Zanu PF running scared

By Fungi Kwaramba

President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF is panicking that a combination of economic  decay, mass protests and factionalism  would result  in  internal instability,  the party’s  central committee  report tabled at the just-ended conference in Masvingo says.

According  to the report,  the  ruling  party’s focus has, for at least two years, been diverted to debilitating  factional wars — but the report offers no clue on how to tackle the deepening crises.

“Factionalism in the party,  if remained unchecked,  will negatively  affect internal stability” reads part of the report.

The ugly Zanu PF factional fights have sucked in even the military, with Mugabe himself confirming last year at the party’s conference in Victoria  Falls that the security  sector is directly  involved  in the unending succession wars.

Vice President  Emmerson  Mnangagwa who  is said to be leading the  Team Lacoste faction, which backs his bid to be the next president  reportedly enjoys the support of some high ranking army officials while his rivals in the Generation  40, a group of Young Turks in the divided party  also have a section of the military  backing  them.

A scared Zanu PF that is now fearing losing the 2018 elections  noted in the report that factionalism could result in its  demise if it goes on unchecked.

“The party should not give the opposition  political parties  an opportunity  to capitalise on factionalism and gain mileage in the 2018 elections” reads the report.

On the widespread protests that the country witnessed this year, the central committee reports try to pin the opposition for fanning unrest.

“Opposition  political  parties including  the MDC and the Zimbabwe  People  First ((ZPF) as well as civil  organisations  are fuelling social  unrest that has led to destruction  of property, threat to lives and distortion of the  general  state of security  in the country,” says the report.

Noting that the demonstrations that  have been  captured  by the internal and external  media pose a threat  to the country’s  investor attractiveness, the report said that “people who have  nothing  to lose remain  the greatest threat to the  country’s security. These include the unemployed, homeless, hungry and individuals who see no light  in Zimbabwe”.

Stating the  widely  held view that corruption  runs  in its veins in the report, the ruling party noted that “widening inequalities  and rising corruption  are creating tension  among people which is a threat  to national  security”.

In the wake of threats  to Mugabe’s  36-year  rule, the report  says that there is urgent need to ramp  up agricultural  productivity  so as “minimise  security  threats arising from  lack of jobs, hunger and limited  business opportunity  for our people”.

In view  of factionalism  which has also paralysed  government  work, the report says that there is need  to “adopt  strategies to manage it and promote  unity”. Daily News