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Pardon Muzavazi-Correspondent
Imagine you could spot the ugly traits in young Mobutu Sese Seko that defined who he later became, a corrupt despot who ruined the richest country in Africa.
Would you not climb the tallest tree and shout about it to warn the motherland?
Would you not want to circumvent the fall from grace of a potential superpower in Africa due to much economic abuse by the hegemonic West?
I take a look at some of the negative traits manifesting today in Zimbabwe, and, look back at history to envision what lessons it is trying to teach us, lest history will repeat itself.
In his campaign trail, Mobutu called himself many names inter-alia: Messiah, Helmsman; Saviour of the people; Father of the nation; and supreme combatant.
Drawing parallels with Nelson Chamisa, who calls himself Mukomana (the son); the people’s president; the only one; the people’s general and champion in chief.
But that is not ll.
Mobutu had a pervasive personality of cult in which he portrayed himself in flowing robes descending from the clouds like a god (daily for the evening news).
Today, Chamisa portrays himself in flowing yellow garb. Yellow is not an apostolic sect’s colour, so what personality cult wears yellow robes.
Besides, why is a political wolf leading prayers at rallies instead of duly ordained pastors. I would rather let pastors keep their domain clean, void of wolves in sheepskin.
It begs the question; does Zimbabwe need a pastor or President?
Mobutu was installed by the USA and Belgium through financial injections and direct military assistance.
Today, Chamisa is friends with USA to the extent of being invited before the Congressional Committee of Foreign Relations in December 2017 to campaign for sanctions against Zimbabwe.
If Chamisa ascends to power, what relationship do we expect to have with these capitalist oligarchs? USA after installing Mobutu, went on to pillage/loot and destroy Zaire with much abandon.
There is reasonable apprehension that the bad Zairean history is trying to repeat itself in Zimbabwe.
Mobutu went on to erect in Gbadolite, a lavish castle “Versailles of the Jungle.”
It had an extended take off runway that accommodated the Air France Concorde.
This was done at a time when millions of Congolese were suffering in abject poverty.
Today, Chamisa is crowd funding for a plush bulletproof limousine amidst economic challenges spawned by the sanctions he invited.
Is his love for lush not a tell-tale sign?
There is a reasonable expectation that Chamisa will act ridiculously if he ascends to a higher office.
Mobutu tortured individuals of potential threat such as Mulele whose eyes were gauged out, genitals removed, and live limps amputated.
He also orchestrated the execution of Patrice Lumumba, dissolved his corpse in sulphuric acid and pulverised what remained. Mobutu systematically tortured his political rivals executing them before large audiences.
On Chamisa’s part, his man slapped rival Dr Thokozani Khupe in front of large crowds and TV audience at an MDC-T Special Congress in 2020.
Besides, political violence generally escalated in Zimbabwe with the onset of the MDC party. The party unleashed into communities terror gangs called Democratic Resistance for Change (DRCs). There is a fat chance this CCC lot will not repent any time soon.
Mobutu went into power through a military coup d’etat in 1965.
Whereas Chamisa is at the helm of CCC today from a boardroom coup d’etat after the death of Tsvangirai in 2018.
Chamisa abandoned all democratic norms and practices of going to Congress for the popular vote within his party.
Even today, he still insists that there shall be no congress for the newly formed CCC.
There is a reasonable expectation that he will engage in worse undemocratic behaviour if he becomes president.
Developments in our northern neighbour, Zambia, are disconcerting, where the USA has just opened up an AFRICOM office. Could this be militarism being politicised or the coup d’etat plot unfolding?
Mobutu tried to name himself life president of Zaire in 1972, but failed.
Today, the CCC supporters make mirthless chants with gusto “Chamisa chete chete (Chamisa only).
What is the upshot from such a chant? What does that chant even mean? That’s a rhetorical question! It means Chamisa one and only namalele (forever).
It means monocracy.
Mobutu’s reign, 1965 to 1997, was the most enduring dictatorship in Africa to date because he had the support of Americans and Belgians.
In addition to the US$5 billion to US$15 billion of illicit family wealth sequestered into havens of dirty money by Mobutu himself, the West shamelessly looted Zaire.
The country’s foreign debt grew to about US$14 billion as a result.
The West allowed Mobutu to continue with his kleptocratic authoritarian reign in exchange. If Chamisa ascends into power with help from his friends, the Americans, they will bleed Zimbabwe dry and when they are done, kick him by the curb like they did to Mobutu.
Chamisa is manifesting the traits of becoming a contemporary third world potentate like Mobutu was.
There is nothing new under the sun that Chamisa is going to create in Zimbabwe that we do not already know of.
Even spaghetti roads will be there, despite his campaigns for sanctions.
His claim to fame is that he is a people person. But then, for one to empathise with the people one has to level with them and not ride a high horse like a people’s general, from whence he looks down upon the povo.
This self-proclaimed rank is remindful of Mobutu promoting himself to the rank of Marshal in 1983.
History is screaming at us to forewarn us that an aspiring tin-pot dictator is in our political space. Unfortunately, some of us look into history through a rear-view mirror.
History came before us so that we may learn lessons from it.
It is Chamisa’s wish that one day we will wake up without our farming and mining licences because some American conglomerate got permits from his government to elbow out locals.
That sort of chaos was rampant in Zaire during Mobutu’s reign.
What is it that the West wants from Zimbabwe if it is not our wealth, our lithium, oil, gold or our bright future?
Americans do not love Chamisa, except that in him they see a potential despotic kleptocrat whom they can abuse and plunder windfall profits.
History has already taught us that these people are just eagles hovering above waiting for a kill.
History is still teaching us today. May we be blessed with teachable spirits.
Online Reporter