adminShame Isaki
Though it’s not the first time that a former ZANU PF stalwart has left the revolutionary party to join opposition politics it is the attention and interest being given to the latest entry into opposition politics of former VP Dr Joice Mujuru and her Zimbabwe People First party which is quite baffling and difficult to comprehend.
The late national hero Cde Edgar Tekere unceremoniously left the ruling party and went on to form ZUM which by any standards failed to mount a meaningful challenge to ZANU PF and as widely expected the opposition Zimbabwe Unity Movement collapsed spectacularly such that by the time of his death the revered war hero had become a pale shadow of his former imposing and fearsome self. Life outside ZANU PF proved hard and though we never heard of him wanting to go back to rejoin the party evidence on the ground suggested a life that was far from being rosy.
Another former liberation soldier Cde Dumiso Dabengwa voluntarily opted out of the ruling party citing policy and ideological clashes and went on to ‘revive’ ZAPU ,a sister liberation movement which after signing the Unity Accord with ZANU PF ceased to exist in 1987. Though he has been putting on a brave face, surely the going has been tough for the former liberation and ZANU PF stalwart and maybe as a matter of principle and pride the man has vowed never to reconsider his move.
Simba Makoni is another former high ranking ZANU PF official who became disgruntled with the party and its leadership and decided to move out .He went on to form Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn(MKD) .He contested the 2008 presidential election and got 8% of the votes which actually played a big role in the resultant formation of the inclusive government.
After that we haven’t heard much about the highly intelligent politician and put in simpler terms the man is wallowing in political doldrums and unless and until a miracle happens, this may be the end of his political career. Now what do we have in common among the above former ZANU PF stalwarts?
Apart from Simba Makoni, Cdes Tekere and Dabengwa were liberation icons, tried and tested soldiers. The three had remarkably risen up the political ladder and were members of the famed ZANU PF Politubro. The nation held them in high esteem and I think some still do because their liberation war credentials cannot just be wished away just because they don’t agree with certain things. However with all that rich history, all that intelligence and respect from the citizens the trio still failed to make an impact as opposition politicians. I don’t intend to sound as if I am celebrating the struggles of these comrades but rather I intend to learn from their not so pleasant experiences in the treacherous world of politics and at the same time draw parallels between them and the ‘grand’ entry into opposition politics of Dr Mujuru, widow to the former liberation icon, the late Cde Rex Nhongo, Solomom Mujuru notably together with Rugare Gumbo and Dydmus Mutasa.
What makes the latest trio’s entrance into politics interesting is the fact that they were literally haunted out of the ruling party following allegations of subverting the party and clandestinely working to remove President Mugabe from power, allegations which the trio however deny. The three are our liberators and for that we are forever grateful but the gratitude ends there especially with the statements attributed to them before and after launching their party last week. The three are strenuously trying to portray themselves as saints and victims of a hostile and clueless ZANU PF.
They are trying to deceive unsuspecting Zimbabweans by telling them that they were working to ‘transform’ ZANU PF from within until they were caught off guard. I am tempted to laugh because these people think we Zimbabweans are fools and maybe they are right to think so because there are some among us who are so gullible that instead of thoroughly investigating these politicians and their reasons for existence, people just stampede to endorse and join only to realize in the end that just like with the MDC case you have been taken on a wild goose chase.
Tsvangirai’s case was actually better because he voluntarily withdrew his membership from ZANU PF and went on to form MDC and up to now he is still in opposition politics. He almost benefitted from the protest vote back then but things have changed and it seems it is ZPF which is getting sympathy from sections of the society and wrongly so. I know I am writing to and for suffering people who are prepared to try anything and everything in the hope of finding solutions to the biting economic challenges but one of those things I don’t think should be Rugare Gumbo, Dydmus Mutasa and Mai Mujuru and their ZPF project.
Except maybe for Gumbo, Dydmus Mutasa and Mai Mujuru enjoyed power in ZANU PF from 1980 up until 2014 when they were unceremoniously kicked out. They formed the core of ZANU PF and until the President discovered that Mutasa was playing him, Mutasa was actually one of his blue eyed boys together with the likes of the current VP, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mutasa actually had a very strong grip on the presidency that he was listened to and respected so much. He also allegedly abused his close ties with the president by misrepresenting issues in the name of the president in the process furthering his own interests.
Makoni and Headlands were constituencies of interest to him and people in these areas have bad memories of the traumatic experiences they were exposed to due to violence perpetrated on them allegedly at the instigation of none other than Mutasa. The security portfolio is not given to just any other person and Mutasa served as both a security minister and presidential affairs minister and so crucially every critical decision which was made with regard to the running of the country he was involved, whether good or bad. He allegedly benefited extensively from the land reform program together with his relatives and friends.
Regrettably while he was enjoying all these powers the desire for more power got the better of him and the rest is history. The same applies to the leader of this latest political outfit. President Mugabe and ZANU PF nurtured Joice Mujuru into the person she is today. If you closely look at the wealth the late general Mujuru and his wife had you will discover that this couple became rich way before every other Zimbabwean, war veteran or even President Mugabe himself had enjoyed the benefits of a free Zimbabwe.
How they got so much wealth before everyone else is everybody’s guess. Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa was sacrificed for her to become VP and while serving as VP this is when all problems started. Most people wrongfully think that all that we are going through is as a result of President Mugabe’s misrule. NO! I beg to differ. The people to blame are the ones he appointed, once they were in the office they started to use state time and resources both human capital, funds and equipment to pursue their own agendas.
Taking advantage of the President’s age they would give wrong information in cabinet briefings pretending all was well and the president would think all is well until he would hear the public outcry and complaints. Meanwhile, these people were busy manipulating party structures and holding secret meetings with opposition and hostile nation envoys. In essence these people were actually sabotaging the leadership and government of President Mugabe but at the same time using their positions to enrich themselves and when they were caught they remained arrogant thinking that history would save them and before they knew it they found themselves suddenly with blemished Cvs. Today they want to come again to Zimbabweans albeit with a ‘different’ identity when in actual fact nothing has changed.
They had all the time and reasons to quit ZANU PF but they waited to be fired. Mai Mujuru is now claiming that her husband was murdered but while in ZANU PF she never mentioned it. She benefited from the land reform and indigenization and today she is attacking the same policies. If she is serious then she should surrender all the wealth and farms she acquired as a result of her association with ZANU PF then we will take her seriously as an opposition politician otherwise very soon she will sink into political oblivion.
Zimbabweans can no longer be taken for granted. They had their chance and they messed up big time and now they want to claim another opportunity to perpetuate their self-fulfilling agendas, aaaaaaaah hakuna zvakadaro!!!!!!!!!
Shame Isakiis a preacher,businessman, and socio-political commentator. he can be contacted on +263 773 018 662
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