via Mujuru: Reluctant, incapable BUILD-er | The Herald September 9, 2015
YESTERDAY, we woke up to news of a “manifesto” that is attributed to, and indeed bearing the signature of, Joice Mujuru, former Vice President of Zimbabwe. No surprises there. Since the beginning of her troubles late last year, leading to her deposition from Zanu-PF in April, Mujuru has issued a number of such statements in the private media; first seeking to wash off the crimson putschist sins that covered her, and secondly trying to project herself as a some kind of politician of the future, after the great fall.
One has to note that besides such written ostentations, Mujuru has never spoken much, even to the same private media that seem to urge and push her onto the political ring from which she was booted out unceremoniously.
She has not been speaking, on her own volition, more than a couple of sentences to the media, which has sent the private media into extraordinary depths of desperation.
The private media would stretch a single quote, a rebuff or even an earnest appeal to be left alone, into acres of worthless stories which served no other purpose than betray the political ambitions and wishes of the papers in question.
You would forgive this despicable and base habit as an idiosyncrasy of one paper but, hey, somebody has thought it is a good idea lately!
But it is their problem, not ours.
I pointed that Mujuru has not said much to anyone, let alone in the media.
In the past three or four months she has turned down two requests for an interview with me.
First, politely, saying she was travelling away from her Beatrice Farm where she is apparently busy and reclusive these days.
Secondly, on the follow-up of the first, saying she still was not ready to talk to the media.
In light of the media shyness of Mujuru, two gentlemen – Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa – and lately a third, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti – have been more than willing to talk on her behalf.
They are the ones (plus Temba Mliswa) that came up with the idea of “People First” and all that jazz.
They are the ones that have been telling us about a party being launched “soon” and “ready to take off”.
They are probably the ones (plus one Ibbo Mandaza, perhaps) that have come up with the Blueprint to Unlock Investment and Leverage for Development (BUILD) manifesto, upon which they hope to launch a political party.
We are told it may take place on September 11 or 12 (of all days!)
Now it will be useful to interrogate these developments.
Why has Mujuru been quiet all along?
(She has not even publicly acknowledged Rugare Gumbo as the spokesperson, and she refused to do so to me, in a conversation.)
How willing is she to embark on this project and what kind of a builder, forgive the pun, will she make?
What is the substance of the project?
What are the prospects of the envisaged political outfit?
The first thing to note is that Mujuru has been quiet since her dramatic fall from Zanu-PF because she was too confounded, too numbed, by what hit her.
One may recall that for a moment it all seemed that she was headed for a palace coup in the party, with a majority provincial chairmen apparently in her camp and capable of carrying out a coup during the December 2014 Zanu-PF Congress.
The spokesperson of this putschist cabal would be one Temba Mliswa who would, as the plan went, nominate her for the post of president to rival President Mugabe upon which provinces, as the Electoral College would endorse her.
That would be the end of President Mugabe, and a culmination of a deadly game that almost knocked him down in 2008 through the bhora musango scheme.
While there was a lot of drama in the run up to that congress, the climax saw the downfall of Mujuru and her loyalists and the resolution her silence.
Silence which is quite loud, if one could add.
Many people would have expected Mujuru to break her silence and announce herself as a political force soon enough, but she didn’t, probably squandering a lot of opportunity and momentum.
Where people expected her to break ranks, denounce the status quo and in particular the circumstances that had ill served her, Mujuru was meek and said she would not dare raise a finger against President Mugabe.
She still regarded President Mugabe as her father, etc, she told us.
There is a world of difference between silence and retreat that is strategic and silence that is clueless and beaten.
The latter most probably applies to Mujuru.
Being a generally plain, unimaginative, uncreative and not-so-bright woman, Mujuru has not shown any capability as a strategic thinker.
These attributes generally led her to squander an opportunity of a lifetime; a nadir after spending 10 years being within the touching distance of becoming the most powerful individual in the country.
Mujuru’s misfortune is one of lacking any strategic thinkers around her.
If she had, she would not have been second-guessed as President Mugabe’s anointed successor in all 10 years.
If she had great thinkers around her, December 2014 would not have happened.
Woe, she only has Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa!
What have these fine gentlemen achieved with their miserable lives?
What is worse, Mujuru is an unwilling leader.
The aforementioned gentlemen and others have apparently been pushing her, most probably for their own egos and political fortunes — the reason why Mliswa was so bitter at her coyness.
And why, too, the Daily News went to the extent of contriving Margaret Dongo staging a coup of the non-existent People First name to jolt Mujuru into a riposte.
Now you see why Joice Mujuru’s signature sits uncomfortably at the foot of the so-called BUILD manifesto.
You have the NGO-type, MDC-like, neoliberal grandstanding making that manifesto.
She is an unwilling and incapable builder!
One shudders at the prospect of another hand held leader of the opposition (the hand holders being Gumbo and Mutasa).
On the BUILD manifesto itself, you cannot separate it from Tsvangirai’s JUICE or the latest from Tendai Biti HOPE (Holistic Program for Economic Transformation).
