In a classic case of evading responsibility and refusing to acknowledge reality, ZANU PF recently resorted to a public relations exercise. This exercise aimed to redirect attention away from the rampant corruption and extravagance within ZANU PF to focus on sanctions. Ironically, these sanctions were imposed to curb ZANU PF’s self-enrichment, which they have single-mindedly pursued by systematically undermining the country’s supreme law. This manipulation has allowed ZANU PF to consolidate power and abuse it, resulting in gross violations of fundamental human and property rights.
Enter Douhan, an Iranian project funded by Tehran, Damascus, Caracas, and now Harare – all seats of power for not only tyrannical and authoritarian governments but also the most corrupt, illegitimate, and unconstitutional ones. These governments have blurred the lines between state and party, causing their nations to teeter on the brink of collapse. Douhan, an opportunistic figurehead, relies on hijacking the authority and name of the United Nations to prop up tyrants and dictators, such as ZANU PF, but her efforts have failed, evident by her omission of consultations with the only legitimate opposition.
ZANU PF’s miscalculations are glaring. Afrobarometer intervened, disrupting their attempts to spin a narrative that the United Nations condemned the sanctions. This development holds significant implications, not least among them the fact that had ZANU PF succeeded, it would have painted a picture of the United Nations disregarding the constitutional rights of Zimbabweans. This dangerous precedent would have allowed corruption to thrive at the expense of public goods and services. The sanctions prevent these regimes from using Western systems and facilities to move and stash their ill-gotten wealth.
ZANU PF’s scheme was a flop, as no one bought into it. The focus remains on their corruption, a vice for which they have committed heinous acts. The people have spoken through Afrobarometer’s comprehensive survey, in stark contrast to Douhan’s biased approach. The survey overwhelmingly concluded that ZANU PF is responsible for the current crisis, whether in rural areas, where people have been reduced to peasants, or in urban areas, where they struggle to make ends meet. This revelation is a shock to ZANU PF, which is in denial and faces its existential threat in Chamisa.
A staggering 65% of respondents in the survey squarely blamed ZANU PF for the crisis, encompassing issues like unemployment, deindustrialization, rampant inflation eroding people’s incomes, and high living costs compared to mediocre living standards. The government, unresponsive and unconstitutional, stands as a symbol of illegitimacy, having subverted the people’s will through a partisan military. Even the military’s rank and file are not immune to the hardships brought about by public goods and services deprivation and inflation, further eroding ZANU PF’s standing.
In essence, Zimbabweans are politically conscious and well aware of the forces responsible for their misery and frustration. ZANU PF can no longer evade accountability for its failures and growing irrelevance. The people are ready to take action, and the ZANU PF party, riddled with internal factional conflicts, may face a humiliating defeat in the upcoming 2023 elections, if it doesn’t crumble before then.