Robert Mugabe complains about Corruption in Zanu-PF

[Chirios]

It's leading to violence against people he doesn't want to be violent to one another.

FACTIONALISM, which threatens to wreck ZANU-PF with an implosion, will take centre stage at today's politburo meeting where President Robert Mugabe could be forced to read the riot act to some of his close associates accused across provinces of imposing candidates in the on-going restructuring exercise, which has shaken the party's foundation ahead of fresh elections.

So sharp are the differences among ZANU-PF's Soviet-style politburo members that today's meeting would be highly charged if not explosive.

What has complicated matters is that those commanding senior positions in the party, with the exception of the party's first secretary, are either directly or indirectly involved in the fissures that have something to do with President Mugabe's succession, an erstwhile hot potato in ZANU-PF.

ZANU-PF insiders said the indaba would largely be dedicated to trying to find a lasting solution to the discord caused by disputed District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections, some of which turned violent in some volatile provinces such as Masvingo.

The issue of factionalism would most likely overshadow discussions over the draft constitution, which was finalised early this week by the Parliamentary Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) and the decision to grant national hero status to the late politburo member, Edison Ncube who succumbed to anaemia at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo on Tuesday.

In fact, the COPAC process has also been turned into a battlefield of agendas by competing ZANU-PF factions.

The COPAC debacle, which had become a permanent agenda item for the ZANU-PF supreme decision-making body, might be parked to allow the warring factions to put their house in order first before speeding up processes leading to make-or-break elections.

While ZANU-PF strongly feels it has been tricked by the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), accused of smuggling some unsavoury clauses into the draft which still has four contentious issues, among them devolution of power, there are some within the party's rank and file who believe focus for now should be on re-uniting the party as opposed to pushing for a new constitution at a time the party is in sixes and sevens.

As a result, a decision to grant Ncube national hero status is expected to be hurried to allow President Mugabe to devote the large part of the politburo session to the fall-out in the provinces emerging from the DCC polls.

Although factional fighting has been a running issue over the years in ZANU-PF, it emerged yesterday that this time around, the so-called bigwigs are tussling in an all out war to gain a firm grip of the party's power mug with expectations that the looming elections are President Muga-be's last.

Succeeding the long serving President Mugabe is what appears to be causing the frenzied power manoeuvring.

Over the years, several party chefs have tacitly admitted their ambitions of ascending to the country's Presidency. Didymus Mutasa, the party's secretary for administration; Emmerson Mnangagwa, the party's secretary for legal affairs; Simon Khaya-Moyo, the national chairperson; John Nkomo and Joice Mujuru (the two Vice Presidents) are all eyeing the country's top job should the incumbent so decide to leave the political stage.

But it is the fight between those loyal to Mujuru and Mnangagwa that has captured the country's attention.

Current DCC elections have heralded the Mnangagwa faction into powerful positions that would enable the members to take control of the primary elections in the run-up to a general plebiscite.

Members of the Mujuru faction have become alarmed.

Elections in more than five provinces have caused an uproar most importantly because the party's December annual congress resolved that there shall be no imposition of candidates yet this has been the case as alleged by party supporters. Demonstrations have rocked Masvingo and Manicaland.

ZANU-PF political commissar, Webster Shamu, has been crisscrossing the country in efforts to bring normalcy to the party after being tasked by the President during last month's central committee meeting where Muta-sa was accused of causing rifts in Manicaland.

Police fired gun shots this week in Masvingo as the demonstration turned violent.

That police had to use firearms to disperse ZANU-PF supporters is unheard of. Shamu, who has all but failed to bring harmony among feuding parties in the provinces, is expected to table a report to the President and politburo today.

In a way, the ball is now essentially in President Mugabe's court. President Mugabe wants elections this year, with or without a new constitution. The chaos playing out in the provinces is therefore causing him sleepless nights, according to those close to him.

Factionalism and the imposition of candidates are a bone in the throat for ZANU-PF as they derailed the party in the 2008 elections. Party supporters angry with primary election outcomes adopted a bhora musango attitude at the gain of the MDCs by displaying their anger through voting for candidates from the opposition.

Rugare Gumbo, the party's inform-ation and publicity chief yesterday confirmed that all was not well in the party and factionalism would take centre stage at today's me-eting.

"I cannot tell you what is coming out from the provinces but yes, we are going to be discussing comrade Shamu's findings. We will be discussing the issues you are raising," said Gumbo referring to the factional fights and imposition of candidates.

The Financial Gazette revealed last month that Mutasa got a dressing down from a central committee colleague, Mandi Chimene - a former Manica-land senator - who felt that her colleague was going against party positions agreed upon at last year's annual conference in Bula-wayo.

