Where is SK Moyo in this chaos?

Obituaries
The drama that is unfolding in Zanu PF presents the ruling party as the proverbial headless chicken; without leadership brains, without eyes to see what is going on around it and without a mouth — given the deafening silence of the party spokesperson.

The drama that is unfolding in Zanu PF presents the ruling party as the proverbial headless chicken; without leadership brains, without eyes to see what is going on around it and without a mouth — given the deafening silence of the party spokesperson.

The Oracle by Tangai Chipangura

What we have is disorganised noise coming from every corner of the many party structures — the presidium, the main wing, women’s league, the youth. What is becoming apparent is that Zanu PF is now under the control of party supporters and not members. It explains the chaos that has become inherent in the organisation.

A football club where supporters are in charge of the affairs of the club is nothing but chaos. Supporters are not worried about the welfare or future of an organisation. Their interest lies only in the decimation of opposing views and immediate satisfaction. This is what seems to be happening in Zanu PF.

simon-khaya-moyo-(4)

What makes the situation particularly worrying is that while the supporters bicker and tear each other apart, the person who is supposed to outline party position and restore sanity is conspicuous by his silence. There is so much chaos that even in government, ministers wake up in the morning speaking serious policy issues without the knowledge of Cabinet or Parliament.

Where is Simon-Khaya Moyo, the party spokesperson, to tell the nation what is going on in Zanu PF? Senior party officials are calling each other all sorts of names in public over party issues and there is no one to call them to order.

“Errant” and “childish” professors’ who “misguide power-hungry clowns” of the G40 faction are mauled in multisyllabic verbiage on a daily basis and they respond in kind, calling their protagonists “Ambitious and murderous successionists”! The fight is over President Robert Mugabe’s throne and the platform is the social media and even state newspapers! Yet, the party mouthpiece remains quiet.

Those that throw this verbal sewage at each other are very senior party officials who represent even more senior officials where the factional leadership sits. SK could easily rein in these foul-mouthed messengers of factional godfathers and mothers by officially gagging them. He has, however, chosen to watch from the terraces — probably laughing like the rest of the spectators of this intriguing dogfight.

This could be the reason George Charamba took it upon himself to try and deal with the situation, albeit in a very curious way, attacking journalists for reporting that Jonathan Moyo is calling some people “successionists” and trying to convince everyone that there is no factionalism in Zanu PF! In whose corner then are the “successionists” fighting? Against who or what? There is really nothing called G40? Not everyone is a fool Cde Charamba!

In the meantime, every minister now thinks they have the power to decide and say whatever they want and call it policy. Ministers contradict each other on policy issues daily and in embarrassing fashion — even calling each other ignoramuses. Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa is called an idiot for proposing a national rescue mission by another minister whose job is to look after war veterans!

One begins to wonder if these people sit together in Cabinet, the politburo and central committee or in Parliament where legislation is crafted. It looks like the party and government is now fragmented into autonomous subsidiaries where everybody contradicts everyone, including even the president himself.

At this rate, we should not be surprised to hear the First Lady Grace appointing and announcing Cabinet ministers!

Meanwhile, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko appeared to be declaring his belief in the “bedroom coup”, allegedly seen by Jabulani Sibanda. He told the nation at last week’s rally addressed by First Lady Grace Mugabe in Rushinga that by virtue of her being the president’s wife, she was entitled to equal respect and therefore treatment as the Head of State — and so were his and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wives — also entitled to the respect reserved for VPs.

Granted, for protocol purposes couples can be addressed jointly, but it is surely a different issue when it comes to respect and treatment of national leaders and their wives. True, the First Lady is entitled to such State provisions as transport, personal aides and bodyguards, but commandeering presidential airplanes and the attendant escort military helicopters while on party business is really something else.

Yes, the First Lady deserves and must be accorded respect, but again, it becomes a different issue when her every trip must cripple government business as the entire Cabinet and scores of parliamentarians are obliged to accompany her, deserting their offices and critical national obligations, including Parliament business.

It goes beyond “deserved respect” when massive national resources, including national broadcasting services and hundreds of security personnel, are deployed for use by the president’s wife. The wife of the president of the United States would certainly not so easily commandeer Air Force One in order to go and address structures of her party!

Zimbabwe has had a First Lady before; Sally Heyfron Mugabe who, like Grace, was the Zanu PF Women’s League boss and also travelled around the country addressing rallies. She did not go about publicly flaunting presidential powers — calling herself “unconquerable”, belittling, threatening and firing top government and party officials willy-nilly. So, true, there might have been nothing amiss with Mphoko going around introducing Grace to her rallies, but these excesses could not have all escaped him. Jabulani Sibanda saw this and dared speak about a “bedroom coup”. He was fired.

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