Zanu-PF and policy generation

showcase of how sovereign ideologies and policies are generated. Such a showcase of self-determination becomes a ray of hope in a continent where politicians are falling over each other trying to position themselves as the face of the supposedly democratic western ideology.

We continue to see politicians, especially those with inherent opposition mentality, simply standing to bring down well-grounded policies from revolutionary parties without proffering equally sound alternatives.
Some African politicians eternally exude a political inaptitude to formulate their own policies to the injurious extent of resorting to exclusively regurgitating alien western policies that fly in the face of their people’s dignity, aspirations, and sovereignty.
Although extremely imponderable in a morally impenetrable continent like Africa, some local political leaders are unrestrainedly clamouring for the adoption of gay rights despite the practice being despicable to our culture and values. Such pro-gay calls have palpably been precipitated by western leaders like David Cameron who condescendingly threatened to withdraw aid from African countries that do not support homosexuality.

This summarises the level of ideological dependency and intellectual emptiness in pro-western African politicians. They have no viable solutions to local problems. On another note, when faced with mounting economic problems at home, these politicians invariably resort to pre-packaged generic and deleterious economic templates drawn up by the imperial duo of the World Bank and IMF. Regularly, these templates are insensitive to local economic woes but subtly designed to foster imperial interests.

Basically these politicians lack self initiative and thus exclusively rely on their imperial masters for ideological direction. They are a neutered front of imperialism in its quest to extinguish liberation parties whom it sees as a permanent threat to its establishments. As a result, these politicians are permanently emasculated and thus perennially incapable of formulating independent policies for the betterment of their motherland.

It is against this backdrop that the Zanu-PF conference should be viewed as a self determinative and sovereign forum to formulate policies tailor-made to resolve local challenges with due regard to our past, present and future. During the conference, President Robert Mugabe rightfully declared that we are our own masters with the power to independently chart our way forward.
Deliberations at the annual convention showed Zanu-PF’s determination to come up with solutions to challenges besieging the country. It was an inclusive platform for self-introspection as it allowed all delegates to ponder on the best way to tackle a medley of geo-political challenges facing the nation. Apparently this was a fertile political process divorced from any foreign influence.

More importantly, it was an inclusive process, a people driven policy as delegates drawn up from all corners of the country were given the opportunity to formulate policies aimed at resolving challenges gnawing at our nation. Juxtaposed to this people-centred process, the MDC-T’s foreign and leader driven policies remain parochial and completely divorced from our national aspirations.
Unlike Zanu-PF which used the conference to come up with concerted policies, the MDC-T is driven by unilateral proclamations by its leaders which are then translated into party policies. Recently the party leader,

Morgan Tsvangirai, without consulting party structures, proclaimed that his party piously supports gay rights and as such wants them included in the country’s constitution. This was despite his previous public assertions that homosexuality was totally an abominable practice.
Similarly, some MDC leaders like Tendai Biti and Douglas Mwonzora, although whimsical, have unilaterally drawn up the party’s position on indigenisation and economic empowerment. Though in some instances they have spiritedly supported the revolutionary programme, they have largely opposed it and subsequently indicated that they will reverse it once they get into power.

Such caprice is indicative of a party that does not have a solid ideological position informed by a people-centred consultative process like Zanu-PF’s conference. The fickle nature of the MDC-T’s so-called policies betrays a yawning absence of principles and political direction.

Other than the puerile “Mugabe must go” calls, the MDC-T does not apparently have distinguishable policies of its own. Its reactionary ‘job creation and investment policy’ is manifestly a politically cheap and shallow programme meant to divert public attention from the successful indigenisation and empowerment drive.

Generally, the party merely stands to oppose anything proffered by Zanu-PF. More so, the fractious party is driven by the unbridled urge to simply secure political positions. Instead of deliberating policies that can deliver this country from the economic quagmire spawned by sanctions, MDC-T party members spent most of their time at their last conference in Bulawayo haggling and fighting for party positions.