Who is fuelling squabbles in MDC and ZANU-PF?

“Aware of the divisive and often times confrontational nature of elections and by elections; Noting the need to allow this agreement to take root amongst the parties and people of Zimbabwe; and Cognisant of the need to give our people some breathing space and a healing period…….”

These were the opening words of Article 21 of the Global Political Agreement signed by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change in September 2008 to end the political strife that had bedeviled the country for eight years before spilling out of control in the six months after the March 2008 elections.

But it appears that this noble recognition of what causes turmoil in Zimbabwe was thrown out with the expiry of the agreement because Zimbabweans have not been given any breathing space after the July 2013 elections, won overwhelmingly by ZANU-PF but heavily contested by the MDC which insists they were rigged.

Surprisingly , although the two major political parties are aware of the divisive nature of elections, they have been in election mode ever since.

The MDC has been insisting on fresh free and fair national elections but this was soon overtaken by internal squabbles within the party which saw it splitting with secretary-general Tendai Biti walking away with a group largely of intellectuals while Tsvangirai remained with the masses. But that was not the end. There are still squabbles within Tsvangirai’s group as the party prepares for its congress due next month.

The internal squabbles within ZANU-PF have been bitter and more intense and have all been attributed to the battle for succession, though it appears that everyone seems to agree that party leader Robert Mugabe is going nowhere.

Both ZANU-PF and the MDC seem to have forgotten that while they are squabbling, the country is collapsing and is a free-for-all. One observer even joked that if the current squabbles persist, the country might not even survive until 2018 when the next elections are due.

Both the MDC and ZANU-PF claimed in their election manifestos that they would revive the country’s economy and create employment but all that has been forgotten.

The squabbles are more for personal survival than national redemption.

This poses a lot of questions.

Why are the people in MDC and ZANU-PF fighting?

What are they fighting for?

Who is fuelling the fighting, and why?

Someone is obviously benefitting from the squabbles and it could be that by the time politicians from the MDC and ZANU-PF wake up to this reality, there would be no country to talk about.

Just imagine, if the country lost US$11.8 billion through illicit transfers when it was still using the Zimbabwe dollar, what about now when it is using the United States dollar?

Aren’t the current squabbles being fuelled to divert attention while the country’s wealth is being siphoned out of the country?

As one Youtube video says: We never seem to get it, it says referring to blacks across the world.

“You would rather fight against each other instead of your enemies. This is bad business and you will never get true freedom doing things this way….You people are the stupid ones, going around trying to love everybody but yourselves.”

(178 VIEWS)