via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Why Zanu-PF will rule for the next 50 years by Bernard Bwoni 02 February 2014
A SOLIDLY empowered and economically liberated majority has been emerging at the same time as opposition politics in Zimbabwe has been relegated to bedroom buffoonery and Diasporan duplicity. The regrettable reality is that Zimbabwe lacks real opposition and a credible alternative to the ruling Zanu-PF. The country is endowed with oppositional mediocrity with absent ideological foundations, a vacant vision and values and mere gimmicks of substance-free empty proclamations of democracy, rule of law and civil liberties.
Some opportunistic opposition options have sprouted internally and externally in the Diaspora on the frail foundations of the “Mugabe-must-go” money-spinning “ideology” with very little in terms of substance and structures. As the actuality of ownership and economic empowerment becomes concrete and absolute and as the opposition continue to descend into cosmic and comic concussion, the reality of Zanu-PF dominating Zimbabwean politics for the next fifty years becomes less and less abstract.
The country deserves a genuine opposition built on real values, deep-rooted, home-grown and home-focused cornerstones. Any citizen would want a solid opposition to Zanu-PF, that option available to switch when the ruling party fails to deliver but still remain assured that the country’s vision and direction remains home-orientated and not paraded on the neo-colonial commercial hub to the highest bidder. An opposition that can define and direct the country’s vision forwards as opposed to unworldly and oblivious preoccupations with aiding and abetting the reinstatement of a neo-colonial structure which seeks to erode the authentic African vision and replace it with exploitation-engineered craftiness camouflaged as counterfeit claims to African development.
A “Mugabe-must-go-obsessed” opposition is structurally and strategically flawed and an authentic opposition must go beyond the ideologically-defunct money-focused schemes tendered as alternatives to the ruling party. Surely, if a mere substance-devoid outcry for the removal of President Robert Mugabe is all it takes to tread the corridors of Zimbabwean power, then State House would be heaving with Presidents of all colours and creeds right now. The fact of the matter is that Zimbabwe is not going to have that sort of opposition for the next half a century. It takes time and commitment to crotchet the principles, the vision and values that Zanu-PF has and is still patching and I am afraid the opposition in Zimbabwe is still fifty years away from the ruling party’s position.
Zanu-PF has roots and we are talking about tap-root foundations entangled in and around the walls of the Great Zimbabwe and beyond. Zanu-PF breathes the same sacred air as the ancestors who laid the original underpinning substructures and values that define this country. The party embodies and defines the inception of Zimbabwe and its vision is enshrined in its ideology; the country-defining vision which anchors, binds and shapes the nation as a whole. There is a bona fide wholesomeness, a profound and tangible trajectory to pass on for present and future national augmentation. Now that is the Zanu-PF picture and reality merged into one.
That being said, the party is not entirely without flaws, some have snoozed on the job as evidenced by the recent revelations and emerging sleaze and salary scandals. Yes action is being taken but this is where my point about real opposition comes in. If Zanu-PF fails to deliver there should be available that option of switching, temporarily or permanently but still remain assured that national direction remains unaltered, the defining foundations of this country remain entrenched and the nucleus of this country’s vision is shielded and secured with fortified fidelity.
If you look around for that sort of opposition what you are confronted with is a party with a man with more bedroom options than IKEA, and on the other side is a Diaspora outfit with dollar-bill-inscribed pupils dilated with overzealous obviousness. Zimbabwean opposition politics is in an epistemological and ideological penumbra, existing but non-existent, bottom line is wholly unconvincing; bend over backwards and forwards to the whims of the neo-colonial command and confines. Professor Welshman Ncube is intelligent at least and that we give him but again same fate. Madhuku is yet another fine grey matter disabled by the futile quest for the “Mugabe-must-go” easy-pick dollars. It takes more than a Stella Artois-inspired oppositional formation moment somewhere in the Scottish Highlands to define the course of a nation.
The model created, Y=β₀+β₁ᵡ₁+β₂ᵡ₂₊+β₃ᵡ₃+β₄ᵡ₄+β₅ᵡ₅+β₆ᵡ₆+β₇ᵡ₇+e where Y is the Zanu-PF invincibility (dependent variable), β₀ is the intercept and the independent variables are β₁ is economic empowerment entrenched, β₂ is resource endowment, β₃ is societal homogeneity, β₄ is projected development, β₅ is weak opposition politics, β₆ is the efforts of tackling corruption gathering pace and bearing fruition, β₇ indigenisation and foreign direct investment equally augmenting the economy and e is error term. The assumption is that, with time, people become fully empowered, the country takes positive developmental steps as it is silently doing, the Zanu-PF long-term vision and values for the country becomes homogenous and interlinked with societal and national values, the Zanu-PF vision is the national vision. The country is well-endowed with natural resources to sustain such developments and, as the Zanu-PF vision for Zimbabwe continues to ineradicably root itself, opposition politics will continue to be further weakened unless they reinvent themselves.
