By Patrick Guramatunhu- “Time and again many have inked articles articulating how the MDC-Alliance is wired in violence, with the streak running so deep that removing it simply means an end to the political outfit that was formed to push the whiteman’s agenda,” wrote Fungi Kwaramba, in The Herald.

“That of course cannot stop us today to pause and reflect on the damage these pseudo democrats have brought to the country’s body politic.

“Just last week the MDC-A yobs were on each other throats, in a self-disembowelling exercise that simply demonstrates to the world and yonder that this political outfit, with no clear policy definition, direction and gravitas is now gravitating towards the end.”

Kwaramba is a known Zanu PF apologist, and this article was but a prologue to the coming wanton Zanu PF violence.

There is no deny that there are violent thugs in the MDC family and the party’s democratic credentials leave a lot to be desired. Still the violence in MDC is nothing compared to that in Zanu PF. Worst of all, Zanu PF has captured and corrupted state institutions like the judiciary, Police, Army and CIO making them a Zanu PF department in all but name. And so the Zanu PF inspired lawlessness and violence often involve state institutions, they have been institutionalised, and therefore near impossible to stamp out.

Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies made it crystal clear that the bush war would continue if the party lost the 1980 elections. The party kept a large contingent of its freedom fighters out of the Assembly Points, contrary to the Lancaster House Agreement, to spread the stern warning.

The people voted to end the war but in doing so allowed Zanu PF to not only get into power but go on and impose a de facto one-party dictatorship and absolute power. The threat of Zanu PF instigated lawlessness and violence has hung over our head like the Sword of Damocles.

Mnangagwa’s 2017 “Zimbabwe is open for business!” mantra has failed to revive the country’s economy. The flood of investors has never materialised because investors are a savvy and shrewd lot; they saw the lie behind the claim the November 2017 coup as a transformative event. Zimbabwe remained a pariah state after the coup or be it under new dictator. Investors do not do business in a pariah state.

So, the economic meltdown before the coup has only got worse. The corona virus pandemic has dragged the economic situation even deeper into the abyss. The economy has all but collapsed, unemployment has soared to 90%, basic services such as education and health care have collapsed and 49% of our people now live in abject poverty. It is not surprising the nation is on edge, the people are desperate for meaningful political change and an end to 41 years and counting of corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF misrule.

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies’ response to demands for democratic reform and meaningful change is to scale-up the violence. And so the party is blaming MDC A violence to justify its own use of violence!

“In the MDC-A, we have an organisation that is a constant threat to the prevailing peace, when youths in the MDC-A, obviously at the behest of their godless leaders, are in a disconcerting habit of championing acts of terror that threaten the people, there is need to put a stop to this, once and for all,” argued Fungi Kwaramba.

How sickening is that! The Devil quoting the Bible for his devilish purpose.

Then the devil *took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and he *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written:

‘He will give His angels orders concerning You’;

and

‘On their hands they will lift You up,

So that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Matthew 4: 5 to 7.

There is a mountain of evidence that Zanu PF’s 40 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule has been a complete disaster for the nation and the people’s desperation for change is completely justified. However, after 40 years of enjoying absolute power Zanu PF thugs have become addicted to it, they have captured all the state institutions and will use them to resist the people’s demands for change.

Zimbabwe had the golden opportunity to implement the democratic reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends failed to get even one reform implemented and the nation has paid dearly for it ever since.

Ending the Zanu PF dictatorship is not mission impossible. It will require radical thinking, focus and vision so the next chance to end the dictatorship is not wasted. By continuing to follow blindly the corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders, we are shows that we have learnt nothing from the past and are therefore not yet ready for democratic change.