Mugabe Gears Up For This Year’s Zanu PF Annual December Congress And 2018 Ballot

I have always warned that, Mugabe is a heartless  leader who  will  easily come up with chilling oppresive mechanisms of stamping his ruthless authority over the people of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe’s tactics are more evident whenever we approach major political phases that could easily upset the balance of power in Zanu PF and the republic of Zimbabwe.

The most obvious  challenge that Mugabe is facing now, is the approaching annual December congress for 2015, typically a difficult stage in politics for Mugabe, who faces  an increasily hostile atmosphere from a faction riddled Zanu Pf party.

Apart from the issue of factionalism, an unspoken of but obvious desire by those around is to settle   the Zanu PF  leadership succession crisis. This has always remained an unresolved case because it is basically asking him to step aside and give room to a younger more progressive minded individual to lead the affairs of the party and country, as we have all come to know now in hindsight, an inherently suicidal topic, if you so much as dare mention it in Zanu PF corridors of power.

The 92 year old despot is not in a position to accept that he has  failed Zimbabwe by collapsing  what once was a powerful African economy, forced his people into, destitution, exile, suffering and starvation, whilst empowering the now filthy rich multi-millionaire criminal Zanu PF stalwarts, his Zim1 family and securocrats.

Mugabe’s  answer to the  succession rumblings was to use his wife, First Lady Grace Mugabe in the run up to the 2014 Zanu PF annual December congress , to wreak havoc across Zanu PF stalwarts, and blow up everything into , so far alleged and never proven accusations of corruption and attempts to remove him from power.

To the discerning eye, this was simply done in order to cement  his power, by ruthlessly dismissing his deputy, a long time Zanu PF stalwart, also the wife of the late former army general and his war time commander Solomon Mujuru, whom we all now know to have been eliminated by Mugabe,  ‘Joice Mujuru’ and subsequently engineering the rise of his  family ,members to key positions of political and strategic importance.

This was evident in the rise of  such people as Grace Mugabe and his nephew , the Minister of youth and indigenisation, Patrick Zhuwao  into  cabinet, along with  moving his cousin Ignatius Gumbo, the then corrupt Minister of local government to yet another key, strategic position of Home affairs Minister. The president effectively stamped his authority in the party and sent shivers down the spines of even the most daring of Zanu PF stalwarts about, how uncertain their future is, if they dare step out of line.

Along with this December 2014  party restructuring exercise, he recently rewarded  key millitary officials with senior posts. These are the same people who were instrumental in the 2008 violent  ballot, in which many of the GNU prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC T, opposition supporters  were murdered, exiled or simply disappeared.

Mugabe is already in the 2018 ballot mode and  gearing up his support and security using these lowly tactics to consolidate power. The securocrats have over the last 15 years been rewarded by Mugabe with multiple farms, mines and companies grabbed from former white owners who were forcibly evicted in frequently violent and murderous Zanu PF war veteran led campaigns.

Securocrats, are generally regarded as the vanguard of the liberation struggle , typically people who hold the same political ideologies as himself.

They took  part in the armed liberation struggle, against the Ian Smith Rhodesian regime, which led to Mugabe’s autocratic rule over Zimbabwe since 18 April 1980.

The despot leader, Mugabe is keenly aware that his advanced age of 92 years and self imposed ‘lifetime’ leadership of Zanu Pf and Zimbabwe is increasingly becoming an obvious, hurdle to the nation of Zimbabwe moving forward or re-engaging with the international world to enjoy apiece of the cake from the global village.

The ‘centenarian’ has fallen twice, in public over the last twelf months, firstly at Harare international airport then recently in India.

On both occasions,  Mugabe fell   on a short flight of steps on a podium. He also famously chanted the slogan ‘Pasi neZanu PF’ meaning ‘Down with Zanu PF’ whilst addressing people in public, then read out  an outdated  speech in parliarment.

The reading out of wrong or outdated speeches, falling in public and chanting of wrong slogans, is not a surprise considering, that it involves  a 92 year old man hence everyone’s desire to see him out of the statehouse  and off to retirement.

He however will not take the risk of retiring, without ensuring that his securocrats are well rewarded,and  family are shifted into strategic positions of power, so that he is not exposed to being hauled away to the Hague to face trial for  crimes against humanity that he has committed over 36 years in power .

At the same time, president Mugabe has  to protect the corruptly gained millions of US$$$s, farms and companies accrued by by his family, and securocrats.

The recent swoop down on the media such as the arrest of Herald assistant news editor Takunda Maodza, on bribery allegations, along with recent arrests of state media journalists ,Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo who, were arrested and charged with slandering the state, after exposing a major wildlife poaching syndicate involving a senior police officer, parks and wildlife officers and Asians, are all typical Zanu PF strategies of silencing the people through suppression of the media.

Typical of Zanu PF this will be yet another time, resources and cash wasting scam, imprisoning them, dragging them to court and so forth, only to eventually free them without charge as always happens.

Mugabe, however will have successfully flexed his muscle and shown that they are not immune to his oppressive tactics’

The media, particularly social media, and independant media, are now , in Zimbabwe and across the diaspora, considered powerful voices which Zanu PF cannot silence. The ruling party has lost control of the traditionally state controlled media channels, which have always spear headed the propaganda distribution for the ruling party.

Independant, media, are now a  credible , fearless and necessary voice, always ready to publish any and all stories live ,hot and fresh as delivered, straight to the people.

Zanu Pf can no longer threaten, harm or silence them. The people have therefore  reclaimed  media, and so,  stand out like a sore thumb because   Zanu PF cant silence the sector which is not prone at all to State propaganda and brainwashing by Mugabe and his Zanu PF..

