Mugabe, Exploiting ‘Chimurenga Heroes Skulls Saga’ , To Gain Negligible Nationalist Advantage’.

The extent to which President Robert Mugabe has exploited the issue of the Chimurenga heroes’ skulls illustrates the desperation of the Zanu-PF regime to attract support.

This is populism pure and simple. Harare and London have been negotiating the issue for several months, the president confirmed at Heroes Acre on Monday. Discussions began in December we are told.

Quite clearly, Britain wants to avoid giving Mugabe a propaganda gift when the country is on its knees as a result of his policies. He will seize on anything that comes his way.

His reference to the skulls means he has been fully briefed on the issue. But that didn’t stop him making a meal of it as soon as an audience presented itself.

Former Information minister Jonathan Moyo rather neatly exposed the problem: “How can we focus on the economy when the skulls are displayed in a British museum,” he remarked on Twitter, his preferred medium.

Whatever the case, here and now we can see Zanu-PF manipulating historical issues to secure a narrow nationalist advantage. Fortunately the country is not swallowing it. Eighteen-ninety six was a good while ago and Zanu-PF has had every opportunity to address the issue, just as it did with the Zimbabwe museum pieces in Cape Town. What people want now is food on their tables and that doesn’t remotely seem to be coming despite Mugabe’s promise in the 2013 election campaign.

What the country does need is intelligent economic management which means avoidance of damaging populist measures.

– Source-bulawayo24.