Online Reporter
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
POLITICAL zealots who seek to propagate fear in attempts to alarm the masses will always have disappointment as their ultimate price. The days of political fanaticism are long gone. Practical politics is all about what you can deliver to the masses.
Failure to deliver and meet the expectations of the masses often leads to people disassociating themselves with such failed political movements. Zanu-PF has constantly and consistently delivered on the expectations of the people, which is why it enjoys such a connection with the masses.
The relations that Zanu-PF has with the people are reciprocal. The people will not abandon Zanu-PF and likewise, Zanu-PF will not forsake the people. Such a symbiotic relationship is poised to last for a very long time to come. There is no doubt that the link between Zanu-PF and its people is purely based on practicality.
I have often argued many a time that the average Zimbabwean bloke is a practical individual more than anything. Zimbabweans have very little time to spare on the irrelevant. They are a focused bunch who always have their eyes firmly set on achieving practical and useful goals for the improvement of their daily lives.
They are difficult to hoodwink or deceive. The reason why Zimbabwe has remained so peaceful and calm in spite of several efforts by our detractors to sow seeds of division and perhaps insurrection is because of the calibre of its people who have very little time for impractical exercises.
You cannot be a merchant of people’s suffering and still hope to attain their favour. Zimbabwe has suffered a lot from the opposition elements that called for sanctions on our country and the machinations of our detractors. It is not fathomable that the masses would side with those responsible for their suffering.
Our people are far wiser and can see clearly that these false saviours seek only to attain power for their own benefit at whatever cost. Zanu-PF will never allow this to happen and our people will always side with their party to protect the gains of our liberation struggle. Those who refuse to learn from history will always suffer great loss. The business of politics is a people-oriented endeavour and there is no way you can inflict suffering on people and still expect them to take you seriously. False promises will not take you far either.
There are several instances where some have made unattainable promises to our people and they have been rejected by the people because of their ridiculous promises. The message the people sent clearly is that they do not tolerate any form of ridicule through populist rhetoric that delivers nothing for the masses. There is therefore a need to be fully aware of the needs of the people at any given point in time. Our people are empowered and will not accept crumbs.
The Zanu-PF government, from its onset, strived to ensure that our people are fully empowered so that they are not subject to ridicule or taken advantage of by fly-by-night politicians. The Zimbabwean voter is unique in that they demand practical returns for their votes and will always hold politicians to account.
Politicians in this country do not get away with a lot and have very limited options but to perform as per expectation. This is what makes the Zimbabwean voter valuable, there is no time to waste when it comes to service delivery. In most cases, the rural voter who understands this has always stuck with Zanu-PF while some urban voters have been at the mercy of the corrupt opposition parties that rake in their money and do not deliver. In recent times, the urban voter has too awoken to the harsh reality that these briefcase political parties will not serve their cause and have decided to choose Zanu-PF once again.
It has taken the intervention of President Mnangagwa’s administration to try and clean up the mess that has become Harare. The rot in the country’s once glittering capital has been exacerbated by the opposition cabals who have used their control of the city’s administration as an opportunity to loot incessantly.
In all of the failed efforts to destabilise our country and illegally dislodge Zanu-PF from power, our enemies have always miscalculated the power of the masses. Zanu-PF is a mass-party and that means something. It means that our movement resides in the hearts and minds of our people and they will go to great lengths to defend it, as it is a movement that is owned by the people. People can never betray that which they own.
Scare tactics are old fashioned and will not work. Especially when the people know the truth and can see it for themselves. Zimbabweans are now firmly glued on attaining economic emancipation under the leadership of the Zanu-PF party and anything that seeks to derail their objectives in their pursuit of their goals will not be tolerated by our people.
n Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary General of Zanu-PF. He writes in his own capacity.