Chimene spilled the beans on Mutasa during the central committee me-eting, accusing him of destroying the party through his dictatorial tendencies. She also accused Mutasa of attempting to impose candidates in Manicaland, in violation of one of the resolutions passed at the Bulawayo conference.

Mutasa has accused the central committee of imposing candidates on the electorate.

"It is not an individual who appoints candidates. They present themselves, but if there is any imposition at all, it is by the central committee," charged Mutasa in an earlier interview.

But Gumbo is on record lambasting his colleagues who "want to use their muscle to control the DCCs".

"They certainly run foul of the party principles when they do so," he said.

So after the central committee fracas, the politburo meeting is expected to be a tense affair.

Meanwhile, ZANU-PF members in Matabeleland this week temporarily shrugged off their sharp differences to demand national hero status for the late Ncube who passed away on Sunday at Mpilo Central Hospital.

Ncube, ZANU-PF's depu-ty secretary for administration, died of anaemia as the party battles factionalism, which is seriously threatening President Mugabe's re-election bid.

But since his demise, several senior ZANU-PF politicians from the Matabeleland threw in their weight in support of the push to have Ncube declared a national hero, with Khaya-Moyo saying Ncube was a "most pronounced" nationalist and deserved his place among other nationalists that have passed on.

"His vision and unassuming character contributed immensely to the liberation of our motherland. He detested corruption and selfishness, believing very strongly that it was better to die a free man than to live an unprincipled life", said Moyo.

Richard Ndlovu, a politburo member from Matabe-leland South who was a close friend of the late Ncube said the liberation story would never be complete without mention of Ncube's name.

Jonathan Mathuthu, the ZANU-PF secretary for information and publicity said, "He was a significant figure in the country and took part in all activities during the liberation struggle."

Ncube's death seems to have momentarily quelled down the splits and factionalism that has rocked ZANU-PF in the region, particularly Bulawayo and Matabeleland North provinces in the past few months.

In Bulawayo, the divisions were sparked by the suspension of Isaac Dakamela, the ZANU-PF provincial chairperson. The suspension was engineered in a bloodless coup de tat by ZANU-PF youths and nearly 100 DCC, while in Matabeleland North it was also ignited by the suspension of acting provincial chairperson, Zwelitsha Masu-ku.

The push for national hero status for Ncube comes after several ZANU-PF members, original members of old ZAPU, with sterling liberation credentials, were denied national hero status. Among them was Thenjiwe Lesabe and Welshman Mabhena.

This led to a damning charge from civic society organisations and the two formations of the MDC that ZANU-PF was monopolising the National Heroes' Acre -- as the ZANU-PF politburo alone has the sole discretion of either conferring or denying the hero status on individuals. -- Additional Reporting by Ray Ndlovu.

I always said the old man's impending death was going to lead to this crap but I was kind of hoping I was wrong.

[Sephirius]

I think the ~360 views and no comments on this story more or less says it all, I think everyone here is done being surprised by this hellhole.

[MKSheppard]

I think it's because a lot of people gave up on Zimbawawe a long time ago, and are just running down the clock to Mugabe's death and the return of Rhodesia.

[Bakustra]

Yes, I'm sure that the white population of Zimbabwe will stage a coup and disenfranchise the black population, this is totally a thing which will happen. Even if we pretend that the name alone will change, I seriously doubt any potentially democratic government in Zimbabwe would rename the country after a British colonialist.

[Gandalf]

I think it's because a lot of people gave up on Zimbawawe a long time ago, and are just running down the clock to Mugabe's death and the return of Rhodesia.

Which people?

[Chirios]

Yes, I'm sure that the white population of Zimbabwe will stage a coup and disenfranchise the black population, this is totally a thing which will happen. Even if we pretend that the name alone will change, I seriously doubt any potentially democratic government in Zimbabwe would rename the country after a British colonialist.

+1.

It's much more likely that this will lead to some civil unrest, before the army commanders pick a candidate (read: get bribed by a candidate) and put him/her in power.

[MKSheppard]

Yes, I'm sure that the white population of Zimbabwe will stage a coup and disenfranchise the black population, this is totally a thing which will happen.

Way to put words into my mouth, Buck-Ustra.

Even if we pretend that the name alone will change, I seriously doubt any potentially democratic government in Zimbabwe would rename the country after a British colonialist.

I don't know. Mugabe's mismanagement of the place in the last dozen or so years has pretty much run down the brand of Zimbabwe -- a name change is not a remote possibility, if nothing else to try to erase the stigma of the Mugabe years when THE GREAT LEADER dies.

[Bakustra]

Rhodesia refers solely to the white minority government of Ian Smith, dumbfuck. The only people that are going to spring for Rhodesia as a name are racist old white colonialists and idiots like you. In real life, only sad nerds love Cecil Rhodes. Sorry.

PS: Please don't mimic Carlos Mencia, it turns my stomach.

