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President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace
give the liberation-era salute
at the Zanu (PF) conference.
BY GIFT PHIRI
GOROMONZI
The ruling Zanu (PF)’s 9th national people’s conference was a resplendent affair where delegates were showered with food and luxuries, including ice cream, amidst countrywide shortages and poverty.
In an apparent bid to distract the party faithful, bussed from the country’s 10 provinces from the sad reality of the crippling shortages of the most basic of commodities, the Zanu (PF) machinery made certain that at least for the week of the conference there was maximum pomp and fanfare, with a massive 80 beasts being slaughtered for the extravagant conference.
The conference, which ended on Sunday at Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East, turned out to be one huge feast for the party’s leadership.
Lunch comprised a plate of sadza or rice and a choice between goat meat, lamb, beef or chicken. The sumptuous course was capped with ice cream and two bananas.
Delegates were also served with a bottle of mineral water to wash down these delectable delights. They chanted slogans with renewed vigour.
Goromonzi High School was an island of plenty far removed from the realities of present-day Zimbabwe where people have to scrounge around for basics such as bread, milk, sugar, mealie-meal and cooking oil.
As a further convenience for delegates and residents, fuel tankers were commandeered to Goromonzi High School and Marondera at the expense of the rest of the country where thousands of motorists had to endure endless hours in long queues for petrol.
Shop owners at Majuru, a dusty growth point next to the school, reported a boon in business from purchases made by delegates, mainly alcohol.
The high school, which was renovated for a massive $600 million by the ruling party, resembled a motor mart where the latest vehicles, including Mercedes Benz, BMWs and 4x4s surrounded the school.
The conference venue, which was dotted with huge white tents usually pitched at State House during official functions, was emblazoned with hate-filled and racist banners.
Security was unprecedented, and betrayed President Mugabe’s growing paranoia. There were at least three roadblocks between Harare and Goromonzi High School where passengers were subjected to intrusive body searches by gun-toting military intelligence officials.
Everyone visiting the school was expected to display their accreditation card and had to go through three checking points manned by police officers with metal detectors. Only those with accreditation cards for the conference were at liberty to move as they wished.
As a result, nightlife was confined to Zanu (PF) delegates as they patronised the nightclub at the nearby Majuru Growth Point where some chefs were seen making off with commercial sex workers in their cars.
Residents of the growth point said that, apart from the amusement provided by the ‘latest cars’ show, the Zanu (PF) Conference was of no relevance to them.
Another resident who watched President Mugabe’s speech on national television at a local bottle-store said it was disappointing that the president was harping on the past, encouraging division and threatening the opposition at every given opportunity.
“It is becoming difficult to tell which is the real Mugabe, between the one that spoke so admirably in 1980 and the promoter of hatred we are seeing today,” he said.
He said Mugabe’s unrepentant, hate-filled and racist speech was the exact antithesis of the kind of model non-tribal and non-racial society he told the world he was creating when he first took office as head of government in 1980.
A sales lady at a supermarket at Majuru Growth Point said it was apparent Mugabe had correctly read the mood of the nation and concluded that his party stood no chance of winning in a fairly contested presidential election in 2008 against the MDC, which he claimed was sponsored by Britain and the US governments, hence the need to postpone presidential elections.