Zimbabwe Democracy Institute Director, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya says besides the broader livelihood problem currently troubling many Zimbabweans, the fundamental question is who takes over from President Robert Mugabe whose failure in physical mortality cannot be refuted?
By Clarity Sibanda
Speaking at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Young Leadership Training discussion on Zimbabwe Politics held in the capital recently, Dr Ruhanya said there is need for the creation of a credible democratic alternative by young intellectuals to challenge high breed regimes like ZANU-PF whose masters not only use coercive hegemony alone but also ideological state apparatus including the media to safeguard their interests.
“What matters is not founding fatherhood but founding ideas, ideas run the world and not personalities. The youths must stand up and liberate this country because we cannot have someone whose future lies in the cemetery making decisions for the country. What is needed now is issue identification, issue articulation and political communication because social and economic justice is born out of struggles and each revolution has a champion”.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) President Peter Mutasa said before we criticize the government there is need for self introspection including identity precision and ideological clarity arguing that some trade unions have forgot their mandate and gone to bed with political parties with his own ZCTU being no exception though the union is moving towards clearly safeguarding its ideological clarity and building class consciousness.
On the question about the growth of informalisation in the country and the influence of the Chinese as an economic actor, Mr Mutasa said the union is moving towards formalizing the sector whereas the influence of the Chinese is disturbing since the country is being drawn back to neocolonialism and this time by the Chinese who are neither mistreating workers nor looting the country‘s resources but also funding dictatorship.
“We need to fight both internal and external dictatorships while at the same time sharpening political communication. The Mugabe must go jingle has outlived its usefulness. We have been in a prolonged honeymoon and the time to get out of it is now”.
In her remarks, Former MDC-T women ‘s league boss Lucia Matibenga said the country has been tied and handcuffed in the tree of history for too long and this has perfected the art of elitism while excluding several women and youths.
“The women and the youths are not capacitated and the unemployment rate has affected this section of the population the most. There are no industries to talk about and it’s a pity that some of these industries have been transformed to churches which are mushrooming because many are finding solace in religion which has become an industry in itself. There is no-one who will liberate us but ourselves. It is possible for women and the youths to form a political party for themselves and by themselves”.
Political and Economic Analyst Dr Jabusile Madyazvimbishi Shumba said political parties are an essential ingredient of democracy and by mere virtue of them competing in elections, they offer citizens a choice of governance although Zimbabwe is currently faced with challenges such as partocracy, presidentialism, elite accumulation and defensive radicalism where the ruling elite still tries to use a comprehensive system of ideas to justify its rule.
Dr Shumba also urged the young people to go and register to vote in the elections scheduled to be held on or before 31 July next year.
