It is no secret that the country’s opposition movement has become so obsessed with the removal of President Robert Mugabe from power such that it is not clear what strategy they have for Zimbabweans after the President is gone.
Source: Remove Mugabe-ism root and branch – NewsDay Zimbabwe September 27, 2016
Comment: NewsDay Editor
There has also been increasing agitation over Mugabe’s failed economic policies, which have worsened the plight of the majority. Indeed the justification to remove Mugabe from power is there, but it is how this whole operation before — during and after should be executed for the benefit of the country.
Without that plan, the effort by the coalition of opposition political parties and civic society groups could be all foam and no substance; this could be all sizzle and no steak to say the least.
It is important, therefore, to heed the recent calls made by Zapu leader and former Zanu PF politburo member, Dumiso Dabengwa that removing Mugabe alone from power might come short of the real change Zimbabwe is crying out for. Much attention should also be paid to the “evil system” that has sustained Mugabe and his party since 1980.
Notably, Zanu PF is apparently no longer a political party, but a perverted system and even if Mugabe were to leave today, the system will remain to the detriment of the future of the country. The opposition should understand that a nation is primarily run by systems, not individuals, and once a system takes root, it becomes a stronghold that may not be so easy to uproot.
This is the tragedy of our great nation — Zimbabwe. So before the opposition forces think of wrestling for the control of the country and start planning to win the 2018 elections, they need to begin preparing how they will deal with Mugabe-ism, because it is bound to outlive the man himself — from the government structures through the civil service.
There is no doubt that the civil service has largely been built on patronage and thousands of civil servants would continue to pay homage to Mugabe by probably trying to throw spanners into the work of the new government.
When First Lady Grace Mugabe alluded to it, the opposition dismissed her utterances that Mugabe would continue to rule from the grave as mere gibberish or hubris, but she meant exactly that. No doubt the system will obviously become a stumbling block to whoever is going to take over. Hence, it is wise to start preparing for this kind of eventuality and the problems we face may be perpetuated by the said system. So what is critically needed now is a post-Mugabe blueprint that would guide Zimbabwe out of its current crisis.
Either way, Mugabe merely personifies this system, but it is much bigger and stronger than him in all its dictatorial tendencies. This is the system against that all opposition forces must coalesce to dismantle this water-tight institution built over decades.
Hopefully, the opposition will also not inherit and build a similar system once it is in power. Whenever change comes to Zimbabwe, the majority would require a complete overhaul of the system, and not just political change. Zimbabweans can only hope that there would be no divisions in the opposition camp over positions.
The only way out is to ensure that these extensive, deep-seated changes would be made at the earliest possible opportunity.
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