Two Political Parallel Lines in Zimbabwe from the Legacy of Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirayi to the era of President Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa.

By Nevson Mpofu*

Africa is only disturbed by a countable colonial factors that fuel a conflagration of fire that turns to burn its civilians who are innocent souls, yet the heartbeats of the African continent. Africa carries a long story to be told in eternity. The continent remains muddled in the ditch of political mud that always remains wet to rope in those who do not even have questions to answer regarding its subsequent things falling for the bad of those to lead today and tomorrow.

There are factors like I have pointed out. There are brewing reasons as well all in a nutshell to burn fingers of those who follow politics and those who chose to be out of it ..

Africa is coming from the doldrums, dark penumbra shadows of slavery and servitude feudalism, imperialism, capitalism, colonialism and dictatorship. The fact that white supremacy dominated over black people in their own land brought absolute and extreme poverty. In Zimbabwe ZANU-PF belongs to the colonial era while MDC belongs to the opposition era.

A point in time is ZANUPF like any liberation struggle party in Africa wouldn’t want to be contested and removal that brings shame, anger, denial and mortification. Any liberation struggle political party in Africa came up with its goals, vision and mission related to remaining a political party of continued and sustainable totalitarian rule, monarchial aristocracy and doctorial leadership.

Why would it be like this? – The answer to the vague, contrite styled question lies in the lost and deranged mentality that liberators are forever, political saviors and angels chosen by God in the land of Canaan. This could be what an African leader might think. Secondly, an African leader would think narrowly that leadership liberalism was brought by those only in the political realism like Presidium, Ministerial, Parliament, Senator and top government elites affiliated to the ruling party.

The tug of war between ruling party and opposition is likened to a lion killing a buffalo while hyenas ambush it from a close range or a distance. After the kill, the lion is disturbed, confuted, embarrassed, attacked, chased away and denied entrance into the territory by a huge number of these animals, meat pirates behaving in rowdy carnivorous attack. What then happens is linked to politics in Zimbabwe between ZANU-PF and MDC- led by Nelson Chamisa.

Opposition always comes out of a country despite the good of current leadership because opposition is ambivalent towards ruling party opinion. Mostly, opposition is trapped in myopic stupidity and idiotic optical illusion that throws the general public into wave of striking poverty likely to affect generations to come. Take an example of Somalia, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

These countries are not in poverty out of managerial failure. Because of long standing political feuds and embroiled conflicts which ropes in countries like USA, Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Portugal among and in addition to other erstwhile colonizers bent on supporting what is wrong likely to destroy and stir change, a revolution that curtails the livelihoods build out of scratch at the expense of diminishing resources results in African poverty.

The African political atmosphere scenario is whereby Western powers favour opposition and eastern powers are in favour of ruling political parties. This is one of the disturbing situation which comes as national division of countries. A good example is of the cold war of 1950 after the Second World War. This was a fight for doctrines. Eastern countries were on the side of communism, western powers in support of capitalism. Such has been the reason why Africa remained unstable socially, economically and politically.

Zimbabwe before independence from the days of the liberation struggle under ZANU-PF and ZAPU-PF has been under funding support from Russia and China. Russia supported ZAPU, China has been on the side of ZANU-PF. At the same time coming from the enemy’s direction, MDC, opposing parties got chunk of support from former colonizers like Britain, USA and local white farmers who had lost their land and property to blacks. This division in funding created a wide gap causative to problems. This is one main reason why opposition separated itself rising against ZANU PF.

The second reason hangs around on liberation struggle and the policy of the liberators. ZANU-PF has strategized itself to totalitarian rule, building on gigantic pillars to make the party strong. Opposition, MDC originated from Labour Union, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union [ZCTU] . The former secretary general, M            organ Tsvangirayi now the deceased was the first ZANU-PF strongest opponent who stood to resist tyrant leadership of Robert Mugabe the then President of the country. The two looked from different opposing directions.

Thirdly, Robert Mugabe had the idea of dictatorship, building on doctorial tactics that would   give him political immunity from the inside that is his followers then from 0pposition pressure. The only modality he came up with was assassination for him to remain in power. Such is an idea that opposition was against because a number of human rights violations especially during elections resulted in death, infliction of pain and severe torture, maim and disappearances. Opposition MDC took advantage of this weakness. It incited strikes, job stay-aways and fierce demonstrations against ZANU-PF. Such was MDC ‘S social weapon to gain popularity of the mass.

