The original swallowing of Zapu by Zanu was a bitter pill for committed Zapu cadres and dyed-in-the-wool democrats. For one thing, it entailed the robbing of father Zimbabwe, Chibwe Chitedza Nkomo, of his rightful, unfettered access to the State House. For another, it meant that we as a nation had to wait a little longer before we could experience genuine democracy and democracy delayed is democracy denied.
Two months after the falling of the mighty Nkomo came the MDC. That some vacuous fellows led by Dabengwa claim to have resurrected the derelict party is rather nauseating. Because they do not know how to proceed on the traffic signs of politics, they routinely oppose the MDC as it is the one that occasioned the demise of Zapu in the first place.
Propaganda machine
They have been part of the Zanu propaganda machinery for too long. First of all, the formation of the MDC engineered an end to their unrestrained access to the cookie jar. Secondly, MDC holds the bulk of the constituencies and wards in Matabeleland so opposing them from the former Zapu stronghold might bear some fruit. This makes the MDC a sworn enemy that has to be tackled with all Zapu resources.
Before the formation of the MDC in late 1999, it appeared as if Zanu was going to rule forever. The likes of Dabengwa, Thenjiwe Lesabe, Methuseli Moyo and Tinaye Chugudu were up there enjoying the spoils of being in the corridors of power. It was the historic 2000 poll that brought the likes of Dumiso back to mother earth. His loss in that poll at the hands of the MDC stripped him of all his political fortunes. His disenchantment with the MDC is thus understandable.
But who is responsible for Dumiso’s misfortune? The man can blame Nkomo, Mugabe or himself. Nkomo for allowing Zapu to be swallowed by Zanu in the first place, Mugabe for swallowing Zapu and later dropping him from the cabinet. On a large scale, Dabengwa has to blame himself for being allowed to go with the wind. If he was so principled, he was senior enough in Zapu to oppose the swallowing of Zapu in the first place. That he opted to stick with Zanu until he was kicked out of cabinet speaks volumes about his myopic opportunism.
Zapu’s undoing
Dabengwa and his cronies think that they can revive Zapu from Matabeleland and pull the whole region from beneath the feet of the MDC. This will prove to be their worst undoing, reducing the whole region into a bunch of gullible yes-men who can be tribally hoodwinked to subvert the true course of democracy. Alchemist Welshman Ncube experimented but failed dismally in a similar project.
The most that Dabengwa and company can do is smuggle a few votes from Zanu. No sane member of either MDC formation has joined Zapu. It has only been swelled by Zanu losers, that is, those who are no longer feeding from the high table because the cake has become too small. I, therefore, fail to see how they can ever draw support away from the MDC as many Zanu sympathetic periodicals suggest.
What is more intriguing about the whole Zapu saga is that another Zanu tentacle by the name of Simba is reported to have affirmed his support of Zapu whenever a future election is to be held. Welshman with his ever dwindling support base (one wonders if he still has enough support to give him a seat in parliament) is also contemplating a merger with Dabengwa’s crew. This appears to be a grand opposition which is quite good for democracy. In substance though, it is a ploy by Zanu to rig the coming poll by proxy as they did in 2008.
I hope and trust that the masses can see that Zanu has deployed its prodigal sons only to destroy the MDC and frustrate democracy. The group is going to get a bitter taste of their own medicine. Once bitten twice shy. We have been under Zanu misrule for long enough to be able to read their rigging machinations.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis
I have never seen such a poor attempt on propaganda. The guy JOSEPHAT JIRIHANGA MUGADZAWETA seems to have been de-fossilised just in the past hour. “Blame Nkomo Nkomo for allowing ZAPU to be swallowed”? Where was he when his brothers massacred ZAPU members? Who was able to challenge Mugabe from inside ZAPU-PF if it wasn’t Dabengwa and Mujuru to an extent? Can this guy provide an example where ZAPU has attacked MDC or any party for that matter. Unlike MDC-T, ZAPU does not focus on other political formations hoping divert attention from their haphazard stamped to to occupy State House. Ask any MDC-T member what their mission is – “To remove Mugabe!” What next after Mugabe is gone? Simply replace him with Tsvangirai to continue looting the country’s resources. The fact that this guy is screaming so loudly without provocation is evidence of his(their) fear of ZAPU. Come down to earth Josphat and smell the roses!