I believe, for reasons I will outline below, that it would be in the best interests of both Zimbabwe at large and your party Zanu (PF) if you urgently lay out plans to renew leadership in government.
It may be that those closest to you are, for their own selfish reasons, not telling you the truth about Zimbabwe’s perilous situation that is heightened by the uncertainty of the future after your tenure.
In fact, some maybe be deliberately misleading you to believe that the future of Zimbabwe, and even of Zanu (PF) is only assured with you at the helm. That view is clearly false and, as the wikileaks cables have revealed, there could be several senior figures within your party who privately express views to the contrary.
Well before the wikileaks revelations, one of your party politburo members, Jonathan Moyo, had already intimated that you ‘had become the embodiment of the institutionalized crisis [in Zimbabwe] such that your departure alone would be cathartic for the country.’ Zimbabwe needs a fresh start; now is the time to create space for the younger generation, which Moyo has called the generation 40, to take over leadership at party and government level.
Your failure to have a clear succession plan puts the country at risk of descending into anarchic chaos in the period following your tenure. The anarchy that is likely to ensue will not only be from Zanu (PF) members jostling to take over, but also from other quarters.
Your centrality to Zimbabwe’s governance infrastructure means that you are also central to initiating and pushing through fundamental reforms that can usher a brighter future for Zimbabwe based on strong, democratic, truly Zimbabwean institutions that safeguard the best interests of all Zimbabweans, particularly the most vulnerable members of our society. If Zimbabwe fails to institute credible reforms to end all forms of violence, intimidation and hate speech while you are still around, then achieving those reforms without you will be much more difficult.
Your Excellency, the call for peace and harmonious co-existence by Zimbabweans from different political persuasions you made during the burial of general Solomon Mujuru last month is positive and most welcome. However, my view is that such a call needs to be backed by swift action to bring perpetrators of serious human rights abuses to book and by clear indications on your part regarding renewal of leadership within your party and in government.
I sincerely hope therefore, that the following months will be devoted to a serious reflection on the future of the country and how best to pass on the baton in a way that guarantees peace and stability within the country. Although your party may have endorsed your candidature for president in the next elections, I strongly believe that the best course of action in the interests of the country would be to initiate a solid succession and leadership renewal plan.
It will be a great achievement that all Zimbabweans will cherish that, as part of your legacy, you left behind a united, peaceful and prosperous nation occupying its rightful place in the family of nations.
Post published in: Politics