VP.
If a party really has people at heart, and with tininess of Zimbabwe geographically and its none existent economy, it would even find it hard to over burden masses with even one VP… worse two or more VPs. Zimbabwe is too small for that, too united for that, to underdeveloped for that.
If the aim of incoming parties is to fight bloated cabinets, it must be reflective in their own party constitutions. Our current Zimbabwean constitution is not making sense on many issues as it ended up being a compromise document between ZANUPF and mdc.
CONCLUSION
The constitution of the country DOES NOT demand two Vice Presidents. It just demands one vice president. The second Vice President comes as per level of zanufication, tribalism, corruption and cabinet bloating of the governing party.
Let's refuse to be divided by this ZANUPF mentality of two VPs where one Shona VP was put to over shadow the Ndebele VP. That was President R G Mugabe, we as the Government in waiting are not President R G Mugabe, so let's not behave like him, unless of cause we are President R G Mugabe in a different skin.
If one feels they can contest presidency of a party we let them canvas for votes nationwide, we don't create another post for presidency for them. Same again if one wants to contest post for VP why should they be afraid of canvasing for support nationwide to an extent of begging a post to be tailor made for them? Let natural selection takes its course. Let failures be relegated to dust bin of politics, let the creama-della-creama float to the top.
In running a country we don't seek quantity but quality in leadership. Multiple vice presidents give us quantity and compromises on quality. Stop this ZANUPF rot in the bud. Keep your parties clean with a single vice president who has enough capabilities intellectually and age-wise to take over once president is done with their term of office.
Source - Mangosuthu Mbele
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