via Zim on the brink – DailyNews Live 14 November 2014
HARARE – It does not matter which way one looks, the signs of Zanu PF-orchestrated anarchy are everywhere in our seemingly cursed country.
There is a deluge of poorly-choreographed votes-of-no-confidence demonstrations against senior party officials that include the country’s embattled Vice President Joice Mujuru and provincial chairpersons.
Stunningly, even our nonagenarian leader, President Robert Mugabe, and his quarrelsome wife, Grace — supported by a party faction operating in the name of Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa — are participating in this destructive tomfoolery — seemingly oblivious of the negative consequences of their actions on the country.
Now debilitating violence is visiting the country, and our batttered economy is in free-fall. Not even one serious investor — domestic and international — is willing to risk one penny in the country. And who can blame them when the only thing guaranteed to happen in Zimbabwe is a slew of bad news generated by our heartless rulers.
What with Zanu PF thugs abducting and brutally assaulting their own, as has happened to former Zanu PF Harare provincial youth chairperson
Jim Kunaka this week, as the party’s deadly factional and succession wars get increasingly violent.
In the end, Kunaka was extremely fortunate to be alive, as thousands of opposition supporters have lost their lives in cold blood over the years under similar circumstances.
So bad is the political environment around the country that in Masvingo, as another terrible example, more than 30 anti-riot police officers have been deployed to guard Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, amid fears of imminent and serious violence being meted against him by alleged war veterans. In the meantime, the restless and abandoned war veterans themselves are at each other’s throats, egged on by none other than Mugabe himself — threatening peace in the country.
Their leader, Jabulani Sibanda, was “fired” by the mere say-so of Mugabe because the popular war veteran disapproved of the apparent “bedroom coup d’état” that appears to have recently taken place at State House. What all this means is that the centre can no longer hold in Zanu PF, which puts the country at risk of becoming a true failed state.
Things are so bad that there are genuine fears even from within the party itself that we will soon witness ordered hits and murders, as well as a complete breakdown of the State and government service.
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo warned ominously this week that the party’s escalating “anarchical” infighting is reaching a tipping point where Zimbabwe may soon experience uprisings similar to the Arab Spring — the waves of chaotic anti-government protests and armed rebellions that hit the Middle East three years ago and quickly spread throughout the countries of the Arab League, including North Africa.
That is an extraordinary, but sadly true admission by a very senior member of the party of the depths that Zimbabwe has plumbed over the past three decades of Mugabe’s and Zanu PF’s misrule.
COMMENTS
The signs have been on the wall for some time now. Let it be said that not one of these people is clean or innocent. They are all dirty to the core. My only fear is for the masses who have stood by helplessly and watched these people plunder the country and turn an oasis into a sandy desert. Any country that has 3 million plus people in a neighbouring country living illegally can be called called a failed State. Mugabe is on his way out. So are all of his cronies. Others because of accidents sickness or other. His time is running out because of age. Those who think Mugabe is some sort of a God and will be around forever are in for a rude awakening. Those that think Munangagwa will be another Mugabe are also badly mistaken. The likes of Munangawa do not have long to go.They would do well to heed Gumbo’s warning. The African autumn is on the horizon. All those dead leaves are about to fall off. May the African spring follow in the true spirit of freedom unlike the Arab Chaos.
Be very careful of some of the Born-Frees as well…
The hope is that the “Spring” comes soon but the signs are that the Zimbo won’t know what to do with it.
That ZANU has been destroying the country is not appreciated by a sizeable chunk of the populace, sanctions and the opposition, readily being swallowed as the reason.
What chance a spring, then Doc, when one is dealing with such material?
Ngoto Zimbwa my brother, which ever way this development swings there are going to be a lot of changes in the set up. Mugabe is reading the mood of the people wrong. His wife has gone around insulting people in all the provinces she visited. They have also, because of their insecurity, turned against their own. My only fear as I said is that the innocent bystanders will find themselves embroiled in this turmoil. Something is got to give. SADEC is quite because they know they have an explosive situation in their hands right by their doorstep. The Armed forces are quite for now. Noises are being made about Chihuri’s allegiance. Sometimes the only way to secure a structure that is faltering is to bring it down and rebuild starting from the foundation. We might still see some sanity dawning upon some people. If Mugabe is challenged the notion that he is the King supreme and invincible will disappear. They then will feel the power of the people. When this happens we must be in the position to say never again to bondage. Never again to dictatorship. It is just a matter of time…
You sir, are simply hallucinating, because like many born-frees fed on the rabid concoction of western-sponsored regime-change politics, you have no clue how the revolutionary party operates. “African autumn/African spring”, my foot! Please spare us your insipid waffle until you see the fruition of current developments in a few weeks. ZANU-PF iri kuvhunura, as real people’s political movements do from time to time. Whilst the imbecilic so-called opposition leaders and their cliques sit farting idly waiting for the worst to happen to ZANU-PF, what is happening will result in the emergence of a sleeker, more effective revolutionary machine that is going to carry the real emancipation of the Zimbabwean populace forward. Watch this space and please post something around Christmas time to let us know what Santa will have left in your childish Xmas box. Cheers.
