#2018Resistance welcomes New Patriotic Front
by Hon. Patrick Zhuwao on 3rd February 2018

The #2018Resistance welcomes the new political kid on the block, the New Patriotic Front
(NPF). As the NPF becomes the newest member of the ranks of pro-democracy formations in Zimbabwe, a number of questions are being raised.

Is it necessary to have another new political party? Is the NPF not an avenue to bring back President Robert Mugabe? Is the NPF not a surrogate of ZANU PF created to split the opposition votes? The traditional opposition is worried about NPF.

To answer the first question, the NPF’s Consultation Points Document provides a window
into the reasons for the creation of the NPF as it states, in the first sentence on page two, that:
“For Zimbabwe’s sake, it is a patriotic duty and generational responsibility to lawfully and
democratically reverse the bloody military coup of 15th November 2017, as soon as possible
and in the context of the elections that are constitutionally due between July and August this
year”. This seminal founding sentence encapsulates the beneficiary, obligations, objective,
means, timescale and rationale for establishing the NPF.

The beneficiary of the establishment of NPF is stated as being “for the sake of Zimbabwe”.
NPF is imposing upon itself the obligation of “patriotic duty and generational responsibility”
in order to achieve the objective of “reversing the bloody coup of 15th November 2017”. The
means for the reversal must be “lawful and democratic”. The timescale and rationale are that
this must be done “as soon as possible and in the context of the elections that are
constitutionally due between July and August this year”; the elections must be held between
23rd July and 22nd August 2018 in terms of Section 158, as read with Section 143 of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe.

The second question that is on the opposition’s minds is whether the NPF is not an avenue to
bring back President Robert Mugabe? It is important to acknowledge that the NPF’s objective
of reversing the bloody coup of 15 November 2017 is being feared and misinterpreted to
suggest the return of President Mugabe as Head of State and Government. It would definitely
be grossly unfair to President Mugabe to seek to burden and encumber him again with
responsibilities for the state given his contribution to Zimbabwe thus far. His family deserve
to also enjoy his company and presence. Apart from which, the return of President Mugabe is
definitely not the intent of the NPF as stated in key action point III of Section 3 of the
Consultation Points Document, on page seven, which calls for the “need for a civilian
transitional authority to prepare for free, fair and credible elections”.

Lastly, is the NPF not a surrogate of ZANU PF created to split the opposition votes? ZANU
PF is dead. It is now an immutable fact that ZANU PF was murdered during the bloody coup
of 15th November 2017. The stockholder mentality of the coup plotters and terrorist junta is
to take ZANU PF as “chinhu chedu” (our thing) at the exclusion of the people. This
exclusionary conceptualisation of being the stockholders of ZANU PF whilst and every other
member is regarded as being a mere stakeholder was articulated by Chiwenga in an interview
during the 2017 Independence celebrations.

Former ZANU PF members have to come to terms with being dumped; takarambwa (we
were ditched). There are those of us who were told in no uncertain terms that we are not
wanted in ZANU PF and divorce papers were served on us. Some of us received the divorce
token of violence, torture and a rain of bullets. Gupuro ranga riri bara (the divorce token was
a bullet). Others are still hopefully hanging in there in the manner that a battered and abused
spouse suffers continued abuse for the sake of the children. Bvumai kuti zvapera atenzi.
Recognize that ZANU PF is dead. What is left now is the ghost of a former liberation
movement.

Furthermore, it is important to note that liberation movements such as UNIP of Zambia, MCP
of Malawi and KANU of Kenya have not been able to survive the departure of their founding
fathers. In the case of ZANU PF, the violent and humiliating ouster of President Mugabe
makes it even worse as explained to one Vera, whose job description at ZANU PF
Headquarters includes consulting spirit mediums and the occult. The poor lady is currently
grappling with how she can inform Mnangagwa that, on her latest visit to the spirit medium,
he was given only five months to go.

Opposition political formations, including thought processes, paradigms and inclinations
opposed to ZANU PF, must come to terms with the fact that NPF is not an enemy but an
extremely useful ally. An ally that knows how to exorcise the troublesome ghost of the dead
ZANU PF. Pro-democracy formations therefore have an obligation to work with the NPF to
ensure that the coup conspirators and terrorist junta are stopped from the further militarisation
of constitutional governance.

The NPF is committed to the reversal of the bloody coup of 15th November 2017 and
subscribes to the demilitarisation of civilian processes in Zimbabwe. NPF has a definite and
credible plan on how this can be achieved. Although NPF views President Mugabe as the
Mentor par excellence, it acknowledges that he has been retired, albeit forcefully, and should
not be burdened and encumbered again. The NPF knows fully well that ZANU PF is dead.
Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are holding onto the decaying corpse of a deceased liberation
movement. NPF has the knowledge and capacity to deliver the final nail in the coffin for
ZANU PF.
Iwe neni tine basa. Mkhulu loMsebenzi
Asante Sana.