EDITORIAL COMMENT: Heed President’s call for unity and end factionalism President Mugabe
President Mugabe

President Mugabe

THE ruling Zanu-PF party should heed President Mugabe’s clarion call for unity and an end to factionalism, divisions and unnecessary fights which could derail the party’s quest to clinch another landslide victory in next year’s harmonised elections.

The revolutionary party stands on the threshold of another resounding victory as evidenced by its recent wins in parliamentary by-elections and the paralysis in the opposition ranks and so it would be suicidal for it to press the self-destruct button by continuing to bicker at the expense of service delivery.

President Mugabe has been consistent in calling for unity, using his traditional interview with ZBCtv on the eve of his 93rd birthday to call to order those in his party who are forming little groups to plot around the issue of succession. He also reiterated the same message when he addressed thousands of people gathered to mark his birthday celebrations in Matobo on Saturday. President Mugabe warned ambitious lieutenants in his party who are angling to succeed him to stop fanning divisions, saying he will not be pressured into appointing his successor.

He slammed succession-driven factional divisions in Zanu-PF, called for unity in the ruling party, and reaffirmed his position that whoever would succeed him was going to be chosen by the people through an election. “I want now to refer to our problem, problem, problem, apparently unending problem of these divisions, divisions in the party. We want a party which is intact and united. When we say let’s be united, we will be saying let’s have the unity that binds us at heart, binds us also intellectually. True, true unity.

“The party has a programme, the party as we are saying is based on a party constitution and the party constitution provides how people can get elected from one position to another. So, why, why, why want to try to circumvent the constitution?

“Haunganzvenge yese constitution sebhora uchirovera parutivi kuti uwane chigaro. Aiwa, hatina kumboita party yakadaro.

“Whatever position you seek, it must be a position you get upon proper election. Izvi zvekuti vanhu vanonzi vanodyarana to create chairpersons or groups that support them will never succeed in Zanu-PF. People, whether they want to be chairpersons or any other (leaders) of provinces or districts, have to be chosen by the people of the particular organic framework, kubvira pasi apo kusvika kumusoro.

“Zvino vamwe vari kungopembera netwuma group twavo kuti VaMugabe ngavachienda. Zvino ndozvandiri kubvunzawo kuti ndoinda kupiko?”

The President said he would not bow to calls by some elements for him to step down as he derived his mandate from the majority. We totally agree with Cde Mugabe and call on those in the ruling party with designs to circumvent the Zanu-PF constitution to refrain from doing so and heed the wise counsel of their leader.

The President was clear in his address that there was absolutely nothing wrong with having ambitions to lead and take over from him when the time comes but there were clear laid down processes and procedures which had to be followed. “We won’t block those with an interest who want to try. There are some who think they have some level of popularity and that they are wanted by the people in their areas and if they go to other areas. . .

“No; let’s just work and get to that time when, naturally, the occasion comes for us to go to Congress. We can have an Extraordinary congress if the President retires, but isn’t it you say I lead you even in the next elections? So, I will be with you.

“We must be together. I will be seeing and analysing that within the family I have. Who are the strong and enduring, those are the ones we will be looking at on the day when it comes. We don’t want a leader who will say what Mugabe was doing, taking farms from whites, was bad, let’s return them. No.”

We find the President’s clarification on the succession issue instructive and clear. Disciplined Zanu-PF cadres will take the words of their leader and desist from engaging in costly factional fights which have the potential of damaging the party’s chances of sweeping the upcoming polls. Zanu-PF, the party which informs Government, should be seized with addressing bread and butter issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.

We are glad that the Command Agriculture initiative is proving to be a resounding success and exhort Government to use it as a springboard for the rejuvenation of the economy. Energy should be directed towards ensuring that the bountiful maize in the fields is harvested while silos, which are in a state of disrepair, are attended to.

Roads, rail and other critical infrastructure are in desperate need of sprucing up and these are the matters that a governing party should be worried about.

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