I am terribly sorry, Doc.
My browser wouldn’t show any posts other your yours for 24 hrs!
Big brother there,….. somewhere?
All I can say is that we need believers in our Zim and you are one of them. Please keep up that spirit.
I have become a very disillusioned man unfortunately in the twilight of my years where, we the Africans, are concerned!
Dr DL:
It may be my imagination but there seems lately to be a dearth of comments at this site. As I find the comments at least as interesting as the main articles on which they are based, I am glad to see you “on”. Thank you.
The way I see it, when the populace was restless because of economic hardship, Mugabe sent the troops to Congo to fight a war that had nothing to do with us. The aim was to keep the army busy so they could not rebel against the state. This also diverted the polo’s attention from the economic issues.
Murambitsvina was then thrown in again as a diversional tactic . Break the social structure and displace the povo so they cannot organise .
Now ,again the economy is in tatters and Zanu has no means to improve the situation , Mujuru is the scapegoat . We have been taken to the movies and we are falling for the same trick again. Even the opposition leaders have their eyes glued to the screen whilst the nation is being screwed blind by Mugabe. This episode will continue slowly like a soap opera. They will keep Mujuru hanging for a bit longer . Then they will keep us in suspense again with an eminent cabinet reshuffle .
We , as Mugabe’s fools will by into this soap opera again.
My gratitude goes to the 5000 persons of Bulawayo who saw beyond this and demonstrated against the council today.
Mr. Doc and Mr. Ambassador,
Long ago the leadership became delusional and incapable of a clear vision of what is normal and civilized in our world. They commit atrocities great and small, and feel completely justified because those barbaric acts are required to keep the status quo so they can gain or maintain power… and therefore amass wealth.
That’s what it’s all about… wealth. Remove their supposed entitlement to wealth, and they’d all drop like a rock, and crawl back into the crevices from where they came.
There is honor and righteousness and integrity among the lowly, God-fearing, common folk of Zim, and it is from among them that old and new leadership should learn their lessons… unfortunately, the “old” sold their souls to the Devil long, long ago. That is nothing new.
Fellows, while I don’t disagree with your assessments, I ask how long has Zim been “on the brink”? The greed, the dirty dealings, the twisted judiciary…. So, What’s new now..?
My brothers the signs are brighter than they have ever been. We have talked here on this forum. We have argued on this forum. Ask yourselves where are the Public protectors that were here with us on this forum? The Wanhasi’s? The Nesbit’s? They are now hiding under rocks as they do not know what awaits them.MY BROTHER FALLENZ ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BELIEVE. IT WILL BE OVER SOON.My wish is that we can one day we can say we made a small difference because we are Zimbabwean.
Doctor Do Little who are these Wanhasis and Nesbits you talk of? Please excuse my ignorance….
Stupid doomsayer!!!!! Go to South Africa and experience real violence. There, one sees dead bodies strewn at every street corner having been shot moments ago and whites spend their days at home bolted inside and guarded by vicious dogs and high walls, security fennces and razer wire.
Go to North Africa, to countries like Egypt, Algeria, Lybia and others where one cannot cross a street without dodging bullets or bombs flying above one’s head. Compared with all this Zimbabwe is a peaceful paradise!!!!!!!!!. If the situation is as bad as the writer describes, why is he still profeining our country with his smell????? Why does he not just go wherever it is that he feels safe??????
For some of us these are truly worrying times. I think we might be forced to choose which is the lesser evil. Mugabe kills. Mujuru steals and goes to church. Munangagwa has killed and would kill again. We need that spring ASSAP.
Not to rain on anyone’s parade but I think that even when Mugabe dies that nothing will change. For several decades now the press, such as it is, has been pointing to factions within ZanuPf. Somehow, whilst glimmers of the infighting pointed to possible change, nothing has eventuated to improve the lot of the ordinary people. All these current goings on within the party are likewise not going to bring any real change to Zimbabwe. All it will be is a changing of the guard. In another article on this site a few days ago, the two opponents, Mujuru and Mnangangwa, listed those in Government who are aligned to each of them. No new names but all the existing party members who have failed the country so miserably. None of this group are capable of bring about change. They were the architects of the disaster that Zimbabwe has become. Does anyone really expect that they will now bring about the change that is so desperately required. Highly unlikely. It is mere smoke and mirrors and when all the dust has settled Zimbabweans will see that nothing has changed. Does anyone really think that those who are lining their pockets, the real kingmakers, want to share the wealth of Zimbabwe with the people of Zimbabwe.
