Mugabe holds party at Great Zimbabwe and evokes the greatness of Munhumutapa Empire he lacked. By Patrick Guramatunhu

President Mugabe has talked about unity on many, many occasions throughout his political career but looking at the nation and his own party one cannot deny, not even he, that unity is the one thing this nation and his party are. The nation is more divided than ever and Zanu PF members are tearing each other apart. Zanu PF is imploding and, worse still, it is threatening to drag the nation into the abyss with it. So when President Mugabe returned to his favourite theme of unity at his birthday party; this time there was a sense of urgency, at least for the concerned citizens.

 

 

"As we are here at the Great Zimbabwe, this is the foundation of the Munhumutapa Empire. So this is a place that gave us a new life, we fought thinking of the way of living that was being done by our elders here,” said the President.

"They were united and made sure their leadership spread to other areas far beyond the Limpopo.”

 

 

The Munhumutapa Empire last for three hundred years from 1430 to 1760 and stretched from the Zambezi to Limpopo to the Indian Ocean and built the Great Zimbabwe, a monument that has lasted to this day and will last for thousands of years to come. The leaders back then did not spend their time talking of unity but spent in doing things that makes unity possible; built a just and fair system of government, creating wealth for all and not just a few, establishing the rule of law, etc.

 

 

No empire in history has ever thrived on misrule, poverty, tyranny and the Munhumutapa Empire was no exception.

 

 

Mugabe’s corrupt and tyrannical rule has not lasted 40 years and already it is crumbling and falling apart. 36 years of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and tyrannical oppression have turned this once prosperous nation into one of the poorest and there is anger and mistrust eating at the heart of this nation.

 

 

President Mugabe was very critical of Zanu PF members, especially the party youths, who have openly criticized party leaders including his wife Grace as part of the worsening factional wars in the party.

 

 

"We cannot lead such misguided youth, no. The youth have got to be well disciplined, well behaved and respectful," threatened Mugabe.

 

 

Respect! How can anyone respect a leader who has repeatedly falsely accused his challengers of treason, rigged national and party elections and has no respect of the law of the law and even the sanctity of human life!  

 

 

“Gudo guru peta muswe kuti vaduku vangokuremekedza!” is a time honoured Shona cultural saga. (Big baboon, fold your tail so the youngster will respect you) Meaning those is positions of power and authority must humble themselves, behave in a dignified, just and respectable manner if they are to earn the respect of those below them. President Mugabe is one big baboon whose tail is always straight up like the warthog’s tail and his failed leadership is one of the darkest chapters in Zimbabwe’s history.

 

 

Mugabe can evoke the greatness of the Munhumutapa Empire; he has failed to make Zimbabwe a great nation. He has always relied on fear to unity everyone behind him; unity based on fear is a house built of quick sand, it will not stand for long because the ground under it is always shifting. People do not want to leave in fear; they will always be on the lookout for the opportune moment to breakaway!