via Mutasa: Real remorse or nostalgic maniac? – NewZimbabwe 04/07/2015
OUSTED Zanu PF secretary for information Didymus Mutasa has recently been hogging the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
During his heyday, the former security minister was arguably one of the most hated Zanu PF politicians for harassing political opponents and the media.
Some of his vile moments were during his tenure as security minister in 2009 where he blocked a court bid to have rights activist Jestina Mukoko’s abductors summoned to defend their act. Mutasa was adamant state spies must remain faceless.
In 2013, he was accused by MDC politicians of masterminding the petrol-bombing and immediate death of 12-year-old Christpower Maisiri, son to an MDC member who was challenging him for the Headlands seat.
In his own party, Mutasa was equally untouchable, barring potential competitors from contesting his seat.
Fast forward to 2015, the once larger than life character is a tuckered out politician with nothing to show for his former self.
Perhaps to curry favour with his former adversaries, he has now out-shone the MDC in tearing down President Robert Mugabe as a despot and a habitual election thief.
He has even gone on to report Mugabe’s transgressions to SADC, in typical MDC style.
While some of his former Zanu PF comrades have chosen to suffer in silence with former party chair for Harare Amos Midzi preferring to take his own life, Mutasa has clung to every opportunity to bad-mouth his erstwhile comrades.
Some wonder though if Mutasa has indeed got to his Damascene moment or he is just a nostalgic manic wailing over lost glory.
MDC Renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume feels Mutasa must not be crucified for repenting at the 11th hour.
This he says is seen by the former Speaker of Parliament unyielding determination to expose Zanu PF’s rigging secrets.
“Mutasa has started the process of atoning for his sins; he has since been speaking publicly about the things that happened and he is saying he is going to say more,” Mafume says.
“He is better off than someone who is quiet and is not remorseful and does not even show any inkling on whether they are going to atone for their sins at all.”
Fierce Zanu PF defender Goodson Nguni feels the loquacious politician’s current show has everything to do with his legendary tumble from grace.
Didymus Mutasa is not a reformer; he is a despot, a dictator; he is the man who banned the Daily News from Rusape without authority from Zanu PF.
“He is not a reformer of any kind. He should not be taken seriously,” Nguni says.
Nguni adds: “Didymus Mutasa is a sell-out; that is why he finds nice things to say now about MDC-T now over his comrades.
“He is all over the show. It is because he was thrown out by Zanu PF and because he is not a principled man; he has decided to join his erstwhile colleagues within the MDC-T.”
Harare based political commentator Kudzayi Kwangwari is equally not so kind to the embattled politician.
He says Zimbabweans must not fall for Mutasa’s pretences to being a changed politician as he was someone merely fighting for lost trappings of power.
“He is not a better person now,” says Kwangwari.
“He is only one member of a gang who has been affected by the philosophy of a gang and he is suffering outside that gang and he is no longer benefiting from what he used to benefit.
“There is no change of philosophy that he is trying to share with us; that we can believe in as Zimbabweans. So if he is trying to exonerate himself and gain new political mileage, he will not gain it on the basis of that.
“Politically, he is trying to get out of the dustbin like a cockroach that is sleeping upside down on the floor.
“I can believe in someone who chooses to say I don’t agree with what Zanu PF is doing even if I am a member and I am moving out.
“I don’t believe in someone who is kicked out and then starts making tantrums outside.”
COMMENTS
For any redemption to be considered, Mutasa must come completely clean…dates, murders, the theft from the public purse and how exactly the elections were rigged, also Gukurahundi-we need the specifics-and only if it results in the destruction of Zanu. Civil Society and the world must be given the specifics. Zanu is a rogue,corrupt, murderous and brutal regime that has to be destroyed that Zimbabwe may live.
mDidiMouse Mutasa is and always has been a totally evil thug. He has always been one of Zanu’s prime gangstas and is now crying crocodile tears in the hope of fooling the ever-gullible Zimbos
I would go one step further than Jono’s comment. Mutasa must confess to his participation in the various crimes committed against the people of Zimbabwe and face the full cost of such participation. Only then should we accept him as reformed. I maintain that this is merely sour grapes on his part and he desperately wants to return to the table. His current actions will not achieve this result as they are more likely to deter Mugabe and Zanupf. Maybe a better strategy is to threaten to reveal all the secrets. Just maybe Mugabe et al will be scared into allowing him back in! Highly unlikely. In the end he would achieve much greater respect from the people of Zimbabwe if he revealed all, perhaps some third country could offer sanctuary for his whistle blowing!