A simple model which can have even more explanatory variables but if you look at the past and repeated current and compelling bedroom and political malfunctions, opposition politics is going to require at least thirty years to harness all the discerning voices and start engraining collective national aspirations as Zanu-PF has done. Elton Mangoma was recently chastised and threatened for clamouring for that reinvention, and renewal and my point exactly. As the Zanu-PF political patchwork gathers pace, the oppositional structures are unravelling with cataclysmic inevitability. There is absolutely nothing to dislodge Zanu-PF from the helm for the next half century.
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Bernard Bwoni can be contacted on bernardbwn@aol.com/ bernardbwoni.blogspot.com
COMMENTS
What a load of old rubbish. ZANU roots are shallow. It rules by the barrel of a gun. It will be swept into the dustbin of history. The only question is when.
Agreed. The writer is an utter daydreamer and apologist. The opposition won in 2008 and were mandated by the people to rule the country. Without Nikuv they would have won in 2013. Have a free and fair election and see who wins. The ruling party will rule for 50 years only through lying, cheating and daylight robbery.
Nkomo tried but was arm twisted,what kind of homegrown part do you want
As long as zimbos are peace loving ruling party will rule for 700 years to come
Bwoni, you seen very good at analysing our situation, and weakness of the opposition, please form an ideal one and we will happily join you judging from your brilliant ideas
he is just showing you wat you opt to ignore.
He doesn’t have any real idea of an opposition and seeks to blind the ignorant with pseudo intellectual claptrap. He is a Zanu PF apologist, this apparent by his comments about an opposition not parading Zimbabwe on a “neo colonial commercial hub to the highest bidder”. At present this being done by Zanu PF and the bidder is China. And the following rubbish “aiding and abetting the reinstatement of a neo-colonial structure which seeks to erode the authentic African vision”. Pray tell us what an African vision is? Is it the Angolan kleptocracy fuelled by oil. Is the AAR vision of religious genocide, is it the Somalian vision of armed gangs patrolling the country stealing what they like, is it the Rwandan vision of periodic genocide, is it the DRC vision of an ungovernable underdeveloped war zone? Please elucidate. Please tell us what you mean by “the Zanu-PF vision for Zimbabwe continues to ineradicably root itself”, is this the Gukuruhandi genocide, is this the obscene salaries paid to useless incompetents in parastatals, is this the Willowgate scandal, is this the abrogation of the rule of law, is this Mugabe’s looting of the public purse, is this the collapse of the education system, is this the collapse of the public health sector, is this the printing of money by a stupid man masquerading as the Reserve Bank Governor? Please tell us with out using such meaningless phrases as “cosmic and comic concussion”. Your article shows you to be a fool masquerading as an idiot seeking to justify the existence of the thieves, thugs, criminals and incompetents making up Zanu PF.
the writer is somehow ignoring some truths about Zimbabwe elections. people are tortured and threatened so that they vote ZANU PF. without that ZANU PF could have lost elections long back.
violence yakasara kare haungataure that as a oint better unyarare everyone agreed elections were free and peaceful
That is simply not true. They actually declared them peaceful and violence free. You should try reading something written in a newspaper other than the Herald.
The sycophant believes that Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Mujuru, Mutasa, Chiwenga, Chihuri and others will still be around in 50 years’ time! What a daydreamer. ZANU PF is heading one way, which is oblivion. It is just a matter of time.
I did not understand a word of this – far too many long clever words that don’t actually mean anything. If the writer has something to say he should say it without trying to impress us with his command of the English language.
He uses words without meaning and out of context. He can only confuse or impress those whose English is poor. He is trying through his very obtuse poor and in some cases meaningless English to impress the ignorant.
They will be removed by the great people of Zimbabwe sooner than you think Mr article Writer!!!
True. An explict picture of what ZANU PF is and the dead wood of the money-spinning opposition. Well done brother.
The writer is day dreamer being a Monday he is forgiven maybe he took too much over the weekend, the writer is advised too keep short, simple and to the point. He command of english is empty
do you ever get away from your books and see what is happening on your doorstep? Dream on, that tipping point is not far off and we just hope leaders from all parties see the sense to prevent civil strife…without making any more short term sacrifices to the economy i might add…
A zanoid attempting mathematics? Wow.
