Assertions by one of the country’s longest-serving diplomats, Agrippah Mutambara that President Robert Mugabe has alienated himself from the people should serve as a warning to the governing Zanu PF to self-introspect for the good of Zimbabwe.
NewsDay Comment
One cannot agree more with the decorated ex-combatant and army officer’s timely reminder that Mugabe should turn away from his unpopular course to save the country from total collapse.
It should come as warning, especially when a man of Mutambara’s ranking and calibre decides to cross the floor to join the opposition in the form of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party.
This, of course, shows that all is not well in Zanu PF, what, with veterans of the 1970s liberation movement also declaring to take the war right to Mugabe’s doorstep.
Indeed, the centre can no longer hold — the very people, who for many years, have operated like the bastion around Mugabe, vowing to defend him to death, have now pulled out their swords against him.
One can only hazard to say Zanu PF’s days could be numbered and time is running out for Mugabe and his party’s leadership to avert the disaster spawned by misgovernance, abuse of authority and human rights abuse.
It is heartening that at least some in Zanu PF still had their conscience intact and are moved by the injustices that now characterise the party where, according to the opposing camps, a cabal– backed by the political greenhorn, but powerful First Lady Grace Mugabe — is now firmly holding the reins.
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No Zimbabwean will shed a tear because one camp is controlling Zanu PF affairs over another, but it’s another thing abusing authority in the name of Zanu PF to the detriment of the majority.
It is sad that Mugabe — perhaps because age has taken its toll on him despite his outward “youthful” bravado — has abdicated his role as Head of State to a Zanu PF cabal and is no longer in control of what his happening around him.
Is it not evident that Mugabe is now at the mercy of the milk-nosed political vultures circling around him waiting for fate to take its course for them to have a go at the centre of power? For long Mugabe was able to keep them at bay, but they are knocking at his door, as he helplessly watches and no one seems to heed his frail calls for unity and peace at all.
It is regrettable that it has come to this. The most tragic thing is that while the political circus goes on, it is the ordinary people that are paying the price.
When all is said and done, clearly Grace is indeed Zanu PF’s Trojan horse and the effects have been devastating. All she did was to accelerate the implosion of Zanu PF from within. When history is written, it will be noted that Grace successfully managed to do what every other opposition political party failed to do.
While Mutambara described the Mugabe of the 1970s as a visionary and a man of principle, who did not forget those that walked with him during the difficult time of the liberation struggle, recent events, particularly the treatment of war veterans and other liberation war icons, have demonstrated that the game has changed as a clique rides roughshod over everybody in Zanu PF.
Indeed, the end is nigh for Zanu PF.
