#Mnangagwa must abandon his obsession with kuvukura (barking dogs) insult of the opposition

By Sibanengi Dube

Hold on! Something must be explained out here. Wild celebrations by Zimbabweans over the removal of former President Robert Mugabe should not be mistaken as an endorsement of the incoming Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Zimbabweans are multifarious enough to separate between the two. The celebrations were limited to the fall of Mugabe only. Mugabe is an accomplice in visiting upon Zimbabwe poverty, scotched earth policy and squashing democratic space.

And all other Zanu PF leaders are accessories to the crime. Mnangagwa is just riding on the crest of the wave of euphoria. Any further celebrations after the exodus of Gushungo will hugely dependant on how Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF will carry themselves.

This is not the time of blame shifting, displaying grudges or exhibiting anger. The problems that Zanu PF inflicted upon Zimbabweans for 37 years cannot be limited to Mugabe. Any attempt to do so is counter-productive and fatuous. Mnangagwa’s prominent roles in prompting up Mugabe are well documented.

This is the time of rebuilding from the foundation level. There is nothing to building on. Zanu PF ransacked the country out of currency. This is a fact. Zimbabweans are however smart enough to realise that Zanu PF is a system not an individual. This is however not the time to remind each other of the mistakes committed in the past. The focus is to start afresh from zero as a collective.

The naked fact is that Zimbabweans were so desperate to see the back of Mugabe to an extent that they accepted any means available to get him out of the highest office in the land. It was a matter of whoever can help in getting rid of the senile and ailing Bob was welcome.

A starving man would accept bread from any source and doesn’t have the luxury of turning down stolen food. The quality of the process of removing Bob was banished to the back seat, making the whole process a result oriented venture. Does this desperation hover around satanic levels? Munhu waromba, unoda mari haadi chikwambo.

This explains why a globin would retreat into a ghostly and mysterious form/state after delivering money because its owner doesn’t appreciate its presence.

I am however not suggesting that our Army is a Chikwambo. No.

That was a mere anecdote designed to reinforce a point. Neither am I associating the people’s liberators (Army) with evil spirits. But we cannot however run away from the fact the Army bent the law in defence of Mnangagwa’s presidential ambitions and in the process the interests of the masses were also served by default. The public’s benefit is a mere by-product of the military action in pursuit of a different agenda. Zimbabweans know this, but they have no desire to belittle such a huge achieve even though it came out by collage and montage.

The Army’s actions have all the markings of a coup except for the convenient fact that the military shared the same wishes with the majority of Zimbabweans who were also happy to see Gushungo going by all means necessary. This must be comprehended well.

Utterances by Zanu PF junior leader Patrick Chinamasa that the opposition has no space in the immediate political dispensation is a clear display of failure to read the situation correctly. Shockingly the man is one of the celebrated legal minds in Zimbabwe. War Veterans Chairman Chris Mutsvangwa is spot on. His public rebuke of Chinamasa must be interpreted as reform mechanisms which should remain in place.

The people of Zimbabwe are not stupid to the extent of immediately surrendering their lives again either Zanu PF or Mnangagwa or both. The rabid conduct of Zanu PF since the 1980 cannot be rapidly forgotten simply because Mnangagwa successfully out-foxed his former boss.

Mnangagwa cannot be successfully paraded as a saint to Zimbabweans. Of course none of us is a saint. He committed ‘bloody’ mistakes just like all of us but has just been given an opportunity to redeem his image. This is political penalty shoot-out which he cannot afford to miss.

The only way Mnangagwa could spare himself continuous and damaging public condemnations is to immediately show signs of remorse. He must seek a semblance of legitimacy by involving all political formations, diaspora community, churches, war veterans and labour.

The Mnangagwa led government needs more support and goodwill from everyone. This juvenile government can’t afford to limp from the current disaster to another. We would have all failed Zimbabwe if we sabotage this attempt to rebuild from Mugabe’s remnants. This time Zimbabweans will not make the mistake of surrendering politics to a few characters. Any off-side conduct on the part of the government will be met with stiff resistance.

Mnangagwa’s first address as Zanu PF President and State President in waiting on Wednesday left a lot to be desired. His pasi nemanduuuu utterances are unpresidential. This suggests that our president has enemies that must be hunted down. Who are his enemies? G40? Grace or MDC? The man must also abandon his obsession with kuvukura (barking) statement. Only a dog can bark and honestly a President can’t sink that low to an extent of attacking his opponents as imbwa (dogs).