Ok comrade – given your model [a simple multiple regression] – please provide the data.
So how do you quantify the predictor variables? Surely ‘resource endowment’ will decrease through time? How do you measure ‘societal homogeneity’ over time – which I assume excludes racial and sexual minorities? Surely ‘projected development’ is not a reliable parameter exactly because it is ‘projected’ – and this will be correlated with the response variable. And then ‘indigenisation and foreign direct investment’ are contradictory parameters.
If you want to play with the big boys comrade, then you need to grow up!
And one more thing – you say that ‘Zanu-PF has roots and we are talking about tap-root foundations entangled in and around the walls of the Great Zimbabwe.’
Perhaps I should remind you that the Zimbabwean civilisation collapsed, well before the British arrived. It was named the ‘Zimbabwe ruins’ for a reason comrade.
The writer is absolutely correct for as long as we r so peace loving zanu will rule forever..we mock south africans for being uneducated and violence loving but @least they wudnt have tolerated this bull for this long
Iri zita rekuti Bwoni nderekupi, from Israel, it sounds Nikuvish. Who do your want or expect to fight your own battles Bernard? What is your alternative to MDC? Zunde? Yakaita vanhu vangani pa bi-election yapfuura? 76!
Hard facts Bwoni, for now, MDC is the only alternative government, imagine after massive rigging, it still won 33% of the votes. Do you think we dont know that you are an off shot of Nathaniel Mauro? Manje wanyangira inoona muface. MDC ndizvo kana Jonathan Moyo anorohwa ngehana
I remember someone saying ‘…never in a thousand years’. look how long that lasted. ZPF should be aware that history repeats itself.
The actual comments were by Adolph Hitler who said that the Third Reich would last a 1000 years and years later one of Ian Smith’s very stupid cabinet Ministers, Mark Partridge announced to the Lords in the House of Lords in England that the Rhodesian Front government would last 1000 years. Needless to say the venerable gentlemen of the House of Lords fell about laughing much to the chagrin of Mark Partridge. The Third Reich lasted about 12 years and the RF government lasted about 18 years, and both were disastrous for their respective countries.
Hahaha! Forgive me for saying this. For I never say it unless I am first pushed to the wall.
“I do recognise nonsense when I see it.”
When he wrote this the man is having a psychotic episode.
Lets hear you prove this dude wrong. I do not see anyone dislodging ZANU anytime soon with the mediocre we call opposition in Zimbabwe
Sure zvako.We can buck as much as we can , but the fact is that there is a BIG gap to fill up for MDC as an opposition towards defeat to
ZANU PF.Better appreciate the author who is trying hint you with some ideas and angles to improve and move 2 steps up the lader and cut the 50 years to 40 maybe.Otherwise we need better opposition party in Zim,i guess.
When he wrote this the man was having a psychotic episode…
This article was written by someone who is intent on showing how well versed he is in Mathematics and far fetched English, probably learnt at the same high blown facility as our dear leader. The article is devoid of any substance and makes no suggestions. The writer who submits a weekly editorial to the “Daily News on Sunday” writing about Homopoliticus and Homosapiens is of a similar mind. I wonder of anyone from the Daily News has conducted a survey to see what percentage of readers are able to interpret the writing. I have a college diploma in English and have no idea what they are talking about. Silly show offs.
forget your dreams .
Most people are arguing for the sake arguing. I agree with the writer,all we need is opposition with people at heart. Yes Zanu Pf made their mistakes but to some extend they are correct for taking the land. Its true they never rule forever, but our grandchildren have something to hold on. Just like every journey one needs a step to reach one’s destination. Those who won future election will correct the anomalies and built a new Zimbabwe, not MDC T, but one opposition home grown party with good ideologies
@ Mpeiwa
Land reform was required but it could have been done legally. Blaming white Zimbabweans today for what happened 120 years ago is the same as blaming modern Matabele for the killing of the Shonas that happened 150 years ago.
Its true William Doctor,we very well wanted Land reform,that’s why I said Zanu Pf cant rule forever.I guess u might have heard Reserves, in shona Kuruzevha, for your information it was reversed land for the Queen, that’s why the white man could remove us is they wish. Are u aware that some of those farms were given as pension for the British war veterans. Kuti wakaita basa wakarwa hondo ye second world war, tokupa farm kuRodesia. This land issue was a sensitive issue.
@ Mpeiwa
Yes – but it could have been handled legally. Now it’s a mess, and the fight for compensation will last another 100 years.