Faced with such a, dilemma  the despot leader has worked hard all along to raise the status of his wife, who he is engineering to succeed him, ever since she ‘achieved’ a three month doctrate from the University of Zimbabwe.

Of late, she flies in helicopter convoys, while senior officials including vice presidents are driven to Zanu PF rallies that she addresses..

At these rallies, Grace Mugabe is known to  distribute freebies, machinery and equipment to supporters. However, it is well known that the equipment are all state resources obtained as aid for distribution to all Zimbabweans and not Zanu PF only, which is why opposition call for parliament to bring her to account for her actions.

Last week Mugabe announced that US$30 million of equipment and resources will be distributed to rural farmers. Zimbabwe’s rural population have traditionally been the strong base of Mugabe and his Zanu PF support and a corner that Mugabe violently defends from activists and opposition.

Typical of Mugabe’s racist nature, it  has now been announced that Mugabe is unhappy that professional hunting in Zimbabwe remains in the hands  of affluent whites.

Mugabe’s crowd pleasing and vote buying strategy to counter this , by his apologists is that Zanu PF will train 1000 youths who will undergo a professional hunting training programme   while some youths will be sent to Kenya for further training.

Zanu Pf argue that the training programme is the first stage to empower the youths of Zimbabwe.

To the discerning eye, the racist, land redistribution exercise has run out of steam, with farming having collapsed, securocrats and senior Zanu PF officials having grabbed multiple farms,  and no longer washes with the vote buying regime supporters.

The Zanu PF regime have thus created the  latest exercise, in which the Zanu Pf regime is not ashamed to announce that 1000 Zanu Pf youths will undergo the professional hunting training programme, clearly marginalising non partisan youths.

Silencing the obviously jittery state media, positioning family in key government positions , distributing freebies , state equipment and resources to supporters only, distributing US$30 million dollars of farm implements to rural farmers at a time when government is broke, and putting 1000 Zanu Pf youths through professional hunting training, is all part of cementing power  right before our eyes.

The filthy rich,multimillionaire Phillip Chiyangwa, also said to be Mugabe’s nephew and a well known Zanu Pf stalwart and supporter of First Lady Grace Mugabe is aligning himself to take over the presidency of the ZIFA, (Zimbabwe International Football Association), to yet again control and politicise the sport using his power, money and influence.

All these things have got to be interpreted for what they really are by opposition. Mugabe is creating a force of supporters who will look back and say we were jobless and destitute but Mugabe and Zanu PF uplifted us, through professional hunting training programmes, employment, freebies,and farming equipment.

These will be the next generation of next die hard Zanu PF supporters who will be prepared to rig vote and kill for Mugabe and his Zanu PF like the infamous ‘green bomber’ scheme. Zanu PF will never hand over Zimbabwe, your children and future descendants legacy on a silver platter.

Mugabe has taken land, companies, equipment, wildlife and all resources and shared them out amongst Zim1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts, and securocrats and fielded them across the police, millitary, security services, parastatals, ministries, and now sports, Zanufying everything.

He is creating what will inevitably be a water tight ring of defence around himself and successor. It is not that Zanu Pf love him, but rather that they need him in place whilst they loot as much natural resources and national wealth as possible in his dying moments.

Mugabe has always warned that blood was lost for independance in a protracted armed struggle and a pen cannot be mightier than the gun. In other words,he will not lose the country if ever at all through a ballot.

As long as we are led by a  century old despot whose mind is locked in now outdated armed struggles, he will never concede power to a more progressive minded individual capable of warming up to the western world,  embracing mordern politics and ideologies consistent with constitutionalism, non partisan national leadership once a president, giving all people equal access to opportunities and prosperity ,peace, democracy, justice for all Zimbabweans, coloured, black,white, any race, tribe, religion, creed, political orientation, including disillusioned Zanu PF to you on  silver platter.

Suffice it is to say, to all opposition, 2018 will not be a walk in the park. If we remain broken up  and fighting amongst ourselves instead of , accepting that we are not enemies and we hold a similar interest for the people of Zimbabwe to be free of oppression by ‘Black oppressors of Blacks’  and fail to unite against a common evil, Mugabe and his Zanu PF, we will unfortunately only be there to escort Mugabe,and his Zanu Pf to  yet again simply legitimise another fraudulent election victory in 2018.

Corruption is endemic within our society and it all stems from the deliberately created entropy by Mugabe and his Zanu PF, designed to facilitate the looting of national wealth and resources by the Zim1 family, Zanu PF stalwarts, and securocrats who monopolise wealth and power.

When you realise how Mugabe has built a ring of defence around himself, it then becomes obvious that, if the aim of opposition is to remove Mugabe from office in 2018, then its a wasted journey for us all. The whole Zanu PF must fall , starting from the highest authority, Robert Mugabe right down to the most basic structure at grass roots level, such as a village headman.

The despot has flexed his muscle, rallied all dissenters in the ruling party into line, cowed state controlled media into fear and sent chilling warnings across the nation that as long as he lives, he can kick a powerful punch.

Wake up Zimbabwe! Mugabe and his Zanu PF are typical devils who will not go down without a fight if necessary. You need a better plan for 2018! Please share with all your friends, worldwide, ..thank you!  by Sibusiso Ngwenya

photo-The real powers behind Mugabe’s dictatorship, Happyson-Bonyongwe the head of the ruthless Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Constantine-Chiwenga, the head of the brutal Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the despot  President Robert Mugabe