Tendai Chabvuta: Tribute to Dewa Mavhinga (1979 – 2021)

The AFRICAN and DRAMA at a funeral seem to be difficult things to separate. When the legend Robert Mugabe died, the drama could have made a blockbuster Bollywood movie.

By Tendai Chabvuta In a country where: One can pass the airport with 6KGs of gold in a handbag and still argue that they carried the wrong handbag. Where military people can be accused of buying million-dollar homes and rent them out to the state without shame and consequence. Where millions of Covid funds can be plundered and no one is held accountable. Where hoodlums can plunder a whole power generating company and still be able to win the cases in court. Where ‘white collar crime’ is celebrated as “being connected; entrepreneurial and innovative.” Where a whole judiciary and prosecution can implement “catch and release policies” without shame. Where senior government officials plunder resources through junkets, tenders and no one can raise a finger. Where tenderpreneuring criminals dressed in suits are acquitted because of lack of evidence. One would wonder how then it is possible that cases of armed robbers who conduct such heinous activities can be caught within hours of committing the crime and the same investigators cannot catch the ones plundering taxpayers money.

By Tendai Chabvuta The big question that has been asked by many since the whole Strategic Ambiguity doctrine started was how it is possible that a serious political party vying to run a whole country cannot govern itself by a constitution. The whole defense made by the CCC that part of it was to fend off infiltration by supposed ruling party and intelligence operatives is neither here nor there. While the allegations could be true, the idea smacks of a primitive way of dealing with challenges. If one cannot trust one’s own systems in a political party how much more would they be able to defend such attacks at a national level. It is unheard of and does not make sense.

Tendai Chabvuta: After all the outcries and a petition to the High Court by lawyers standing for the parents of the then 10-year-old girl who was raped, ZANU PF continues to seemingly rub salt in the wounds of those aggrieved – first by the unlawful pardon and then the pampering of the ex-convict.

Tendai Chabvuta: "The current debate in Zimbabwe over the 27 July High Court ruling in Bulawayo barring CCC candidates from standing for election in the 23 August plebiscite because they missed the 16:00HRS nomination court deadline rages with all manner of interpretations. What is clear though is that while ZANU PF supporters are celebrating this technical victory and the CCC candidates plot to counter ZANU PF, it is Zimbabwe and its citizens that will emerge as the ultimate losers come election day. The judiciary as well as the ZANU PF party is missing a chance at guaranteeing Zimbabwe’s peace, security and enhancing democracy by this judgement which is overly legalistic and devoid of political praxis."