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NewsDay

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NewsDay comment: Congress should map new course

Opinion & Analysis
A lot is expected of the Zanu PF congress that is set to open today. Zanu PF is a club and membership is voluntary.

A lot is expected of the Zanu PF congress that is set to open today. Zanu PF is a club and membership is voluntary.

NewsDay comment

Ordinarily goings-on in such clubs are of little concern to non-members. This is the reason why the general public had a fleeting interest in the purges that preceded the congress.

But it also just happens that Zanu PF is the country’s governing party. Any citizen of Zimbabwe, therefore, becomes interested in how the party runs government.

Due to the fact this party has almost singularly run the affairs of this country uninterrupted for the past 34 years, means the distinction between party and government has become pretty blurred.

But Zanu PF’s unchanging policies have hurt the country immensely as a result of the stasis that always accompanies a monolithic party.

The purges that climaxed yesterday with President Robert Mugabe finally coming into the open about his relationship with Vice-President Joice Mujuru and stating in no uncertain terms that his liaison with her had ended, could indicate some kind of resolve to change the way things have been run.

It is hoped Mugabe will create a future-oriented team that will run the affairs of the State in a progressive way.

Everyone including Zimbabwe’s worst enemies is agreed on the limitless potential this country has got.

The potential had not been energised in the past three decades to transition into measurable progress. On the contrary, there have been times the government seemed to have worked to destroy that potential.

The past 30 years have been wasted mainly due to poor governance as the old guard set out to entrench itself in the system and loot the country’s resources.

Indeed, Mugabe’s rule has been riddled with corruption scandals that left the country all the worse for wear. Funds that would otherwise have been used to develop the country were misappropriated and ended up in the hands of individuals.

These individuals worked against political change because any change would have pulled the rug from under their feet.

The new team that comes after the congress should demonstrate they want to change the course of Zimbabwe’s history for the better otherwise all the infighting of the past few years would not worthwhile. Mugabe needs to inspire confidence into the minds of the common people.

At the moment the generality of our people are hugely sceptical of the ruling party and the people it has seconded to run the affairs of the State.

Mujuru’s Achilles heel is that she has been accused of corruption and it seems there is indubitable evidence to nail her. Many who formed part of her cohort have also allegedly been embroiled in corruption.

If Mugabe’s recent purges are really to fight corruption by getting rid of its drivers, then he should be applauded for his effort. But it may turn out the purges are the usual political monkey tricks employed to dupe the public into believing that the ruling party has changed take and is fighting the scourges that have undermined progress. Whatever the case, Zimbabwe needs a new beginning, and the congress is expected to map out a new course for the country.