Love it! Love it! Love it! The chickens are coming home to roost. Now lets all watch while they destroy each other.
It would be great to be proved wrong but from what one sees in Harare, ZANU PF is more in control than they have ever been in the last 5 years. The economy is performing poorly but it seems a case more of the government is broke but people have money in their pockets. The economic situation is certainly far less dire than it was 2007-8 ….when Zimbabweans did not even begin to spill into the streets. So as someone correctly asked – what’s new? The economy has been mismanaged since the late 80s.
We are all scared of the power behind the man and the men that rule us. We do not have what it takes to get them off our backs. After decades of similar tactics by two successive regimes, we are like a battered wife that is not prepared to take those fearsome steps to freedom from an abusive husband.
As for ZANU PF and Mugabe’s stubborn hold on power (while he lives), what we have been seeing is a reminder that as for the nation at large, so too for the central committee and politburo. Fear, self preservation and/or selfish greed will continue to keep us all divided.
Like Maverickzw, I neither want to “rain on anyone’s parade”, but my point is very much like his… what’s needed is not as much new leadership, as it is a new integrity. Unfortunately, as it now stands, it is possible that the choices may lie between the evils… but the lesser of the evils is still evil.
However, more to my point is that Zim has been “on the brink” for a very long time… the grave injustices, the banditry, the savagery. It is time for a change… has been for a lot of years. But just changing one bandit for another does not save the nation.
Infighting among the bandits does not signal improvement. The demise of the head-crook does not bring relief when the vultures circle. Improvement will come only when the masses decide they’ve had enough, and develop the cajones to rise up to demand an honest government OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE… a sane government that will lead the nation to rejoin the world community.
Doc, therein lies my faith for Zim’s future… in the people’s will to govern themselves righteously before God Almighty. May it be so.
Fallenz thank you for the encouraging words. Too much has been said about Zimbabweans being cowards. I don’t beleive that. The Vultures you speak of will have thier day of reckoning.The people will get their upcommance. I have hope in the people. After all I am one of them.
sadly Zimbabweans do not have the courage for a Zimbabwe spring. We have been trodden on, lost our economy, lost our schools, lost our hospitals and with that our pride. We have no leadership to stand in front of the crowd and say “no more” . We’ll be having this same conversation next year, the year after that and scaringly the year after that……
The Hon VP single-handedly brought down a chopper full of battle-hardened Rhodesian special forces, but cannot see off a typist with expensive shoes. Aiwa! ari kunyepa.
For those of us who know the Lord we know that we do have power and that power lies in prayer and NOT succumbing to all the hatred, violence and bitter unforgiveness of those who oppress us. We must never forget who is really in charge and it is NOT RGM and ZPF. It is Almighty God in Christ Jesus. Let us stay faithful and guard our hearts.
NBS, this argument is baseless….. God abandoned the people of Zimbabwe a long time ago. What about the children with no food in their bellies, no books in their schools, the mothers with no health services in the hospitals, the lives that have been lost……. It’s all about the greed of the Mugabes and hatred rhetoric of the ruling party. The future is in the hands of Zimbabweans and no one else. We can sit on our hands and complian, or we can stand up and say. No more……
despite being a Christian I too get annoyed at comments about leaving it all in the hands of God. This is the sort of thinking and attitude that pleasesZanuPf, for it allows them the opportunity to continue tts current policies without fear of opposition. What is needed is a Dietrich Bonhoeffer from within the Christian leadership to speak out and oppose the Government. It also requires the support of the large number of Christains in ZImbabwe to also speak out and hold those in leadership accountable. At one stage I thought that PiusNcube from Bulawayo might be that man but Zanupf seems to have easily corrupted him. Until such a person arises nothing is going to change and the worlds first woman dictator will shortly be in charge!
How can God help Zimbabwe when we are being misled by the so called numerous prophets. We are not praying at all.
While we dilly dally about an incompetent regime my biggest worry is for the young ones. With no jobs etc what will become of them. This regime has created a social dilemna for years to come and that which we cherish most, our African customs will be lost forever. This regime must go.
I told you all what would happen!
Ain’t going to be true freedom on our Continent for some time, Doc. Probably hundreds of years to come, I would have said.
Its simple.
The African doesn’t know himself.
This creature would rather die crossing the Med in flight to Europe than stand for himself against his dictatorial ruler in Uganda Ethiopia, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Sudan …..etc.
Brave the crocs of the Limpopo and xenophobic attacks from indigenous South Africans than stand up to Bob in his native Zim.
Sing the praises of Man United, Real Madrid ….., than his local club.
Need I go on, Doc?