Mahumbwe everywhere you look

via Mahumbwe everywhere you look – Nehanda Radio Feb 16, 2014 By Chenai Chipikiri

It is now 200 days since the landmark election of 31 July 2013. Nothing material has happened to strengthen the economy and the only two upcoming economic events of note are the President’s birthday next week and his daughter’s wedding next month.

Thereafter the next event will be the People’s Congress in December. As you can see, all the 2014 events in this beloved country are mahumbwe, (child’s play).

Such is the state of the Nation called Zimbabwe. It is mahumbwe to expect anything from a 90 year old. A 90 year old is a child who needs to be cared for, not to lead a nation. The Constitution needs to provide, not only for term limits but, age limits for those who aspire to the highest office.

The Constitution also needs to insist that only those individuals who have demonstrated a democratic disposition, should be allowed to assume the office of president. It is hard to imagine that someone who has been the leader of a party for 40 years is democratic.

Come on, who are you fooling? It is harder still, to believe that those who have lived under the same dictatorship will do any better. On this basis anyone who dreams that Zimbabwe will be any better when either of the factional leaders in the ruling party takes over, is naïve and involved in mahumbwe politics.

Now turning to the opposition, it is evident that plenty of mahumbwe is going on too. I will restrict my analysis to the main opposition party, as all the other ones are patently, projects and extensions of the ruling party. Zimbabweans are not daft, and have rejected the projects represented by MDC-N, Mavambo, MDC-99 and lately ZAPU.

The democratic credentials of the opposition will be evaluated in the form of five observations regarding current hot button issues.

My first observation about the MDC is that the violence that has erupted is undemocratic. It is the hallmark of ZANUPF. So why should the Zimbabwean voter reject one violent party only to replace it with another? This issue has been left unchecked for far too long and we have not heard anything substantive on the subject from the party leadership. Can the leaders in the MDC please stand.

By all means somebody should have asked Tsvangirai those tough questions, but I am just wondering if this shouldn’t have been procedurally brought up at a properly constituted meeting.

Could this be a sign that there is no democratic space in the party to discuss this heavy subject? You know where I am going with this, right? If succession cannot be discussed openly in the MDC so how are you different from ZANU(PF)?

My third observation is about Elton Mangoma and Tendai Biti, the two men who represented the opposition party at the negotiating table. My question is, are you sure this was the best product you could come up with? I am of course talking about the New Constitution. I can’t see the checks and balances in that document.

If you guys, the experts on Constitutional Law could let that happen, why should we exonerate you from culpability regarding the July 31 defeat? The 31 July defeat was authored on 16 March 2013 when the Referendum results were accepted by all. You two gentlemen sealed the fate of the MDC. Mahumbwe!

My fourth observation is about Tendai Biti and the Gono side show. Tendai owes an explanation to many stakeholders. What Kereke has revealed is just but the tip of the iceberg. Gono is just going to argue that everything he did was above board and was authorized by his principals.

Gono is a hero to the establishment because he showed them how to loot without leaving audit trail. He made them survive. It was never about Zimbabwe’s survival. When these guys talk about Zimbabwe and sovereignty, they are only talking about their divine right to rule.

Gono is now a fabulously rich guy and I am sure Tendai will be or has already been richly rewarded. My question Tendai, is where is your judgment? You are the guy who is going to argue the above arguments, the very arguments that undermine what the MDC supposedly stands for.

So, you are defending the man who, single handedly, destroyed the livelihoods of millions of Zimbabweans, most of them, the very voters whom you are courting. This man makes Cuthbert Dube’s scandal mahumbwe. And there you are, the Secretary General of the MDC! You want us to take you seriously? Just who are you kidding?

Somebody needs to answer some tough questions here. Look in the mirror Tendai and tell us when the conversion happened. You know what I mean don’t you? I am talking about the conversion from “Gono is a terrorist” to “Gono is a patriot”. Something happened there! We know Gono’s games Tendai and we suspect, we conjecture, we guess, we guesstimate, we assume and unless you convince us to the contrary, that you are terribly compromised.

Word on the street is it is you who is pushing for Tsvangirai to step down. If it is true, you are quite within your rights to do so, but bring it up in the open. But also clear the air about the Gono affair. And whilst at it also admit your strategic blunders in the Constitutional Reform process that landed us with this poor constitution.

My last observation for today goes to the opposition in general. Where the heck are you? You guys are sleeping on the job and deserve to be fired even before being hired! The Salary-Gate scandal should have been fodder for you to decimate the ruling party, but you guys are busy appealing to join the gravy train via GNU 2!

Would you guys have known what to do had you been given the keys to Statehouse and Munhumutapa Buildings on 31 July 2013? I doubt.  Whilst ZANU(PF) dubbed the last election “Bhora Mugedhi”, you guys have just been handed a penalty kick with no goalkeeper between the posts and what do you do…… It’s Mahumbwe after Mahumbwe.

Chenai Chipikiri is an independent voter and analyst and can be contacted on wmudhara@yahoo.com