You’ve made very strong enemies now comrade – and a country with a GDP per capita of 500USD per annum is in no position to make strong enemies. And now white Zimbabweans have nothing to lose – but everything to gain by undermining ZanuPF. That’s why it should have been handled within a broad legal framework that was internationally supervised.
I agree with u, but my point is two wrongs wont make a right. Most people arguing in this column want changes before yesterday. This phase will pass, the good thing whoever is going to rule Zimbabwe knows where Zanu Pf made it wrong. With their mistakes, they will correct one or two mistakes, but its not certain that everything will be perfect. A good example is when MDC T tested power, a lot was said. Because its a revolution, we keep on taking good things till we reached there
Comrade Bwoni’s mathematical model adds up to the sum total of a boot-licking zero. A geometric proof will validate a clever moron. The mathematical formula for Zanu’s success is the same as every other communist backed, terrorist liberation government in sub Saharan Africa. It is as follows:
STEP 1. Isolate, dominate, humiliate
STEP 2. Erode value system, instill a sense of hopelessness
STEP 3. Instill new value system
STEP 4. Reinforce STEP 3
STEP 5. Repeat as necessary
SUM TOTAL = Black liberation hero, single party system
There is also another mathematical formula used. It is as follows:
“SECOND PLACE = BODY BAG”
You and your comrades have proofed these formulas in exponential fashion across the continent. If you don’t believe me ask Josiah Tongagara, Jonas Savimba, or Joshua Nkomo.
I am die groot wyt aap and I have spoken.
Slaap lekker comrades, slaap lekker
Zimbabweans will never be able to vote Zanupf out of Government as there has never been a free, fair and violence free election in Zimbabwe, even when Zanupf took power in 1980 it was through massive intimidation and this has been the norm in every election since. It is unfortunate that the MDC and other opposition parties agreed to partake in the last elections before all the reforms were in place. The sadc and AU should have ensured that there was a level playing field, but as most of us now know the sadc and AU are fully on Zanupf,s side. So what is the alternative? History has shown that when people get tired of talking, begging and pleading, they will eventually take the law into their own hands and only after some hundreds of people are killed blatantly in the streets will the sadc and AU be forced to take sides with the downtrodden people of Zimbabwe, so change will eventually come once the downtrodden man in the street has had enough, but how downtrodden does a person you have to get to face an armed and ruthless Mugabe security apparatus?
I am sorry Clive but Mugabe and ZANU pf were never voted into government. They lost the first election after independence.
Mugabe and ZANU pf have lost 3 elections in 30 years and yet still remain in office.
My View:
1. Good article: Some home truths given to those who have ‘ears’ or should I say ‘eyes’ to read and understand. Current opposition parties are hamstrung by their donors’ requirements and cannot support policies which are good for the people but bad for the donors.
2. Land Reform is Legal: This was carried out legally and correctly- there was a law passed in parliament, after fully observing the requirements of Lancaster House constitution. There is no need to compensate anyone for land which was taken forcibly/or bought while it was known to be stolen from our forefathers. If land reclamation is illegal then so is the very liberation struggle that brought the nation of Dzimbahwe- Right?
3. Our Long African Memories: The origins and history of all the tribes/peoples that make up Zimbos today is well known. We know who came from where and we know what they took and how they took it. The length of time has never dulled our memory or changed our understanding of the necessary corrective measures to take: We maintain peace and bring down rebellions, we take back the land while developing the nation for the benefit of all Zimbos.
4. Way Forward: Lets all work together to develop our country- under RGM and ZPF at the moment. Those with other ideas are welcome to propagate them peacefully- but if they try to reverse our fundamental liberation war gains they will not go far, whatever method they use.
I agree with u Ndebvu MuCup, most of the comments here are based on Party affiliation. To me that’s cheap debate. People should come out of those slumber and start arguing as Zimbabwean, not MDC loyalists. Praise what good made by Zanu Pf instead of blasting everything. The issue of land, I don’t regret it cause they were imbalances on the Land issue. Yes people may argue that Zanu Pf the way they took the Land was illegal. Lets talk about the word ‘Illegal’. Illegal on whose law? Out of those 4000 land owners,if Zanu Pf took it and give 12000, to me that’s great achievement. Please note this is only an example. Lets not talk about the illegality of this issue because they wasn’t legal framework when the land was first taken. My only advice to my fellow Zimbabweans, lets center our argument on how best we can work hard and bring down corruption. Even MDC T loyalists, u cant rule them out of this disease. If one is caught outside the law one have to pay the price, regardless of which Party u belong.