Zimbabwe's GNU need to see beyond personalities

It appears my recent articles about the GNU have been misunderstood by many and deliberately distorted by others. As a Zimbabwean I am ready to accept whatever settlement that will end the suffering of fellow Zimbabweans. I am happy that finally there is light at the end of the tunnel .My hope and dream is to see that day when Zimbabwe can compete with other nations such as Japan, South Korea ,Germany and other nations that have risen from ashes to become economic powerhouses. However in our happiness we must always be alert and avoid falling into the same trap that led to ruinous policies all because as a nation we invested in personalities and not proper institutions.

This is a time to rebuild the country and rebuilding includes highlighting where Zimbabwe was going wrong .An example is the Roy Bennett case. Most people agree the law must take its course and there shouldn’t be double standards and selective application of the law.

It is widely reported in the media that the Zimbabwe Police has been instructed to stop all investigations for political violence and murders of early 2008. So naturally the question is if murderers can be forgiven and investigations stopped why cant the investigation of Roy Bennett be stopped ?Can you just imagine if in 1980, after signing the Lancaster House agreement, and after elections and at forming of cabinet stage, if General Peter Walls had arrested any of the returning comrades (including Mugabe ,Mutasa , Tekere etc) for alleged crimes committed against the Smith Government during the struggle??

Why cant Roy Bennett, Jestina Mukoko ,Gandhi Mudzingwa and others just be released with out further negotiations or arm-twisting. Is that asking for too much if you are in a “Unity” Government .

Roy Bennett could be tried whilst on bail on the understanding he is a senior government official who has returned voluntarily from exile. If he is to run away from being a senior government official then one should automatically wonder what is wrong with that Government.

The state has been investigating Mr Bennett for more than 3 years. As such one would expect there is no need to hold him a day longer without proceeding to trial. In short the state has had enough time to compile and document its evidence as such holding him in remand especially given Zimbabwe’s Prison conditions may be a way to adminster an extra- judicial death sentence merely by exposure to disease and other life threatening conditions endured in Zimbabwean jails and detention facilities.

The whole idea of a GNU is noble ,but we still have to assess its intention in the current set-up and the beneficiary of such a policy. Mr Mugabe was the biggest beneficiary of the GNU .Election loser rewarded with the Presidency . Life Presidency I may add. And yet Mr Mugabe has refused to give up leadership of his own party , on the basis that his party is too weak and too divided to tackle the opposition. And now we have just been told Mr Mugabe is not the problem?

A look at the Executive Presidency shows a scary trend. Those around Mr Mugabe in the 1980s devised the Executive Presidency on the hope that when Mugabe leaves they would enherit such supreme and total powers. Led by the late Eddison Zvobgo and assisted by some of the current mafia crop calling itself legal fundis Mr Mugabe was given more powers than a King would normally have. And all these Legal whiz-kids believed Mr Mugabe would leave soon and they will enherit the same powers. That was 22 years ago. And now we have the same mafia crew devising some scheme in the name of saving the people and molesting the constitution to accommodate Mr Mugabe

As indicated in my earlier article a Unity Government was still possible without Mr Mugabe as the (Life) President. Mr Mugabe has held his people at ransom just to remain in power .All the killings, murders, torture, rape, detentions ,abductions were done to allow Mr Mugabe to remain President. And the GNU as currently constituted only served to legitimize his quest for Life Presidency.

The issue at stake is the respect of the Constitution of the country. The idea that the constitution can be amended to suit an individual to remain in office is not just acceptable. If Zimbabwe is to join progressive nations like the ones above there is need to develop a culture of respecting the constitution as a guiding tool leading to a stronger and independent nation. The President must up-hold the Constitution and not undermine as we have witnessed under Mr Mugabe .

Mr Mugabe has ruthlessly amended the constitution several times just to remain in office. And as a direct result Zimbabwe is now a colony again. Zimbabwe is basically on life support and begging South Africa and other nations all because one man decided to die in office of President. Zimbabwe no longer has a credible currency or central Bank. If then we are going to correct this situation is it not a basic requirement that the man who presided over this must repent? He must retire and get some rest, spend time with his family.

At the centre of this crisis is how Mr Mugabe’s personality has been allowed to over shadow institutions including even his own party. An individual should not be allowed to be more powerful than his own party or institution he leads . In the USA the Clinton Family is very powerful ,but had to give way to Barrack Obama to lead the Democratic Party .This was so because the people said so. Mr Mugabe despite being Zimbabwe’s founding President he has not found any suitably qualified “Revolutionary” in his party to carry on the struggle on behalf of the party. The Clintons tried to plead with the people that they were the true custodians of democratic values in the same way Mr Mugabe claims to be the only and true custodian of the Revolution .

So at party level there is an institutional problem whereby the party cant replace its leaders in a timely and democratic manner. And the problem migrates from the party to the whole nation.

It is clear Mr Mugabe feels since his two vice-Presidents ( Muzenda and Nkomo) died whilst in office the same should happen to him. The only problem is that his party members and others are taking notes of these tricks and tactics . If not checked and condemned this could become an acceptable “Zimbabwean” way of doing things.
Zimbabwe requires high levels of donor aid and foreign direct investment to reach its potential. However for this to fully materialize there is need for the country to conform to internationally recognized standards of doing things. Zimbabwe has to earn the confidence of the international community and arresting a deputy minister designate ahead of swearing in is hardly the sign to show seriousness or evidence that there is “Unity”

The criticism of the GNU mechanics and implementation must not be mis-interpreted as calling for continued suffering of the people. The move is welcome in as far as it helps the nation heal and recover. However in as far as it serves to clandestinely convert the Republic of Zimbabwe into a monarch headed by King Mugabe Zimbabweans must be at liberty to expose that.


Gilbert Muponda is can be contacted at gilbert@gmricapital.com