Year of mixed political fortunes

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
What a politically pregnant year 2013 was, full of remarkable events that will find a permanent place in the country’s history books.
The year 2013 was characterised by political breakthroughs, comedy, and outlandish events.
Firstly, the year gave birth to Zimbabwe’s first home-grown Constitution — bidding goodbye to the 1979 negotiated Lancaster House Constitution.

It is this new Constitution that marked a turning point on the country’s political radar.
It heralded the demise of the MDC formations which have been bankrolled by power-mongering Western countries for more than a decade.

As espoused in the Global Political Agreement signed by Zanu-PF and the MDC formations on September 16 2009, the crafting of the new Constitution was the cardinal arbiter that preceded elections.

The MDC formations dragged the constitution making process which was supposed to be completed in 18 months to close to 48 months in the vain hope of prolonging their stay in the inclusvie Government.

With their tentacles clowning on State property like ravenous lions, the MDC officials did not want to entertain the idea of holding elections even after the new Constitution was in place.

This is despite the fact that the legal life span of the Seventh Parliament was coming to an end on June 30, 2013.
It only took the courage of a Zaka East registered voter Jealousy Mawarire to compel President Mugabe through the courts in his capacity as the Head of State and Government to pronounce an election date.

Mawarire did this to avoid a situation where the country would be ruled by decree after the life of Parliament expired.
Surprisingly, the MDC formations, which all along projected themselves as bulwarks of democracy, were advocating for the extension of the Seventh Parliament beyond its legal life span.

Phew!
That can only be described as naked hypocrisy and madness of highest proportions.
Against all odds and spirited campaigns by the MDC and their handlers to defer the elections, the polls were finally held on July 31 last year.

The election day separated real politicians from pretenders, but more importantly, it separated real political parties from political projects.
Backed by a well thought election manifesto, President Mugabe and Zanu-PF proved to be the real players in Zimbabwe’s politics.

The Zanu-PF First Secretary won with more than 61 percent, with his party scooping 197 seats in the National Assembly, far surpassing the two thirds majority which stands at 180 members.

Zanu-PF’s massive win ended the four-year inclusive Government that was fraught with intermittent bickering.
The MDC formations were buried to a political cistern where they are still fighting for a comeback, with little progress, if any. The elections were followed by the formation of a new Zanu-PF Government that quickly formulated an impressive economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social-Economic Transformation.

Zim Asset, which was recently adopted by the Zanu-PF at its 14th Annual National People’s Conference held in Chinhoyi last month, is expected to guide the economy for the next five years.

While Zanu-PF triumphed over the agents of imperialism, the revolutionary party faced numerous challenges on its backyard, bordering on factional lines and succession discourse.

Party members were engaged in nasty and blemish confrontations during the provincial elections in preparation for the conference.
As a tried and tested party, Zanu-PF weathered all challenges it faced and managed to cap the year with the resounding conference.

At Government level, President Mugabe concluded the year by unveiling the statue of Father Zimbabwe Dr Joshua Nkomo in Bulawayo on December 22 to mark the 26th anniversary of Unity Day.

For the MDC formations and their Western allies, the year 2013 was not all that rosy and they would not want to relive it even if it means in another world.

As for the MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, the embattled chap was entangled in a web of challenges.
He lost elections, was deserted by close associates such as Alex Magaisa and recently by some of his acolytes that were appointed as diplomats to Germany (Hebson Makuvise) and Australia (Jacqueline Zwambila).

The two embarrassed Mr Tsvangirai by seeking political asylum from their respective hosts, despite that they were respectful officials who represented the Government at that highest level.

We shout: Hurray! hoorah! yippee! as we welcome 2014 minus the inclusive Government that solicited some involuntary spasmodic movements in our stomachs.

Minus the burdernsome noises from the MDC formations that were like a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, (but) signifying nothing.