The resurrection of the one-party manifesto in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Youth Democracy Trust (ZYDT)
April 21, 2005

The youths of Zimbabwe organised under ZYDT seriously condemn the political project of ZANU PF to re-institute the 1989 one party manifesto in Zimbabwe through unorthodox means hidden behind the fiction of "elections".

We note with concern the implementation of a multi faceted approach pointing to the declaration of ZANUPF as the only party in Zimbabwe.

Criminalisation of alternative views
We have learnt that Zanu PF has a history of labeling and fighting alternative views, both within the party or emerging from elsewhere irregardless of them being progressive and for the good of the people of Zimbabwe.

Cases to note include,

• In the first decade of independence, Zanu PF presided over a genocide in Mateteleland and Midlands provinces chiefly because the people had voted for PF Zapu and considered Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo as their legitimate leader.
• In 1989, Edgar Tekere, the then Zanu PF Secretary General was ejected out of the party for two things, a) calling for zero tolerance to corruption and b) saying no to the one party state.
• In 1994, Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, the godfather of the "2nd Chimurenga" and leader of the opposition Zanu Ndonga was charged with treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate the Zanu PF first secretary Robert Gabriel Mugabe. This theater was repeated to Morgan Tsvangirai, president of the MDC before the 2002 presidential elections.
• Between 2000 and 2004, millions of Zimbabweans were tortured and, in various ways punished for supporting the MDC. Currently, on the conclusion of the 2005 parliamentary election, known opposition supporters are being starved as a lesson not to carry other political opinions bar Zanu PF.
• In December 2004, Jonathan Moyo, then Minister of Information in the Presidents Office, Jabulani Sibanda the elected leader of war veterans and six Zanu PF provincial Chairpersons were punished through suspensions and withdrawal of political benefits for holding differing views on the internal progress of Zanu PF.
• Zanu PF has similarly targeted all institutions that espouse and propagate alternative socio-economic and political policies. The Students Union, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) was crashed through the expulsion and torturing of student leaders after which the party sponsored a laboratory union called Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU). It is the similar tactic used on the labour union, where the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) leadership has faced various attacks including "imperialist" and "unpatriotic" labels. Currently, because the government created Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) has collapsed, ZCTU faces a massive onslaught from Zanu PF whose broad objectives include:
  1. Making labour an arm of Zanu PF, thereby exterminating all non-political organised voices that could check Zanu PF power
  2. In the short run, having Zanu PF appointed labour leaders that will "unreservedly endorse" Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor’s economic revival policies without query.

ZYDT is deeply perturbed by such 20th century political tactics whilst much of Africa is embracing multi party democracy where political tolerance and respect for the rights reigns supreme.

Zanunisation of state institutions:
It is our view that the one party state agenda is being constructed on the basis of a militarized state. The training of the youth militia, the appointment of senior army members in parastatals, electoral institutions and the use of apartheid laws such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the proposed NGO law combine to shrink the democratic space to the zone of "yes-Boss-yes".

The state media has been Zanunised to an extend that, despite being funded by taxpayers, the state radio, television and newspapers have emerged as the most vicious tools used to create and propagate a fiction of Zanu PFs holiness in the eyes of the suffering people.

The media is used to create horrible scenes of Rhodesia and slowly prepare people to believe that labeled elements (the opposition and young ZanuPF cadres) are responsible for their suffering whilst the real looting people hide behind the heroes acre.

Border Gezi Youth Militia:
We are baffled by the evil act of baiting unsuspecting and desperate youths with job tags on condition of joining the Border Gezi militia training service. Whilst we fully support the idea of a non partisan and non class national service, the non participation of Zanu PF chefs children is worrying to us. We are determined to expose this hypocrisy by demanding Europe, South Africa, America and Asia to deport all children of these political elite to join the job race, fuel race, food race and Border Gezi which we, the children of poor taxpayers are forced to endure.

Our Zimbabwe - we will defend:
As an attempt to make themselves the gods of Zimbabwe, we have noted a series of self–praising programs and statements by the Zanu PF leadership, and in a selfish manner dismissing the importance of peasants in the liberation struggle. Chiefly, the privatization of the liberation struggle is a clear case where known freedom fighters claim to have solely brought "peace and democracy" to Zimbabwe thus the right to do as they wish with the people of Zimbabwe.

We wish to make it known that we are Zimbabweans, born of real freedom fighters that fought for freedom and not native imperialism hidden under anti-Blair wars. The war of liberation was not to remove the white person, but to dismiss the injustices of apartheid. Our motivation today is to remove the very same injustices being perpetrated by a black government. It is therefore our declaration that oppression remains unjust no-matter the colour or history of the person presiding over such.

Our vow and vision:
We will remain stubbornly resistant to all machinations aimed at making certain tribes, certain people and certain parties the life long "spirit mediums" of Zimbabwe.

The demands of the liberation struggle:

• land to the peasants and not the elite, and
• one person one vote , are our key demands.

Zanu PF has no morale standing to call opposition political parties to stop getting funding from the West whilst they are, despite injuring the local industry, sponsored by China and have unfettered access to our national tax coffers. In the same manner that we will not allow Zimbabwe to be sold to Britain, we vow to reverse all economically senseless agreements with China.

We envisage a Zimbabwe where all political parties respect each other and debate issues for the good of the nation, with state institutions such as the parliament, the judiciary and electoral bodies running independent of the executive.

Itai Masothsa Zimunya
Spokesperson (+263 91 907 235)
Bulawayo