Chronicle Editor
RADAR
First things first! I was trying to ignore one very, very critical issue. The issue of Bond Notes. Wonder why there is too much speculation on the delays. Well, the publicity has been lukewarm. I will ignore the advertisements, the plain, plain adverts are uninspiring.And to the real issues!
An interesting week it has been in the international political arena.
The US Presidential election is always an event that has the attention of the world, as who the leader of the so-called free world is, has an effect on numerous other people across the globe.
Many had tipped Hillary Rodham Clinton to clinch the presidency.
In fact, if all you had to go on was CNN and other such mainstream media outlets for the past few months, but missed the events of this week, then you’d be shocked to hear that it is in fact Donald John Trump who will be inaugurated on January 20, 2017.
Those most heartbroken by Trump’s triumph, aside from Mrs Clinton herself, are the opposition parties in this our Zimbabwe.
Chief among them, one Tendai Biti, leader of the ever waning PDP.
Biti’s political stock has taken multiple hits in the past couple of weeks, first through losing key members of his party to other political parties and now his ally in the West has failed to come to the presidency in the US.
Perhaps Biti should take this as a forewarning that his political aspirations for the top office in the land will come to naught.
In July, he gloated that he was invited to attend the Democratic National Convention.
He posted selfies on social media from the event in Philadelphia, perhaps to show his online constituents that he had a relationship with Clinton.
At a rally in Bulawayo a few weeks ago he even claimed that “if she (Clinton) wins, we will know that we are in.”
Poor Biti, now much like your darling Clinton, you know that you are out.
Your hopes of coming to office in Zimbabwe through the support of the USA have been summarily dashed by the November 8 election.
Perhaps for the opposition this is actually a good thing.
Maybe for once they will focus on the people of Zimbabwe rather than looking for power in the West, calling for sanctions and pushing a neo-colonial agenda.
Zimbabweans have repeatedly rejected Western-sponsored regime change, yet the opposition seems to think that such tactics will yield successful results.
Like the quote often wrongly attributed to Einstein says, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
One person who knows about successful results is President Mugabe.
This, in part has been attained by having a clear ideology, setting out a succinct strategy and following the procedures of the institution that he belongs to.
This is what the President reminded his lieutenants of during the Politburo meeting held this week.
President Mugabe told the members gathered that zanu-pf as a party has systems and processes in place that were used to solve disputes and these should be the first that Party members turn to.
“It is our tradition in the party to solve our problems amicably through the Central Committee or Politburo and if it is at a lower level, at an appropriate organ of the party,” he said.
This is an important message that zanu-pf members particularly those in the upper echelons of the party need to take heed off.
Airing their differences on social media and in the private media will only serve to hurt the party rather than strengthen it.
This is quite evident from the Norton by-election which zanu-pf lost due in part to infighting among the factions.
The strengthening of zanu-pf can only take place when those within the different factions remember that their mandate is to the development of Zimbabwe and fulfilling their manifesto.
The party should not forget that in 2013 it set Zim-Asset as its blueprint for national development and, therefore, should focus all its energy on its fulfilment.
Factional fights centred around succession politics seriously need to be put to bed.
Like the President said, the Party has its processes and these should be adhered to.
It is these processes of zanu-pf that have allowed it to remain the governing Party since independence.
Why then would anyone want to change a winning formula?
Zimbabwe is over a year away from the next election and if zanu-pf is to be successful in that election then it is going to need the full strength of the party to do so.
A weakness was exposed in Norton despite it being traditionally an opposition stronghold since the year 2000.
This weakness is in tune with the biblical statement that a house divided against itself will not stand.
What the party needs to do now is to deal with their differences outside of the public eye and focus on the people who elected them into office.
The reinstating of Webster Shamu, Francis Nhema and Flora Bhuka at the Politburo meeting on Wednesday is a positive for zanu-pf
From here the party should work on mending relations with its members, recruiting new members and building up the morale within the Party.
Once the party has done this, while at the same time fulfilling its mandate it set out in 2013, then the people of Zimbabwe will once again come out and collectively endorse the Party for another five years in 2018.
Online Reporter