After a landslide win for President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF in last week’s elections, the party is poised to dominate Zimbabwe’s political landscape for the next five years.
BY PATRICE MAKOVA
Analysts said this will not only enable Zanu PF to implement the policies it has been advocating for, anchored on indigenisation and empowerment, but also provide an opportunity for the party to finally resolve the succession of Mugabe.
University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer, Eldred Masunungure said it would no longer be business as usual for Zanu PF.
He said the party has learnt from the mistakes it made in the pre-government of national unity (GNU) era, particularly those related to the mismanagement of the economy, which resulted in it losing popularity.
Masunungure said a semblance of normalcy would prevail in their policy-making arena, including reviewing some of Zanu PF flagship policies such as indigenisation.
“I don’t expect the radical nationalism postures that characterised their campaigns. They will review indigenisation, not in the sense of an amendment of the Act but they will turn a blind eye to some of its provisions. They will not be rigidly applied,” he said.
Masunungure said a new Zanu PF government would try to demonstrate that it could perform better than the outgoing GNU.
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“Zanu PF will try to prove that their government minus the MDC will do the job better. Zimbabwe will not go back to the reign of terror,” he said.
The UZ lecturer said unbelievable as it may sound, there would be normalisation in terms of both domestic and international relations.
He said the European Union, the United States and other countries which had applied targeted sanctions were likely to remove the measures, especially after the African Union and Sadc endorsed last week’s elections.
Masunungure said the Western countries promised to remove sanctions on condition that elections were peaceful, free and credible. He said the endorsements of the elections by the African regional groups made it easier for the Western world to remove the sanctions.
But Masunungure said while Zanu PF made it in the elections partly because of unity, there would be renewed fights in the party as the battle to succeed 89- year-old Mugabe intensifies.
“The party has a history of behaving similar to baboons when they face a common enemy. When the enemy disappears, they fight each other,” he said. “The current glue that binds the party [Mugabe] is not getting younger. He is more frail and his capacity to control the infighting is reduced.”
The UZ lecturer foresees an escalation of existing factionalism and emergence of new factions with the view to occupy strategic positions.
Political analyst, Ernest Mudzengi agreed that the election outcome presented an opportunity for Zanu PF to sort out its succession.
But he does not see Zanu PF implementing democratic reforms, considering that the party resisted their implementation during the GNU era.
“If they implement any reforms, it will be for window dressing,” said Mudzengi.
Another political analyst, Gift Mambipiri said Vice-President Joice Mujuru appeared by party hierarchy to be the natural successor. But he said a careful look at the election results showed that the faction loyal to Defence minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa faction outperformed the other camp linked to her.
“They might want their king to don the kingly robes more than anyone else. All this might have negative consequences on the country,” said Mambipiri.
Political analyst, Clever Bere said after winning an election against a weakened opponent in the form of a fractured MDC-T, disconnected from its civil society allies, Zanu PF must howevershape up.
“They may find themselves having to fight another battle, as I am sure there are other forces already shaping up to challenge Zanu PF. I believe these possess a bigger threat given the fact they have learnt lessons from MDC’s failure,” he said.
Mugabe in succession Dilemma
Political analyst, Gift Mambipiri said Mugabe was in the most comfortable position from which to secure his legacy for good. He said the Zanu PF leader would try to put his nationalistic stamp on the country for good through the policy of indigenisation.
Mambipiri said Mugabe may possibly invite a few outsiders from business and social forums into his government, to window dress and appear to be accommodating.
“But he knows the electoral victory was a semi-final win. The real final is on leaving the party in the best shape, which will only happen if the succession politics is handled well. This is his new and final headache,” he said.
