When integrity defines revolutionary character of Zanu-PF

Panganai Kahuni
DURING the liberation struggle, the commissariat played an important role in moulding the ideological and political uprightness of all ZANU-PF cadres, both individually and collectively, as the party sought to destroy the enemy. The bitterness of the struggle was overcome through the manifestation of the spirit of comradeship which every leader across the demographic strata unreservedly preached and preserved.

The Mgagao document that saw the ouster of the renegade Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole as leader of the party is one example that demonstrates that ZANU-PF was concerned about  preserving its integrity and maintaining its revolutionary characteristics which enabled it to prosecute the war and overcome the challenges that came with the management of the decolonisation process.

Many acts that were viewed as anti-revolutionary such as the Vashandi scenario were ruthlessly dealt with as the party was determined to weed out those elements that wanted to derail or delay the decolonisation process.

In the process of decolonising Rhodesia, every cadre was aware of the party ideology, its principles and values that were to be respected.

I am sure every living comrade knows that the party had a healthy, strict and well spelt out code of conduct which required every member to exercise the highest discipline which made ZANU-PF a strong and well-organised party.

Recent media reports indicated that elections for ZANU-PF provincial chairpersons in the last seven provinces were generally peaceful and credible, regardless of the challenges that the party faced. In most provincial command centres, ZBC-TV reported contestants accepting the outcome of the results.

Some were even seen shaking hands and hugging the winner in a show of solidarity, which was a demonstration of maturity.

However, it was disturbing to note that some losing contestants, especially those from Masvingo and Mashonaland East, expressed their misgivings about the results and electoral process in the press without following the structures of the party that were used to run the intra-party electoral process.

Many analysts view such actions as a clear demonstration of lack of understanding of how to use party structures to address internal problems.

Such acts where individual party cadres are allowed to blatantly disregard the code of conduct and express their feelings through placards without following laid down party processes should be nipped in the bud.

It must be noted from this point that the integrity of the party is important and members must not be engage in acts that tarnish the image of the party.

Equally, those responsible for handling grievances should resolve them in an impartial manner.

In the world of politics, no party operates without challenges and differences. However, it is how the challenges and differences are expressed and resolved that either unites or divides the party. Any organisation that does not have a vibrant and transparent way of airing and resolving challenges and problems tends to lose its integrity and moral authority. Recent media reports on factionalism in ZANU-PF must worry the commissariat department, whose duty many feel is to nurture cadres and leaders who don’t own people.

People are not owned by anyone except the party they belong to. It is dangerous in politics for any leader to own people and for people to behave as if they were the assets of any leader.

This is what causes conflicts and violence. People in Zimbabwe have seen the effects of political parties being owned by individuals as practised by the MDC formations which resulted in the organisations being named after factional leaders such as MDC-T and MDC-M. If this is what is happening in ZANU-PF then the commissariat must fight it from Politburo and down the structures as was the case during the liberation war.

It is the moral uprightness, principled leadership and commitment to unity that motivate a legion of people to choose, respect, honour and give full support to an individual to lead them. Such was the case with Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Patrice Lumumba. Party cadres and leaders must learn from Cde Mugabe who owns no one in Zimbabwe but enjoys the support of multitudes of people across the breadth and length of the country.

In an independent Zimbabwe, one would expect the same departments to work tirelessly in fighting both political and economic corruption. Analysts feel that the fight against political and economic corruption should be easier in independent since there are enforceable legal tools and instruments.

Political economists argue that if ZANU-PF, through its structures, educates people to shun corruption and takes strong measures against any form of corruption, Zimbabwe would emerge as a world economic giant.

The integrity of the party does not come from fighting for positions or trading accusations. If anything, such negative activities have the potential of tarnishing the image of the party.

For Zanu-PF to remain a formidable revolutionary party, the commissariat should not wait to be visible only on election days or at rallies. It should always be visible carrying out work that nurtures cadres of high integrity.

This is what made ZANU-PF a respected revolutionary party that it is.

Fellow liberation war comrades I think you all agree with me that what made ZANU-PF solid, unshakable and formidable was the concept of the sharpened Zanu axe (demo reZANU).

The humble feeling of many is not for the revolutionary party to employ its war discipline but to ensure that every cadre values the integrity and the revolutionary characteristics of the party.

The party needs to remain seized with the lessons that nearly cost the nation its freedom and independence in 2008.

The feelings that many ZANU-PF supporters had about the disbanded DCCs was that they were causing damage to the integrity and revolutionary character of the party. Equally, the election of provincial chairpersons seemed to create the same problems that DCCs were disbanded for.

It must be noted here as Nkrumah said: “The strength of the party depends on the strength of the branches”.

It therefore follows, if Nkrumah’s maxim is anything to go by, that the party must have well-established and organised structures whose database should be with the commissariat.

ZANU-PF must walk the talk and lead by example in ensuring a smooth intra-party democratic electoral process guided by the principles and values which made it win resoundingly in the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections.

• Panganai Kahuni is a political socio-economic commentator.