[MKSheppard]

Rhodesia refers solely to the white minority government of Ian Smith, dumbfuck.

Was there a point to stating the obvious?

The only people that are going to spring for Rhodesia as a name are racist old white colonialists and idiots like you. In real life, only sad nerds love Cecil Rhodes. Sorry.

"People used to go to Rhodesia to see the great ruins of Zimbabwe...Now they go to Zimbabwe to see the ruins of Rhodesia"

[Bakustra]

Don't complain about the connotations of Rhodesia if you're aware of them, fucko. If you want to endorse Rhodesia as a positive thing, that means endorsing Ian Smith's racist government, which you actually are doing now in your ha-ha-aren't-I-funny way. You're not funny, in the same way that a train wreck isn't funny; people might laugh, but only as an expression of nervous relief. But yes, people do go to Zimbabwe to celebrate the downfall of colonialism, which is still a good thing and will remain so. Sorry.

[MKSheppard]

If you want to endorse Rhodesia as a positive thing, that means endorsing Ian Smith's racist government

...

But yes, people do go to Zimbabwe to celebrate the downfall of colonialism, which is still a good thing and will remain so. Sorry.

You know, some people think the collapse of the Soviet Union was a great thing, while others think it was a great national catastrophe nearly unprecedented in modern history.

One Vladimir Vladimirovich is amongst the latter, along with Comrade STAS BUSH (I think).

I do think that Comrades Bush and Putin have a genuine point there; judging from the sheer economic collapse and freefall of life expectancy in the Former Soviet Union following the Fall.

Elsewhere, there's an argument that Saddam Hussein was the lesser evil in that he killed less people per year than the chaos that's prevailed since the 2003 invasion; and I can also see a point there.

The history of Zimbabawe after the mid 1990s onwards is pretty grim reading; hyperinflation, agricultural production declining by 40-50% percent after land reform, mass destruction of housing of political opponents (Operation Murambatsvina), etc etc.

[Bakustra]

You do know that the collapse of the Soviet Union was catastrophic because of the First World and IMF imposing Chicago economics on the USSR? Because they were absolutely opposed to any sort of democracy in Russia, since they supported Yeltsin's illegal assumption of power over the legitimate Duma?

The failures of Zimbabwe have been exacerbated by a Western world that suddenly finds itself opposing dictatorial regimes when they advocate popular ideas like land reform, but is A-OK with dictators that are purely tyrants, and which is unwilling to provide any economic aid to Zimbabwe that isn't actually worse than the current problems it has.

[K. A. Pital]

Colonialism sucked donkey balls, but that should not mean post-colonial governments like Mugabe's one are actually improving things (economically), Bakustra. On the other hand, I'm really surprised with Shep bringing out "Rhodesia". Wake up. Nobody's going to use that name. It's sort of like people in Russia or Portugal may vote for Stalin or Salazar as being the greatest historical figures, but none of them (except a tiny minority) really wants a full-blown re-run of their government. People may say that Rhodesian life standards were higher, but they aren't going to rename Zimbabwe Rhodesia and start another round of apartheid. Except for Rhodies. Who mostly emigrated, so why would they do anything?

[Bakustra]

What are Zimbabwe's problems right now? Immense poverty, hyperinflation, a repressive government etc.... well, the Western approach to Zimbabwe would literally make every single one of these problems worse. Everywhere the Chicago monetarism has been put into place, the rich have become richer and the poor poorer. Their solution to hyperinflation would be to peg Zimbabwean dollars to other currencies, which would render Zimbabwe vulnerable to currency speculation and damage its ability to maintain domestic production. But Chicago monetarism's love of "comparative advantage" would probably lead it to recommend that Zimbabwe abandon manufacturing entirely and become a resource-extraction economy, ensuring that Zimbabwe will always remain an impoverished country while their ideas hold sway. Chicagoan monetarism cannot be put into place democratically, so it wouldn't even fix Zimbabwe's problem of tyrannic rule.

Meanwhile, land reform, the most successful program of the Mugabe government, would of course be reversed as a consequence of monetarist rule, and all the arable land essentially handed to the white minority and a handful of rich blacks. So while postcolonial governments may not be perfect, the alternatives to self-rule are, apart from the evil of reviving colonialism, actually worse for the people of those countries. There is also the problem that most postcolonial governments that have tried to encourage economic development have been sabotaged by the richer nations of the world, from the IMF to the CIA attempting to murder Patrice Lumumba.

[K. A. Pital]

I am not talking about "the Western approach" - if you noticed, I said nobody is going to even try to revive a colonialist policy (except for Rhodies who aren't even inside the damn nation). The question is merely that of allowing sensible opposition inside the nation, instead of Mugabe being Zimbabwe's Putin and playing forever on the feelings people may have towards his achievements as a ZANU leader.