Political Patronage Has Destroyed Zim

President Robert Mugabe recently accused some senior members in his Zanu PF party of fanning division within the party using the public media.

He went on to describe these people as “weevils” and “devil incarnates”.

This vitriol was viewed as directed to Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo who among other things was criticised for appointing some editors at the state media on the basis of their previous employment or their perceived political affiliation.

Moyo was also accused of having infiltrated the party and the government to bring about “regime change.”

From this, one would think that to even wish for regime change is some kind of sin or treason when, in actual fact, regime change is part of the democratic process. If this is not so, then Zimbabwe should ban elections because they might bring about this evil of regime change.

Whatever his past undemocratic antics and pronouncements were, Moyo has recently been making most welcome democratic moves and noises. Zimbabweans are not interested in his past sins, especially those against Zanu PF. They are a forgiving people who accept that one can be “born again”.

In the first place, what did the professor do to earn the wrath of the President? As reported in the press, he exposed gross corruption in government, which was known to those in power but was silently being swept under the carpet. The reason being that, many of those in power were complicit. He then went on to sack those implicated in corruption and to appoint some who were not members of the ruling party.

To make matters worse, some of them had dared to criticise the party in some of their contributions to the independent press. This was a cardinal sin because according to the present regime, only those loyal to the ruling party should get government jobs. Even food, donated by the merciful to the government for the hungry Zimbabweans, is distributed only to those who are members of Zanu PF.

No wonder people now flock to Zanu PF rallies in such large numbers; they have to show allegiance in order to survive. According to the widely accepted notion of modern, educated and civilised people, democracy is, “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This is very different from the Zanu PF way of looking at things.