The one thing that strikes you is that there is nothing that strikes you!
It’s something that you think you have seen somewhere.
Déjà vu.
This means that even if Mujuru were to lead this party, and we wait for it; it will not be something earth-shattering.
We have been down that road before. But who are we to stop people from BUILD-ing castles in the air?
COMMENTS
Sounds like sour grapes to me because Mujuru refused to give you an interview.
Appalling childish article. Where are the 2 million jobs, iwe?
‘Kuita kwewashaya kutsvaka uta mugate.’ The article is utter desperation to utterly empty. Why should someone give you an interview if they dont want? Leave this lady alone. Who was holding her hand when she rose to Vice President? Why did she become so popular that she became a threat to most ZANOIDS? Shut up.
The usual mind-numbing reporting we’ve come to expect from the Horrid. Full of adhominim and no substance. How any can in good conscience write such drivel in such an obvious attempt to defend a bankrupt Zanoid regime is beyond me. I am no defender of Joyce but at this point anything is better than the leadership we’ve got now. We’re like a rudderless boat heading for the Victoria Falls. Somebody with some spine and moral fortitude needs to step up.
Haunyare kunyora tsvina iya. BUILD is the best thing for zimbabweans now. Compared to the empty 10 point plan tts a gem.
Yes my fellow scribes lets think here . This ploy is merely a divisive trick by Bob. That deviant is a true politician. His divide and rule tactics have worked well for this man. Even if the Hippo joins the fray Old Bob still has the numbers. The wily fox strikes again.
At least Daily news has managed to make the e-paper readable instead of mixing last month and today’s headlines
Yes, Mujuru is a person one can never expect much from. But obviously her limited capabilities are much better than those of the current president in every respect.
We all know Bob is incapable of executing anything good & the opposite is true for the man. He excels in evil and he openly admits it, for instance when he boasts of his degrees in Violence, when he boasts of the most corrupt Cabinet, when he boasts of his fat Salary ($12 000/month + unlimited benefits; in a country where a Professor earns less than $3000/month inclusive of benefits, not to mention doctors, teachers, etc).
So yes, Mujuru is very incapable, but she is much better than Bob in every respect. Jonathan Moyo once remarked that even a donkey can perform better as a president of Zimbabwe than Mugabe; and many of us agree with that hooligan’s observation.
Desperate propaganda by a desperate bootlicking moron. You are pathetic and a hazardous pollutant to the respectable profession of journalism. Foolish fool!
The mudslinging has begun. Mujuru will need for her team to counter even ridiculous Zanu PF accusations aggressively.
The MDC, which evolved from the trade union/worker movement and civic organizations, ignored Zanu PF propaganda accusations of being a Western puppet organization created to re-colonize Zimbabwe, as being silly and beyond serious consideration until late in the offensive when they realized a lot of the mud was sticking to them.
Zimbabwe does not need a rocket scientist or a Doctor of Philosophy to prosper it onnly needs some simple minded people with all the qualities of UBUNTU like Mai Mujuru to steer it towards the right direction. Yes She might not be Eloquent and Intelligent like Barrack Obama and the good thing is she acknowledges that. This could also be the reason why she will form a command centre of technocrats around her for advise. This is a breath of fresh air in the Zim Politics. She isthe REAL DEAL
The childishness of the Herald has been pointed out above. That Mutasa and others are pushing a reluctant leader is no different to Tekere and others installing Mugabe atop ZANU and various other new comers, including Dr Grace, pushing him on over the years when the man had already signaled that he wanted out. Had Mujuru joined the vocal brigade as the Herald seems to think was the right thing to do, she would by now be indistinguishable from the self-possessed talkative bunch that had delivered nothing on the ground for 35 years. Give her a break.
This sticks. Your boss Robert Mugabe failed to plan and drove the country into the rubbish pit. Mujuru was very tight to be quiet and devote herpprecious time planning and produce a blue print that will rescue this country from where Mugabe has burried it. Surely who the hell do you think you are to receive so much attention from Joyce. Look at the so called 10 point whatever it is called that your aged dictator produced. Even my 15 year old girl was ashamed to associate it with a product of her country’s president who is said to be the most educated first citizen in the continent. All that was due to lack of planning. Planning needs time for good results and is a process. Think before you charn your propaganda. Mujuru ndizvo ndizvo. Wither ZanuPf come 2018.
Rather a reluctant leader than a leader who still wants to rule at 91 and wants another term at 94 when he was failing when he was 58.
CAN’T any body see this is Mugabes succession plan going into action and everybody is falling for it hook line and sinker If (spill blood )or what ever her name is gets to be PRESIDENT we can all forget about the accountability of the previous government (THE LAND THE ATROCITIES THE MURDERS THE CORRUPTION EVERYTHING WILL BE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN)and continue that is exactly what our present leader WANTS.Don’t be fooled SHE is a carbon copy and is trying to say the right things now( WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES YOU GULLIBLE FOOLS )