Does it really matter who succeeds Mugabe?

By Tanonoka Joseph Whande

But they are all the same. The whole lot of them.

I am depressed.

The current political scene in Zimbabwe is chaotic, obscene and downright irresponsible. Never has greed had so many mouths, eyes and fingers.

The country is suffering because our politicians put themselves before the nation. They are all fighting to succeed the chief provocateur, Robert Mugabe, himself. I am depressed because never before has our nation needed strong, fair and visionary leadership like now.

There are many who want to lead Zimbabwe after the murderous and destructive Mugabe exits but none of them, in or outside of Zanu-PF, excite me into feeling our country would be rescued. They are so dull, uninspiring, below ordinary and simply mediocre.

Our political leaders have become proud clowns performing before a starving nation, demanding applause from abused citizens. In their political parties, they argue among themselves while ignoring their responsibilities and paying no attention to expectant citizens.

Zimbabwe’s politics is run by longtime thieves-in-arms who have come to believe that Zimbabwe is their personal preserve, along both tribal and family lines.

They fake getting out of each other’s way; they fake firing each other from their political parties then fake re-admitting the prodigal children back, pretending they had seen the light anew. They are always on a mission whether in or outside Zanu-PF.

The political situation in Zimbabwe has poisoned the way of life for most Zimbabweans who have given up on solutions through the ballot box and the multitude of political parties are not making a difference.

Painfully, the situation openly shows the greed and the lack of civility among our politicians. No one cares for the nation’s well-being or the people’s welfare; none of them cares about the children, the elderly and the infirm.

Opposition parties are not even aware of their responsibilities; they think that their biggest target is to get into power. They come from the same stem and they are all the same: cheap, ignorant, selfish and money-hungry. The people are the least of their concern.

Mugabe and his Zanu-PF destroyed the country, killed our people, ransacked our nation, stole from national coffers, and kidnapped our brethren – with some never to be seen or heard from ever again.

When you hear Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Biti, Mangoma, Mujuru, Ncube, Makoni and all those limp politicians and academics talk full of boldness, one can never believe that all these exceptional men and women are political leaders from a country whose economy is balanced on top of a ripening tomato sold on roadsides.

The political scene constantly changes yet the actors remain the same over generations. Half a century of the same mediocrity, greed and abuse, we are still being hunted but with increasing vengeance.

Mugabe mishandled, sidelined or expelled the likes of Cephas Msipa, Joyce Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Jabulani Sibanda, Rugare Gumbo and others. His inner circle is getting smaller yet is getting re-stuffed by meaningless unknowns who are either relatives, tribal faithfuls or monied cronies.

Each one of them has, at one time or other, killed innocent Zimbabweans, made one of us disappear, wronged us or taken advantage of the masses yet none of them cares to even apologise to the nation.

How can Didymus Mutasa now claim to want to fight on the side of Democrats? We remember Jestina Mukoko’s case much too well. Will he talk to us about these cases?
But, all of them may write books and talk all they want; they may reveal all the “secrets” they purport to know but they are only saying so because they were all sidelined or expelled from the party for one reason or other.

None of them walked away from Mugabe; it is only after Mugabe walked away from them that they started talking but blaming everyone else except themselves.

They busk in their self-created limelight asking us to follow them under different names and organisations because they no longer have a home and home is being among people who accept you as one of theirs.

My microscope fails to distinguish the differences among Mugabe (Zanu-Pf), Joice Mujuru and Didymus Mutasa (Zimbabwe People First), Simba Makoni (Mavambo) and all those new political leaders with new political parties.

At one time or other, we have all gone through hell at the hands of these people yet none of them acknowledges the bad things they did; none of them apologises; none of them admits any wrong doing. They just want us to accept them and cheer them to higher political levels. The arrogance!

Mugabe still dreams that he is popular among Zimbabweans and that he is still president because the people want him. The bugger cares little about people he killed and those murdered in his name; he does not think or acknowledge the atrocities he committed.

Mugabe himself is now just as much a victim of his own creations as the people are. It upsets me that, because of him, sections of our nation, our fellow citizens, are actually agitating for secession.

Zimbabwe is not Nigeria though.

The nation has an enemy in its president and that is as far as it goes. Parceling out sections of Zimbabwe to small tribes because of Mugabe is a ridiculous thing and will not happen; Zimbabwe does not belong to Robert Mugabe.

We never shall accept or promote the idea that because of Mugabe, Zimbabweans are tribalists. All the political parties who want us to follow them have a reason for their existence and none of those reasons have anything to do with the love to serve the people of Zimbabwe. It is not civics; it is financial.

Some, like Zimbabwe People First, want revenge against Zanu-Pf more than they care for our well-being. They must first itemise their crimes and apologise to the people.

Some, like Zanu-Pf’s G40, want the status quo to continue for their advantage; they want to preserve what they have stolen from the people and the nation and to protect their ill-gotten wealth.

The MDC formations just want an opportunity to do to Zimbabwe what Mugabe continues to do to the nation. We have seen their hand during the government of national unity and it is not impressive…except for a few individuals.

What political or ideological differences exist among Tendai Biti (People’s Democratic Party), Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T), Welshman Ncube (MDC-N) and Elton Mangoma (Renewal Democrats Of Zimbabwe)?

These people left a political party they formed together and established their own parties yet are the same ones talking about “grand coalition”. They failed to work together when they belonged to the same political party but now, having each established different political parties, believe they can come to some kind of understanding and succeed in working together. Are you kidding me?

Mutasa is rumoured to be contemplating a return to Zanu-Pf. Some of those expelled by Mugabe are also aching to rejoin him in Zanu-Pf because they cannot stomach the loss of income.

Our politicians have been like that for decades.

All political players on our stage are all the same so it really does not matter who succeeds Mugabe. It is not civics; it is financial.

They are all the same.