By Patrick Guramatunhu| “Mugabe hollowed out Zanu PF leaving punkah-wallahs” said Godwin – true, with idiots’ help they will rule for many more moons
“Mnangagwa’s rule may not last very long,” wrote Peter Godwin in two different publications.l Well if it was left to you, my brother, and me, I would agree with you 100%. Sadly, there many others out there who are, wittingly or otherwise, helping to keep Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in power.
“During his years in power, Mugabe had hollowed out Zanu-PF, reducing it to a personality cult by getting rid of anyone who challenged his authority, until he was attended only by fawning party punkah-wallahs, fanning his ego, prancing around in ludicrous regalia bearing his image, as though he were a religion,” Peter argued.
Again, I agree with you 100%. After 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule by Zanu PF with the disastrous consequences there for all to see; national economy in total ruins, all basic service such as supply of clean water and health care all but collapsed, 3/4 of the population living on US$1.00 or less a day, etc., etc. One would think there will not be even one Zimbabwean out there who would want any Zanu PF thug in power for even one more day.
Zimbabweans would be extra vigilant to ensure the July 2018 elections were free, fair and credible and Zanu PF was booted out of office. So when Mnangagwa and his junta rigged the elections, one had expected the people to go up in arms. Nothing happened!
Whilst the American election observers, the EU, the Commonwealth and all the other observers with enough democratic credential to fill a postage stamp had condemned the July 2018 Zimbabwe elections as “unfair, no level playing field and not to international standards”. Most Zimbabweans have bend over backwards describing the results as “disputed” at worst, just to avoid acknowledging the elections were rigged and the tough decision of demanding that Zanu PF step down.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last July’s elections just as the regime has done in the past. And as expected the nation’s economy has got progressively worse. The much needed foreign investment has not materialised because no one likes to invest in a pariah state ruled by corrupt and lawless thugs.
But once again, instead of demanding that the vote rigging and therefore illegitimate Zanu PF “punkah-wallahs”, as you call them, must resign many Zimbabweans led by church and civic organisation leaders and even some regional leaders are tripping over each other in calling for the formation of a Zanu PF/ MDC GNU.
“One was tried, with modest success, in Zimbabwe after the blood-doused elections of 2008,” Peter pointed out.
“The opposition partner in that GNU, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was ditched after one term and it may not fall for that trick again. In the meantime, Zimbabwe’s economy will spiral downwards, fuelled by gathering hyperinflation. But don’t waste your time waiting for Zanu-PF to be booted out at the ballot box. As Stalin was wont to say, it’s not who votes that counts, it’s who counts the votes. And previous electoral rigging by Zanu-PF has shown just that.”
Actually Peter, MDC leaders are the ones fighting the hardest for the new GNU and a chance to get back on the gravy train.
The 2008 GNU was a total failure; not even one of the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset was implemented in five years hence the reason Zanu PF was able to blatant rig the 2013 and then last year’s elections.
It is a historic fact that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends including Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti sold-out during the last GNU. Mugabe bribed them with the trappings of high office; ministerial limos, generous salaries and allowances, a $4 million Highlands Mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc.; and they in returned kicked all reforms out of the window. They knew Mugabe did not want to lose his dictatorial powers and so they obliged.
It is naive to expect that a new GNU would do any better.
Indeed, all those calling for the GNU know Zanu PF thugs are corrupt, incompetent and illegitimate but will never dare even suggest it. They most daring act is to ask Zanu PF to take on Chamisa and company, as junior partners and on Zanu PF terms! After 38 years of appeasing Zanu PF with disastrous consequence that has left the nation in real and immediate danger of tumbling over into the abyss and yet there are some fools still pursuing the policy of appeasement!
Whilst Mnangagwa’s, the individual like Mugabe, days in power may be numbered the same cannot be said of rest of the Zanu “punkah-wallahs”. If these idiotic MDC and church leaders are allowed to have the final say the punkah-wallahs will be ruling Zimbabwe for many, many more moons to come. It is the idiots’ death wish!