Accountability and transparency are essential values that must not be discarded. Unfortunately, ZANU PF seems determined to sweep them under the rug, along with other pressing issues. The recent allocation of new vehicles to the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD), likely funded by ZANU PF’s prominent supporter, Tagwirei, serves a dual purpose. These vehicles act as both blinders and incentives, but their true significance becomes evident within the context of ZANU PF’s relentless quest for a one-party state. ZANU PF knows that once it establishes such dominance, it can exploit resources and plunder without restraint.
POLAD beneficiaries have been clinging to a weak argument, asserting that it is the government, not ZANU PF, providing these vehicles. This argument, however, conveniently ignores the underlying urgency and necessity of POLAD. If indeed the government is distinct from ZANU PF, then there should be no constitutional crisis. POLAD was ZANU PF’s strategy to sidestep addressing the elephant in the room – ZANU PF’s illegitimacy in retaining power unconstitutionally. This illegitimacy stems from the dangerous merger of the criminal ZANU PF with the now paralyzed state.
This merger has been marked by an alarming centralization of power, accompanied by a chronic lack of checks and balances that independent state institutions, an impartial military, and an unbiased media should provide. Crucially, a robust constitution should deter such power concentration, but ZANU PF has systematically undermined it, using a compliant judiciary and a legislative majority to advance its campaign to weaken the constitution.
This prolonged erosion of the constitution by ZANU PF has given rise to a culture of rule by law and impunity. These conditions have created fertile ground for unchecked looting and plundering, which, in turn, fuel ZANU PF’s relentless pursuit of a one-party state. Their goal is to maintain unrestricted access to resources for self-enrichment at the expense of the people’s welfare and public service delivery. Rule by law and impunity have also emboldened ZANU PF’s disregard for fundamental constitutional rights, particularly human rights, and the diversion of public resources for personal gain.
The above analysis underscores an undeniable constitutional crisis centered on legitimacy, popular will, and consensus. The purpose of this argument is to debunk the flawed assertions of POLAD beneficiaries that ZANU PF and the government are distinct entities and that the vehicles will be used to promote POLAD’s empty philosophy. This crisis has caused the merging and subsequent paralysis of the state, pushing it perilously close to failure. This unsettling conflation remains unexamined because POLAD beneficiaries willingly accept cars from ZANU PF, perpetuating the illusion that ZANU PF’s dominance over the government is an accepted reality.
In this scenario, ZANU PF coerces POLAD into subservience and sycophantic behavior. The beneficiaries, in their gratitude, become pawns of ZANU PF, serving the purpose of presenting a false image that Mnangagwa and ZANU PF are inclusive, democratic, and a reformed party. By perpetuating this falsehood, ZANU PF retains power, the constitutional crisis is obscured by POLAD, and accountability and transparency are sacrificed. Rule by law and impunity continue to thrive, as does the state’s paralysis.
These compounding tragedies mean that Zimbabwe will not transition into a democracy. Instead, it will persist in its cycle of looting and plundering, while POLAD members and their cars age over time. Meanwhile, ZANU PF and its associates will continue to live lavish lives at the expense of the nation.