Former Zanu PF
strongman, Cephas Msipa’s warns Zimbabwe’s opposition parties of President
Mugabe and Zanu PF’s tendencies to use violence to stay in power.
“They (ZPF) have a mammoth task
before them. I know Zanu PF are good at defending themselves and remaining in
power. Since 1980, they (Zanu PF) have been using the same tactic,” he warned.
“They will do everything possible to
destroy their opponents. They use all sorts of dirty tactics, including
violence and intimidation. They think to win an election they need to use
force.”
In giving his warning, Comrade Msipa
singled out Comrade Mujuru and her ZimPF followers. Not that she needed the
warning because her followers have already been subjected to Zanu PF
intimidation and beating. No doubt the level of violence and the numbers of the
victims will increase as time goes on and we getting nearer and nearer the
elections. The greater the political threat Zanu PF feels the worse the violence its thugs
will dish out.
Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa,
Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and all the other ZimPF member who are also ex-Zanu PF
members do not need Comrade Msipa to remind them what a violent party Zanu PF
can be since they were part and parcel of the Zanu PF machinery themselves. All
three above have been named as key players in the beating or worse of
opposition members in the Zanu PF days.
Both ZimPF and MDC have had many chances
to end Zanu PF’s culture of using violence and other dirty tricks to win
elections and which has wasted them. MDC had their best chances during the GNU
where all they needed to do was implemented the democratic reforms. They failed
to get even one meaningful reform implemented in their five years in the GNU.
As for Mai Mujuru and her ZimPF lot they
will now want to put some clear water between themselves and this violent
Mugabe culture but they can never deny they benefited from the system and when
push came to shove and their position on the gravy train was stake they too
used violence.
The first question one has to
answer, it is all very well knowing Zanu PF will be using violence to stay in
power; the question is, what can the opposition do stop Zanu PF violence?
The opposition can demand the
implementation of the democratic reforms, the same reforms MDC should have implemented
during the GNU.
There were three main reasons why
MDC did not implement even one reform throughout the five years of the GNU:
- For all their political posturing and grandstanding Tsvangirai and his MDC friends are some of the most corrupt and incompetent politicians in modern history; they never appreciated the critical importance of the democratic reforms in the creation of a democratic and free society.
- MDC leaders have always viewed the violence as an integral part of the cut and thrust of Zimbabwe politics; they love reading out how many of their own supporters have been beaten, raped and murdered, the more the better. They will always do their uttermost to secure their safety; Tsvangirai is well known for his Usain Bolt dash to Netherland Embassy or high speed race to Botswana. However if they are ever caught in the mayhem they will wear that like the badge of honour. Tsvangirai has reminded all who care to listen of his brush with Zanu PF thugs just as Mugabe has never tired of reminding the nation of his heroic exploits in the fight for independence.
- Tsvangirai and his MDC friends knew they are not the cleverest kids on the block and so whilst they want democratic change now to propel them into power they, once in power, they will have to revert to the present undemocratic system if they too are to enjoy absolute power for decades the same as Mugabe and Zanu PF. They have failed to implement any meaningful reforms because they have one foot on the democratic change accelerator and other on the breaks, they are scared stiff of a healthy and functional democracy!
Although everyone in MDC has, since the
elections, acknowledged that Mugabe rigged the 2013 elections and vowed not to
take part in any future elections “until reforms are implemented to stop vote
rigging”. It is now over two years ago and all they have done is come up with a
list of wishy-washy electoral reforms they say must be implemented. None of the
reforms will do anything to stop Zanu PF using violence and other vote rigging
dirty tricks.
MDC leaders have since revised their
position; they will take part in future elections as they are confident they
will get Zanu PF to implement the democratic reforms before the next elections.
MDC will not get even one meaningful
democratic reform implemented before the next elections for the same main
reasons given above.
Mai Mujuru and her ZimPF friends too
not do anything in response to Comrade Cephas Msipa’s warning about Zanu PF
resorting to violence for the same three main reasons given above.
If Mai Mujuru and her
friends are elected back into office they top priority will be to restructure
the State Institutions not to make them more democratic, they will not want the
system changed in anyway, just their loyalty changed from Mugabe to Mujuru,
from Zanu PF to ZimPF! ZimPF will use
the same dirty vote rigging tricks and violence to stay in power!
It is within the
political powers of Zimbabwe’s opposition parties to end Mugabe’s culture of
political violence; they have never even tried because they neither have the
political vision nor will to do so.
I have often wondered why the opposition has complained endlessly about President Mugabe rigging elec-tions and worse still using brutal force and violence to corral the people like a herd of animals to vote for the party and yet they have always failed to do nothing to stop this. It is inconceivable that in the last 36 years Mai Mujuru or Tsvangirai have never had the opportunity to end Zanu PF's culture of violence and vote rigging given that the two leaders have been in power for 34 and 5 years respectively!
ReplyDeleteYour three reasons above make perfect sense! As much as Mai Mujuru and Tsvangirai want democratic change now, if they were to get into power they will not want democracy then. The two have already proven beyond doubt that they are corrupt and incompetent and no one that corrupt and incompetent will last under the close scrutiny of a health democracy.
British PM David Cameron is having a tough time explaining his father's finances following the Panama Paper scandal although all his father did was invest his money where there are better tax breaks, which was not illegal. We all know Mai Mujuru and her late husband have made a fortune from corruption and looting; a free media will take her to the cleaners! Anyone who thinks that Mai Mujuru will ever advocate for a free and independent media is therefore naïve!
If we the people want to put an end to Zanu PF's culture of vote rigging and political violence then it is us, the people and not the politicians, who must demand the necessary democratic reforms and then follow through to ensure the reforms are fully implemented. We have our work cut out for us; it is us the people who must have the political will and vision to get this done!
Comrade Cephas Msipa is a lot more naive than I ever imagined! Does he really think that someone like Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Rugare Gumbo and all the other ZimPF leaders do not know that Zanu PF is a party of violence! Oh please!
ReplyDeleteThugs like Jabulani Sibanda are considered a great asset by Mugabe, Mujuru and Tsvangirai alike because all these leaders believe there is a lot more they can accomplish with violence than with a good word alone.
When it comes to stopping violence none of our political leaders think this is a priority. To them human lives are as expendable as everything else. They value human lives in much the same way that Stalin and Hitler did; which is why they will not bother doing everything they can to stop the violence.
I agree with you, if there is going to be an end to this culture of violence then it is the people themselves who will have to demand that something is done to end this culture. If nothing is done to end the culture of violence before the elections then whoever wins the elections will demand that whoever aspires to take power from them will too have to face the violence at their hands, as some form of rite of passage!