Broke Didymus and the Santa called Zanu-PF

YOU may have read in this paper that things are not all rosy for one Didymus Mutasa, erstwhile zanu-pf secretary for Administration and a supposed godfather of the eastern province of Manicaland.

That is, when he ruled the world.

He has since fallen on hard times,and he is not alone as we will find out and will be hearing in due course, after his ejection from the ruling party.

You may have missed one: we reported that Mutasa is saddled with debts running into thousands of dollars which he is failing to repay.

He used his political clout while in Government as a shield and survival arsenal and did anything from getting concubines – and they are many we hear – to property.

He is said to have taken over a municipality house and thereafter refused to pay rates.

Following his fall from grace council is now claiming back its property from Mr Mutasa and has even offered him to buy the house as a sitting tenant but he is said to be unable to raise funds.

The house is valued at $45 000 and that is a lot of money for someone who is said to be living in near penury.

We are also told that his herd of cattle is fast dwindling and is now precariously down to, or near, double figures from a thousand and half or so.

No, this is not schadenfreude: deriving pleasure from another person’s misfortune.

Actually, we tend to pity the likes of Mutasa who are elder citizens of this country and who should be living comfortably for the little they purport to have done for their country.

That is besides the fact that Mutasa was too stupid to bring this upon himself.

As a matter of fact, his case highlights a certain political condition that politicians in this country find themselves in.

A fortnight or so ago we lost one Amos Midzi, who is said to have been neck deep in debt and his pursuers knocking on his door and threatening to ruin him completely.

You see, in politics some laws of morality such as those that counsel pity for those that would have fallen and preclude their kicking, do not exactly apply.

You then hear people referring to Karma, which Karma is said, not too politely, as a bitch.

And isn’t it equally true that revenge is sweet?

zanu-pf, thy name is Santa!

Of course, it is well known that the likes of Mutasa and Midzi have been living off the revolutionary party zanu-pf.

And this is not a compliment, largely, although the party of independence brought us innumerable opportunities that the black man would never dream of or come face to face with.

But the name of the revolutionary party has been abused by some unscrupulous elements that have been all for self-aggrandisement at the expense of poor people.

zanu-pf has been beset by some – let’s say many – opportunists and looters who pretend to be for the people and revolution.

You can imagine how much relief people out there felt when the saw the backs of extortionists such as Mutasa as he got kicked out of the revolutionary party.

And for the precise reason that they now know that the clothes have been shorn off these emperors, the former victims have been emboldened to demand what the ants and moths ate.

Think of Tawanda Nyambirai who just recently came out demanding his farms that the Mujurus seized from him and put the fear of God in him to quit demanding recovery or recompense!

We are sure he will not rest and that we have not heard the last of him on the matter.

And other Tawanda Nyambirais will also run after the Mutasas, the Rugare Gumbos (and watch this space for this one), the Bhasikitis and similar ilk.

zanu-pf provides cover, and goodies to its members, some of whom are quite insensitively criminal.

But they will soon realise the coldness of the exterior of the party when they fall by the wayside.

They wilt, shrivel and die once they fall away like that unfortunate leaf Vice President Mnangagwa was telling us about.

Perhaps the “career chefs” must learn to accept that they will one day leave zanu-pf in ways fair or foul.

And that does not necessarily mean looting resources for that eventuality, does it?

We guess honest labour and saving will do, as all men (and women) do.

Searching for a Tunisia moment

You know, as we speak, Harare should have been free of the eyesore called illegal ven- dors.

An ultimatum was issued a couple of weeks ago effecting to that the illegal vendors should wash their nets and prepare to move to designated areas which are conveniently out of the CBD and most importantly away from the pavements which were designed for the smooth passage and thoroughfare of pedestrians.

Now, everyone agrees that something has to be done.

And done yesterday.

There are many sides to look at this crisis.

First, the vendors apart from being a hindrance to human pedestrian traffic, they are also an offence against the very precept of aesthetic beauty that gave us an idea of a Sunshine City.

Vendors are standing tall and casting a long shadow on that very ideal.

Secondly, for reasons of public health, it is in everyone’s interest to have vendors not sprawling everywhere as this is a ticking time bomb for pandemics such as cholera outbreaks.

We all know what it did to us the other time.

Now who yearns for a repeat of the same?

The fourth reason why vendors should ship out is that it is for their own good.

That is not a paradox.

Simple economics tells us that their unregulated or uncontrolled stream into town and subsequent flooding is bad for any business as they risk going with little or nothing as return for their businesses.

So, if there are regulated numbers of vendors, they sure are to fetch more for their wares.

Is it not about supply and demand, that simple economic law?

This means that clever is the vendor who has taken steps to regularise his trade and thus may be accommodated in designated points that will have many benefits.

And perhaps, lastly, it is a fallacy to think that the CBD is the only place where there is a market.

Where were people buying before?

And are the people who buy in town not the same customers a vendor from Budiriro would sell to if they stayed in their areas?

It has also to be understood that as market places are created, they establish and popularise themselves, the way Mbare Musika or Mupedzanhamo have done.

In light of all this it is known that some political forces have been looking forward to some confrontation between the vendors and authorities so that there will be a conflagration of some political kind.

The opposition has been praying for the day.

We now hear the Americans are in it also.

They are looking for a Tunisia moment.

It should be denied them.