Politics in Zimbabwe now poisonous

The Mutsvangwa faction of the war veterans is the legal association according to the courts but several factions displaying different loyalties have sprung up.

The war veterans said: “We are reclaiming our party and its assets. (Mugabe) is free to go and form his G40 Party with his receptionist wife and the G40 cabal. The Patriotic Front belongs to us, it is ours. If he wants, he can resuscitate FROLIZI since that was his original and real party.”

FROLIZI, the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe, was formed in 1971 and was supposed to unite members of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union and the Zimbabwe African National Union and was led by James Chikerema who had been ZAPU vice-president.

The party which included the late Nathan Shamuyarira was dominated by Zezurus so much that it was dubbed the Front for the Liaison of Zezuru Intellectuals.

The squabbles for power among the political leaders while the country’s economy continues to plunge has prompted the churches to issue a statement calling for tolerance.

“Our understanding of unity has been corrupted,” Zimbabwe Council of Churches secretary-general Kenneth Mutata said.

“It is now defined as conformity, passivity and not asking questions and anyone who raises questions is viewed as a sell out and this is now common in both our churches and in political spaces.

“Our ability to push diverse views and ideas has shrunk and for this reason our politics has become poisonous and there is no more civilized debate in our institutions,” he said.

Zimbabwe has been plunged into a nation of zombies.

At one time, nine out of ten provinces called for national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere to go. Now 10 out of 10 provinces are calling for Mnangagwa to go.

The sad thing is that most Zimbabweans are viewing the squabbles within ZANU-PF as party squabbles which have nothing to do with them, yet everything happening in ZANU-PF right now affects everyone because it will determine who ultimately rules the country.

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