PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 07: Members of Not In My Name SA Movement protest in solidarity with Zimbabweans at the Zimbabwean Embassy on August 07, 2020 in Pretoria, South Africa. It is reported that the group protested against the alleged human rights violations taking place in Zimbabwe. The country is facing challenges with the decaying economy, the health system has collapsed and the unemployment rate is alarming. (Photo by Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu)
Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF seems to be disintegrating following the Al Jazeera exposé of the illicit natural mineral trade in which its leadership, including its president, are allegedly implicated.
In an attempt to cleanse itself and its name, the country’s ruling party has decided to “freeze” accounts of people it (Zanu-PF) believes are kingpins it this racketeering enterprise.
As usual, we may not see the bank accounts and assets of the real kingpins touched in anyway. In cases like these, it has always been the “messengers” who bear the brunt.
They are the ones who get arrested and, if they are not lucky enough, face imprisonment. My country under the rule of the ANC is no different, but more arrogant.
The ruling party has no shame in rewarding people allegedly implicated in corruption with ministerial positions in government and leadership in the party.
Both the ANC and Zanu-PF have branded themselves as liberation movements. Perhaps they are, but liberation from what and from whom, we now ought to ask ourselves.
Any so-called liberation movement, its leadership and anyone connected to them who find themselves involved in any illicit trade of its country’s natural and any other resources for that matter, can no longer bear the title of a liberation movement.
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It has assumed the title of the oppressor. Zanu-PF is undoubtedly going to face the most unprecedented turmoil it ever imagined. Its rank and file membership, who have always been duped into believing in their leaders, are now beginning to ask real questions of their leaders.
It’s hegemony is definitely under scrutiny. If anything, the Al Jazeera exposé has woken up even the most gullible and ignorant of the Zanu-PF members and supporters.
Arising from the very exposé, ordinary Zimbabweans are now openly accepting interviews about the gold mafia debacle, something that was unheard of in Zimbabwe.
Their fear of Zanu-PF seems to have disappeared. Parliamentarians of that party and the opposition alike, for the very first time in decades, are singing from the same hymn book.
They now understand that Zimbabwe belongs to the people of Zimbabwe and not Zanu-PF. The resources stolen, they now understand, are stolen from Zimbabweans as a nation and not the opposition parties.
The Zimbabwe moment is upon us. The moment of facing the truth: the moment of building patriotism, solidarity and protecting the country and its resources against corruption and the tyranny of political parties under the cover of liberation struggle credentials.
I pledge my unreserved solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, who have decided to wage a new war of liberation against their erstwhile liberators who are on a mission to plunder that country’s resources for their self-enrichment.
And that in the face of Zimbabwe’s abject poverty, diminished national economy, poor and destroyed infrastructure and the complete absence of public services of any kind. I do hope that their solidarity and patriotism will be sustained.
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-Monama is an independent commentator and a former Azapo leader.
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