Online Reporter
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
POLITICS is a tricky business. There is often limited room for one to make mistakes. Once it all goes bust, it may be difficult to find your way back in. Such has been the tragedy of some opposition elements who once strutted the national stage with misplaced confidence, buoyed by social media euphoria and foreign encouragement.
They thought they had arrived. They believed their own hype, convinced that populism and propaganda could replace strategy, ideology and deep-rooted national purpose.
It turned out they weren’t as in touch with reality or the needs of the masses as they had imagined. When stripped of the noise and theatrics, the opposition has consistently failed to present a clear, credible and people-centred alternative. The plight of their supporters has been a sad and telling one, promise after empty promise, but nothing of substance ever materialises. Political leaders who should inspire and mobilise have instead become experts in victimhood, always blaming the system, the courts, the weather, everything and anything but themselves.
Meanwhile, the Zanu-PF supporter continues to reap the rewards of loyalty and patience. Not because of blind allegiance, but because Zanu-PF has delivered. From infrastructure development to rural industrialisation, from food security to community empowerment, the revolutionary Party has consistently prioritised the welfare of the people.
And while our core supporters have been rewarded, Zanu-PF does not govern in exclusion, it governs for all Zimbabweans. Whether one supports the Party or not, everyone benefits from the roads, clinics, schools and jobs being created under the Second Republic. No one is left behind.
This is the ethos of a truly people’s party, a party that understands that development must transcend political affiliation. But it is time for everyone to accept Zimbabwe’s political reality. The only political organisation with the history, expertise, grassroots presence and ideological coherence to lead and change this country is Zanu-PF. That is a historical and current fact rather than an opinion.
People who ignore this reality do so consciously, often driven by personal ambition or outside interests, rather than out of ignorance. Some people have lost all objectivity because they are so emotionally invested in opposing Zanu-PF. In the hopeless pursuit of political relevance, they are prepared to undermine the economy, damage the country’s reputation overseas and even incite violence.
Zimbabweans, however, are not idiots. Their political maturity has increased. They are aware of the distinction between political theatre and true leadership.
Zanu-PF was not created on a whim or in a boardroom. It was created through hardship, forged in the furnace of freedom and kept alive by the tears, sweat and blood of our brave sons and daughters. In addition to fighting for independence, our party has led the nation through economic warfare, pandemics, droughts and sanctions.
We have stood the test of time. We haven’t wavered. Above all, we have stuck by the people. Compare this to the so-called opposition. What does it represent? What is it offering? What does it contribute beyond trendy hashtags and meaningless slogans? Division, misunderstanding, and reliance on outside sources are the only solutions. Being the loudest or holding the most spectacular press conferences is not what it means to be a leader. It is about securing the future, establishing institutions and directing policies.
Under President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s direction, Zimbabwe has seen revolutionary change in just the last 12 months. Road construction, energy projects, irrigation plans and housing delivery have all progressed at previously unheard-of speeds. “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo” is a working philosophy rather than merely a catchphrase. It serves as a reminder that through perseverance, solidarity and self-belief, Zimbabwe will be developed by Zimbabweans, for Zimbabweans.
But the opposition has devolved into a cemetery of abandoned initiatives and hollowed-out pledges. They repackage the same story every election cycle in the hopes of deceiving the voters with a different name or colour. However, people no longer purchase it. Instead of rehashed resentment, Zimbabweans want results. Instead of constant whining, they want jobs. They prefer a government that co-operates with them rather than conspires with foreigners.
Zimbabwe is no place for political adventurism. Those who have taken that route have to acknowledge that their significance is eroding daily. After you have been rejected by the public, there is no life after the political grave. A political project that lacks domestic legitimacy cannot be revived by foreign funding or media manipulation.
Zimbabweans will not unearth the past to bring failures back to life because they have buried those who violated their trust. Zanu-PF is not complacent nor content with what we have achieved so far. We are still reflecting, renewing, and reforming. We stay in touch with the people’s desires thanks to our internal democracy, policy reviews and ideological schools. Although we are rooted in the past, we are not mired in it, rather, we have our sights fixed on the future. We are aware that the next generation of Zimbabweans requires stability, employment, technology, and opportunities. We are constructing that with the National Development Strategy and Vision 2030.
Although there will be obstacles along the way, the path ahead is obvious. Political gimmicks and sideshows will not divert us. We are not wasting time on political ghosts from the past because we are too busy creating a new Zimbabwe. We extend our hand to anyone who wishes to participate in the honourable but challenging task of national development. Although there are no second chances in the political grave, we wish well to those who would rather stay in the wilderness of irrelevance.
Let this serve as a reminder to everyone involved in public life that politics is serious business and that people should not be taken for granted. You can’t fool everyone all the time, but you can fool some of them occasionally. The public will ultimately render a decision and that decision is final. The people of Zimbabwe have expressed their desire for peace, development and patriotism. And they are aware of its location.
The people’s home, the catalyst for the country’s progress, and the keeper of the liberation legacy are all still Zanu-PF. We’re not going to get lost. We’re not going to be scared. We’re not going to back down. Our focus is on Zimbabwe’s freedom, sovereignty, modernity and prosperity.
l Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General of Zanu-PF. He writes in his personal capacity.
