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NewsDay

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AMHVoices:Mugabe, it’s time to step down

AMH Voices
The President must expect bhora musango to come 2018 general elections. The friction in his party cannot be solved by force.

The political heat wave across Zanu PF is becoming unbearable. Everything has now gone up in smoke. The bickering in Zanu PF is too hot for President Robert Mugabe to handle and it’s time for him to hang his political gloves and walk out of the political ring.

By Pardon Maguta,Our Reader

Mugabe

Initially it was a war of words. Words from the mouths and tweeting, but the tear-gassing, clubbing, cat and mouse games, which followed an attempt by the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led war veterans to hold a meeting at the Zanu PF headquarters have now convinced everyone that all is not well in Zanu PF. The man piloting the political ship Zanu PF is slowly losing control before it finally sinks. The trouncing of war veterans shocked the nation. Such water cannoning and ill-treatment has always been reserved for opposition elements, civic society activists and trade unionists. So it came as a shock to see it being administered on the former freedom fighters. Their crime was attempting to hold an unsactioned rally.

Such a crime is rarely committed by Zanu PF people except where they are suspected of being rogue elements.

It is the first time the Public Order and Security Act has been so effectively used against war veterans. In other words war veterans are now in the same boat as opposition leaders Tendai Biti, Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube.

The build-up towards this confrontation started long back and a head-on collision was inevitable. Failure by Mugabe to timeously act and avoid the crisis led to the fight. The President’s reaction was too slow until after the head-on collision.

Tension between the former war of liberation fighters and some sections of Zanu PF has been building since last year when the war veterans were labelled drunkards. Conflict was brewing until a few more actions ignited the fight.

Although some in Zanu PF accuse Mutsvangwa of using war veterans to attain his personal goals, the truth is war veterans had been publicly insulted several times and made to appear powerless, yet they sacrificed their lives for those insulting them to live lavish life-styles. So they fought back.

However, as Mugabe appealed for calm after the humiliation of war veterans, the writing was already on the wall. Like the biblical King Nebuchadnezzer it is time for Mugabe to eat political grass. The turmoil in his party is a result of him sleeping on duty.

The President must expect bhora musango to come 2018 general elections. The friction in his party cannot be solved by force. It needs dialogue. Mugabe seems to have lost his political charm. His emphasis was on silencing every dissenting voice without looking at the causes of the problem.

He is a well-known wordsmith, but like former French President Charles de Gaulle, he will leave office in shame after overstaying his welcome. Most of his party structures are in tatters.

The government is broke. We have record levels of unemployment and grinding poverty propelled by economic mismanagement under his presidency. All these developments prove it is now catastrophic for Mugabe to remain ensconced at State House.

Mugabe has to start planning for life outside the State House. No one doubts he worked hard for this country. But it’s time for him to quit and allow a democratic process in his party for a new leader and also for a free and fair national election for new capable younger leader to take over from him as president.