BY Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Let’s be brutally honest!
When the late toppled dictator Robert Gabriel Mugabe was still in power, how many people, especially within the ruling ZANU PF, actually believed his long-time protégé was the most capable person to take over?
I mean a genuine deep-felt conviction that Mnangagwa was so gifted and able to the extent that he was the best foot forward for Zimbabwe.
How many believed, from the bottom of their hearts, that Mnangagwa was the most suitable person within the country to lead Zimbabwe to dizzying heights of economic, social, and political success?
In fact, how many of those people urging Mnangagwa, today, to remain in office way past his constitutional term limit, which is supposed to end in 2028, truthfully believe that he is the best thing Zimbabwe has to offer?
Let us be totally honest now.
Or, is this all about blind support for Mnangagwa – usually premised on friendships, alliances, and allegiances motivated by self-interests?
Is it not about what the particular individual will get for himself, should he show this unquestioned loyalty to Mnangagwa?
Let us look at the other side.
What about those backing vice president Constantino Chiwenga in this deepening factional power struggles within the ruling party?
What do they see in the retired military general that makes them sincerely believe he possesses what it takes to move Zimbabwe past the seemingly unending economic and political mess we have been trapped in for nearly two-and-half decades?
Or, again, is this all about personal interests for the particular individuals involved?
The truth, as far as I am concerned, is that we never choose leaders in Zimbabwe purely based on merit.
It is quite obvious.
ZANU PF, as an entity, is not totally terrible.
We have had, and still have, quite a number of gifted and able people with immense potential and competencies within the ruling party.
There have been several individuals whom I personally believed could have taken the country to great heights of development.
There was Simba Makoni and Nkosana Moyo, to mention just a few.
Of course, there are many more even today.
These people, in spite of holding top government positions as cabinet ministers, were never implicated in any corruption or scandal of any kind.
Actually, I can safely say that the only ‘controversy’ these men were involved in was standing up against Mugabe.
Makoni was fired by Mugabe in 2002 due to differences over how to manage the economy – as he (Makoni) was against the latter’s schizophrenic and kleptomaniac-driven economic policies.
Let us not forget that, in 1983, Makoni was elected the first Executive Secretary of the SADCC (Southern African Development Coordination Conference) – the precursor to SADC (Southern African Development Community) – a position he held for ten years.
He had undeniable phenomenal leadership qualities and an outstanding thinker.
In May 2001, Moyo resigned as Zimbabwe’s industry and trade minister allegedly over disagreements with Mugabe on how to save the country’s economy, which had begun its free fall.
Moyo – a technocrat like Makoni – believed that the only way out for crisis-hit Zimbabwe was for Mugabe to form a GNU (government of national unity).
Nonetheless, for purely self-serving reasons, Mugabe – with the prodding of hardliners within his government and party – adamantly refused.
Again, as mentioned earlier, those who claimed to support Mugabe were clearly doing so for their own selfish interests.
Had they not perceived Moyo’s suggestion as a threat to their own positions on the gravy train, Zimbabwe’s economy may have not collapsed to the extent we experienced in the early 2000s.
Sadly, we have never fully recovered from this fateful decision by Mugabe and his loyalists.
In fact, despite Mugabe’s stubbornness for the next eight years – which witnessed unprecedented record-breaking inflation rates – the only thing that eventually saved the economy from complete destruction was a GNU with the opposition MDC in 2009.
Is there, then, any question that Makoni and Moyo were the best people to lead Zimbabwe?
They were also ZANU PF members.
So why were they never supported by their fellow party colleagues to take over the country?
Indeed, Makoni did get the support of a few – including the late former army general Solomon Mujuru – but that never received any significant traction within ZANU PF.
The question still stands.
Why do we not choose leaders on the basis of merit?
Why do we continue to have leaders who come to power either through brute force or skulduggery and Machiavellianism?
Besides, such types of leaders are usually crooks and criminals, who are adept at bribing, manipulating, or even threatening fellow party members for support – with the politics of patronage taking centre stage.
We can look at what is happening right now as the power struggles in ZANU PF intensify in the face of Mnangagwa’s term coming to an end.
Where are the gifted members with real abilities and competencies to take Zimbabwe to higher levels in this race to take over from Mnangagwa?
Why are these people not being considered or even talked about as potential successors?
I will not throw any names around for fear of being seen as campaigning for any particular individuals.
Nonetheless, there are decent people, even in ZANU PF, who can turn this country’s fortunes around.
Tragically, just as happened to Makoni and Moyo, they will never be allowed anywhere near the reins of power due to the selfish desires and interests of those backing the so-called ‘frontrunners’.
Who can deny that none of the ‘big names’ currently being touted to succeed Mnangagwa are better than the incumbent who has rundown Zimbabwe and worsened our suffering.
It is about time we chose leaders who were good for the country even if we did not benefit personally.
● Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
