No room for lone rangers

The comrades might have genuine grievances, but leaving the revolutionary party is not an option.

They must not burn down their house to kill a snake.
They must not allow fury to take its toll on them like a crab that breaks its legs in rage.

In both scenarios, the ultimate loser is the independent candidates and history has taught us that political life is not sustainable outside a political party. The politics in Zimbabwe is still more party-based.

Voters wonder how they can vote for someone who is not in a political team. The electorate should not invite poverty for themselves by voting for an independent candidate. Honestly, can one expect development to be spearheaded by a lone ranger who, unlike his party opponents, does not have party coffers?

Whereas party candidates ride on their parties for logistical and financial support, these independents will have to do it themselves. Professor Jonathan Moyo, the only politician who got into Parliament twice on an independent ticket, also warned these independent candidates against taking his 2005 and 2008 cases as models that inspired them.

Professor Moyo was honest enough to tell the rebels that the people of Tsholotsho voted for him because of the developments which he achieved because he was working with Zanu-PF. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The independent comrades must indeed take it from Professor Moyo, who once walked the path. It’s fortunate that they are getting this free advice which they must make use of.

Cdes Mike Madiro and Nyarai Chasi have withdrawn their candidature and that decision should be highly praised. This signifies that they have the party at heart and that move is bound to draw sympathy for them. The time is still available for the other comrades to follow suit. These comrades definitely have associates in the party, some even in the Politburo.

In Christianity, it is equally a sin if you leave your brother to fall into transgression. In that light, those who associate with these rebels should advise them, lest they be equally held accountable. That small number of blind supporters who will follow the rebels is desperately needed in the forthcoming historic plebiscite.

It is folly for these independents to think that they are more popular than the party.
Zanu-PF had a life before they joined it and will continue to have a life after their departure.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the donkey he was riding on enjoyed the most reverence that it never dreamt of. It trotted on the carpet laid for the son of man that the people spread for the Lord as they rejoiced. Probably the donkey was allowed to enter the shopping malls in the city because it was carrying a very important person.

The donkey was so excited by the treatment that had it opted to go back to Jerusalem expecting a repeat of the hero welcome, it would have been shocked by the people’s indifference. The grave mistake that the donkey made was failing to realise that it was given such a treatment because it was carrying the Lord. This is the same mistake that these comrades are making.

The supporters they claim to have only associated with them because they were wearing Zanu-PF jackets. The coming elections without Zanu-PF backing would show them that they have no support. The supporters belong to the party, Cdes.

The few followers of the independents risk falling into the same political dustbin with them.
This is the same fate that destroyed Dr Simba Makoni’s political career. The man had a following when he was still in Zanu-PF. Almost everybody believed that he was the heir apparent to President Mugabe.

Motivated by selfish interests and being power-hungry, Makoni quit the revolutionary party with the hallucinations that he would draw a huge following.
Alas, the man is now nothing more than a village politician and he is currently seeking relevance by going into a coalition with the MDC-T.

Zanu-PF’s pengaudzoke policy, in which it is ever ready to re-admit rebels who stand as independents, has set a bad precedent for some party members. The rebels are fully conscious that they will be accommodated back into the party anytime they want.

The party should, therefore, have very strict rules that regulate the re-admission of rebels.
Nevertheless, Zanu-PF should take a post-mortem of its selection process, especially in Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces, which produced the largest number of independent candidates.