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Perspective Stephen Mpofu
TWO distinct conditions must especially underpin the indominability of the revolutionary Zanu-PF for it to continue to rule the political roost until such a time as another party with no imperialist-leanings emerges to take turns in ruling Zimbabwe. One of the imperatives is that the ruling party should deliberately mutate, like an eagle and, secondly, its growth should be informed by the rich and yet painful history of the protracted armed struggle that secured the motherland from the jaws of a white racist and oppressive rebel Rhodesian colonial regime.

A group of civil servants on a recent visit to Chimoio in Mozambique where Rhodesian airforce planes bombed and massacred freedom fighters and refugees — heard from a surviving guerilla the kind of testimony that should inculcate a culture of purposeful unity and solidarity among Zanu-PF’s rank and file today in order for the party to remain unstoppable in boosting the social and economic fortunes of the country.

It is candidly clear from that testimony that there can be no better testimony of those values of solidarity and an unflinching intrepidity in the fighters quest for freedom and independence.

In the worst of times when food and water were hard to come by on bush trails in the war front the freedom fighters shared and shared alike, like the socialists that they were, grains from a single cob of maize which they dropped down with sap from leaves harvested from trees abutting their paths which they chewed relentlessly as they trudged on on their combat mission.

Yet what do we see today in a country with silos bursting at the seams with maize?
Instead of sharing and sharing the abundant political power in our hands we have a situation whereby some leaders constipated with money buy votes in order for them to worm their way into power while others, divide or the same malcontents, people along factional lines to use them as cat’s paws after power, as though they own those affected, like domestic animals.

The leaders whom Zanu-PF’s First Secretary and President, Cde Robert Mugabe and other, senior party faithfuls have roundly denounced feign loyalty to party rules and regulations, while behind the scenes they resort to their malevolent acts that not only besmirch the party’s public image but, even more seriously, divide and weaken the organisation to render it a candidate for an inevitable demise if the rot continues unabated.

Which will be the case should denunciations of the diabolical acts in question remain decidedly rhetorical.
Of course, any verbal condemnations of actions running counter to the party’s ethical code should be viewed as neon lights advertising intervention by the party’s riot squad for a blitz-krieg against the hyenas in sheepskin hibernating in the party.

It is no exaggeration for this pen to suggest that cleansing the party of leaders who buy votes because they are not material for higher office or to remain as incumbents, and those who form factions to strengthen their claim to power is long, long overdue.

Zanu-PF should take a que from mutating eagles by shedding leaders who are dysfunctional and are a liability to the organisation. Left unchecked their actions could eventually render the party irrelevant in Zimbabwe’s political arena.

It is imperative, therefore, that the generality of Zanu-PF members become insular to any activities by leaders, whatever their rank that are inimical to the unity and strength of the party. This goal may be achieved through effective political communication across all party structures to raise a high culture for members to abide by the party’s standing and engender patriotism values that will make supporters defend both their party and the country in order to continue to enjoy freedom, peace and stability.

If decrying any rot setting in the party is not followed by an iron hand in weeding it out, rival political parties and their ilk abroad will make a meal out of any political mess within the ruling party to discredit the organisation in a bid to kill it.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed, it is said with uncontested validity.