Reports that Zanu PF wants to unilaterally collapse the troubled Government of National Unity are not amusing at all given the fact that the former ruling party is not doing it because it is interested in the wellbeing of the country. The reasons are solely selfish.
The majority are aware that the inclusive government is not the best, as one would want it to be. But it has at least moved the country forward.
The inclusive government has, by all intents and purposes, somewhat stabilised the economic and political environment in the country.
Hence, not all people will agree with Zanu PF to kill the inclusive government whether they agreed with the party’s ideology or not. It also does not follow that if people disagreed with Zanu PF they have become enemies, NO, but that people should be allowed to choose their destiny.
The reason given by Zanu PF stalwarts interviewed by our sister publication The Standard are that President Robert Mugabe (87), the party’s candidate, will be approaching 90 years if the elections are delayed by a further two years is not a good enough for the country.
Why should the country be held at ransom by a political party, which in any democratic set up, is supposed to serve the people’s aspirations? Why would Zanu PF choose a candidate whom they know could not last the race?
One would think that if Zanu PF had all the trust in its presidential candidate, it would not have any hassles waiting until 2013 or any other date agreed by other political players in the inclusive government.
There has to be consensus – and to any citizen with good intentions it is important for the country to move forward.
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But what came out of the interviews with Zanu PF bigwigs leaves a lot to be desired. Zanu PF is accusing the two MDC formations of delaying the elections by proposing 2013 as the conducive year.
In fact, if a referendum was to be held with regards to holding elections, one would not be surprised if the majority were to vote against holding of elections in Zimbabwe any time soon.
One of the major reasons is that elections evoke horrific memories as some political parties and their leaders have always unleashed violence to coerce people to vote for them.
This race against time by Zanu PF is absurd to say the least.
This resolution made at the Zanu PF conference in Bulawayo recently is not surprising at all given that the party has a somewhat old-fashioned guided democracy, where members are not supposed to think on their own but follow what their leaders prescribe for them.
It is hoped that the country will not be hoodwinked because the Global Political Agreement which gave birth to the shaky inclusive government stipulates the next elections can only be determined through consultations between President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and of course the smaller MDC party.
By trying to collapse the inclusive government and calling for elections, it is clear Zanu PF has not learnt anything from what happened in 2008, when their candidate for the next presidential election was trounced.
The party should know that they are in government at the instance of the GNU, otherwise the voters have written them off.
Of course, they still have pockets of supporters, but the fact that they are still holding on to power because of support from the security ministries does not make Zanu PF invincible.
The party must watch their step especially now when the majority is aware economic gains the country has made so far could come to naught.