Fourthly, political ideologies differ ZANU-PF had the belief that politics is the first path to take in a country. This at the expense of the social and economic side pulled the economy to shambles, causing poverty, vulnerability and marginalization of opposition constituencies. Party affiliated people would get first and for all chances to get 3 basic needs, land distribution and other resources for community and family development. Opposition had the first feeling of people at heart, taking aboard the grieved, politically displaced and those who suffered in the hands of ZANU-PF .

Character- Robert Mugabe versus Morgan Tsvangirai.

Robert Mugabe differed Tsvangirai psychologically, far most politically. He was a political genius with un-packed economic views devoured by political avarice and aggrandize. Such reason kept him stung to politics at the expense of the economy. Mugabe had sense of political consciousness to awake against his opponents, staying hooked to political chicanery, twisting minds and keeping politics alive. At the other hand Tsvangirai molded a social ideology to unite people for socialization yet Mugabe had the mind to unite people for political reasons , solidarity , unity of ZANU-PF PATRIOTISM , SOVEREIGNITY , NATIONALISM and reconciliation for party building .

President Mnangagwa versus Chamisa.  President Mnangagwa has grown fully mature in politics with the best principles, political planning, leading, organizing and strategic successful controlling for the best of party building in party structures. He is cool, quiet for specific reasons to silent enemies, astray and mislead directive efforts lineated towards his destroyable destination. He has gone through several ministries, gaining endless cease experience at the same time fortifying permanent beacons of personal protectionism against personal vendetta. He reserves bitter, cooks it from inside, silently weaving solutions, gaining strength through editing opponent’s vulgar- vociferous tones. Such is the man whom people believe is the cruelest, tyrant who strategized for Robert Mugabe to remain in a swim across the river to 37 years of power. Such is one element of intelligent truth. He has political intelligence, sensationalism and securitization. The political tycoon is seen no-where beaten by the infant Chamisa whose party is now in the dark moon.

The future of talks between the two parties is far away from fruition, be it alone Chamisa is wasting time, playing around with running under the drain waters heading for the oceans. Chamisa is a political armature without bright ideas worse to say brilliant and worst to say genius. He lacks optimism, straight focus and he sees no sun glitter on his future leadership. His political diminishing returns remain hanged in air, with lackadaisical certainty towards a smooth moving political party he is leading. President Mnangagwa sees no future in unison with MDC and allies. Infect, intelligence has decayed opposition structures. No- wonder why some of the big wigs like Douglas Mwonzora, Thokhozani Khupe, and Sekai Holland formed their own parties suspected to be working in cahoots with ZANU-PF to destroy MDC- led by Chamisa.

MDC Hates and mistrust ZANU-PF. why? President Mnangagwa was expected to unite MDC and allies because its opposition that is said to have helped President Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF reach where there are today. MDC was used by military in an insurgency strategy vitiated by President Mnangagwa to get to power. Military swam in opposition to climb and reach President Mnangagwa to presidential post. The rally to remove Robert Mugabe was obviously a mass gang of MDC supporters at Robert Mugabe Square, who gathered in a bunch of bees ready to sting. There is no-where ZANU supporters would ouster help remove Mugabe. The mass protested in support of removing President Mugabe. Expelled ZANU-PF Douglas Matemadanda in 2016 was seen featuring to run against Mugabe.

The other wing of the same bird, Sibusiso Moyo, the deceased former Foreign Affairs Minister helped military to call people protest Mugabe’s ouster.  Robert Mugabe was then handed papers to force him resign of which he refused. This ignited issue of impeachment which was already in process already pushed by parliament, MDC and some opposition parties. Military and opposition coerced ZANU-PF to impeach Mugabe. A motion in parliament moved lastly, in a day it was convened at Rainbow Hotel. Mugabe in a few days had lost power. Mnangagwa who was in the hiding raised himself to come to power after the November 2017 coup incident.  SUCH IS THE LONG, CURTAILED STORY THAT WILL NOT SEE A UNITED ZIMBABWE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN UNISON

*Nevson Mpofu is a Political Researcher and Writer, A PUBLISHED Writer, Poet Development Studies Lecturer , multi-awarded winning Journalist