The liberators ought to fight another war

There are two undeniable facts about our recent political trajectory. For now, Zanu-PF is the custodian of our lives, be it prosperity or poverty. Second, whether we like it or not, Zanu-PF rule will one day come to an end.

Fighting the settler regime was driven by the spirit of independence and liberation. Today this is now history, thanks to our grandparents who sacrificed their lives and belongings.

More often than not, we are reminded that ‘we liberated this country and therefore we must rule’. Liberation must mean something to today’s generation. What is liberation without food?

What is liberation with more than eighty percent unemployed? A quarter of the population resides abroad in search of a better life. These questions question the notion of our liberation and the future of its proponents?

Throughout history, relevance of political ideas over generations is critical. Nkrumaism suffered a still birth in Ghana after Kwame Nkrumah’s government failed to respond to immediate needs of the society.

Nazism was outlawed in Germany as its ideas were deemed not safe and ideal for a progressive society. Socialism was fought with guns culminating in the fall of the Berlin wall and the opening of the famous Brandenburg gate.

At present, in the heart of Berlin, the famous Brandenburg gate that used to separate not only Germany, Europe but also socialism and capitalism is a centre of world tourism. These examples advance the thesis that political ideas and ideologies if not propagated over generations, extinction is imminent.

Today, it seems that the values and ideas of Zanu-PF stand for ever. Nevertheless, gazing into the future, it is tempting to argue that the ideas and values Zanu-PF stood and stand for will be considered a social outcast warranting outlawing.

Is that possible? Yes it is but under what circumstances?

Any political party that does not address the basic concerns of people’s lives creates one thing – hatred in the eyes of society. Already, our revolutionary party is a political party that is more feared than loved by the many Zimbabweans. Its name has been used to commit very inhuman crimes. No one bothers; even the leaders of the party have failed to safeguard the party’s brand.

There are no more threats of pure colonialism and liberation movements should evolve to make sense to present and future generations. Thus, for relevance’s sake the liberators must fight another war.

Not with guns but with policies and ideas that make positive progress in modern day society. As the young generation our needs are clear – socio-economic and political institutions that offer incentives and opportunities for progress.

For someone who has never lived outside Zimbabwe for just a month, it is very difficult to appreciate how countries should be run. It is no secret that, everything is wrong between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. Public health, education, infrastructure, water and sanitation, the list is endless, the liberators have failed to understand and manage the drivers of a modern nation state.

When life becomes miserable as what we endure day and night, you are forced to think deeply about the past, present and future. When a country cannot sustain its own currency? When political parties win an election through hook and crook?

When few ruling elites are showing signs of obesity due to overeating and corruption whilst children are dying of malnutrition on the way to clinics? When primitive accumulation replaces wealth creation and hard work? When a government fails to perform its very basic functions? It means that our very own liberation party is on the verge of extinction.

Those that want to save the liberation party from extinction must fight day and night so that, Zimbabweans see the necessity of keeping this party. This is however, a very fierce fight as it entails bringing alien terms to the fore.

The party must understand transparency, accountability, creativity and hard work – ingredients that are essential in the success of modern governments. History suggests that liberation parties became irrelevant after failing to address bread and butter issues.

Why should we keep a political party that brings misery, suffering and poverty in our lives? Why the cosmetics of a snake that even bites its own offsprings?

New research indicates that the liberators inherited systems and institutions that benefit them and their hold on power.

In concluding their fifteen years of research on states and governments in the book Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, two eminent professors argue that ‘the economic and political failure in Zimbabwe is yet another manifestation of the iron law of oligarchy – in this instance, with the extractive and repressive regime of Ian Smith being replaced by the extractive, corrupt and repressive regime of Robert Mugabe’.

After all, for progress and development, this is a political party that one day must be outlawed. For now, the liberators have a chance to fight for the survival of their party and its ideas.