The recently held ZANU PF congress was indeed an exercise in futility. In some of my previous articles that covered the moribund state of the former ruling party, I have repeatedly stated that ZANU PF is mortally wounded to such an extent that only a miracle can save it from inevitable electoral annihilation by the resurgent and vibrant MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

During the past week, the nation was subjected to some form of tragi-comedy styled the ZANU PF 5th People’s Congress. It was a tragedy because of the sad atmosphere of deeply held factional positions and tribal politics that openly played themselves out at an occasion that was supposed to be a real and genuine political party congress.

Sad because one could not avoid sensing the feeling of utter hopelessness, dejection and resignation amongst members of the Emmerson Mnangagwa faction who were obviously outplayed and outmanouvred at this circus called a congress.

It was a comedy because of the sheer pleasure and comical relief one could get by simply observing grown-up men and women behaving in some very strange manner all in a desperate bid to push their factional agendas. Of course, there was comic relief in the use of electronic warfare in an attempt to push certain positions particularly the short message campaign using mobile telephone technology.

This campaign was obviously aimed at influencing the delegates’ choices during the plenary session at the congress. Alas, there was no plenary session at the congress! The whole act was stage-managed in such a manner that the genuine and legitimate concerns of the majority of the delegates were never entertained. That was vintage ZANU PF.

A political party congress should be an occasion to robustly debate and discuss a party’s ideological ramifications as well as to design and articulate its development trajectory going forward. In addition, a congress should also be used as an occasion to choose a leadership that will be able to competently and effectively manage the party’s affairs.

Where there is need, as was obviously the case in ZANU PF, a new leadership ought to have been chosen to try to extricate the former ruling party from the political wilderness where it is now domiciled. The fact that ZANU PF dismally failed to use its congress as an opportunity to renew and re-invigorate itself is clear testimony to the conclusion that the former ruling party is now completely damaged goods which no right-thinking consumer can willingly buy.

For what can one say about a party that goes out of its way to thwart internal democracy in a bid to push the selfish and in some cases, openly tribalistic agenda, of some political heavyweights. One may ask, why were the delegates prevented from making nominations from the floor; even for candidates to occupy seats in the so-called presidium? Who knows what might have happened to the likes of John Nkomo and Simon Khaya Moyo if congress delegates had been granted their democratic right to nominate candidates from the floor.

It is quite possible that characters such as Oppah Muchinguri and Didymus Mutasa would have found themselves in the presidium if genuine democracy had been given a chance, but we all know that democracy and ZANU -PF are like parallel lines; they will never meet. If ZANU PF so effectively thwarts democracy at its own congress, how can any sane person, therefore, expect such a party to practise democracy in its dealings with other organisations; particularly competing political parties?

A political party that hopelessly fails to renew its old and tired leadership at a congress should never be given the mandate to govern any democratic nation. Zimbabwe is too special to be relegated to the realms of failed states such as Somalia. ZANU -PF has perfected the art of rule by the elders otherwise known as gerontocracy.

In any democratic and progressive nation, geriatrics are normally confined to less-demanding tasks and in some cases, they are even confined to retirement homes. We should certainly respect our deserving elders but then it will be utter recklessness to burden our elders with the onerous task of running the affairs of state. Unlike ZANU-PF, the MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has a youthful and focused leadership who obviously have a cutting edge. These are people in the prime of their lives who have both the physical and mental energy to take Zimbabwe to the next level.

Some of the resolutions passed at the ZANU PF congress fly in the face of the spirit of inclusivity which should be the hallmark of the transitional government presently running Zimbabwe. For instance, the ZANU PF congress resolved that there should not be any more concessions to the MDC in the on-going talks until such a time that so-called illegal sanctions have been lifted. What sanctions? ZANU -PF has desperately sought to use the ”sanctions” red herring to confuse the people about what the global political agreement ( GPA) entails.

Let the position be made abundantly clear that the MDC is not making any special and out-of- context demands at the on-going talks. What the MDC is simply demanding, and rightly so, is full and unconditional compliance with the GPA by all its signatories. Nothing more and nothing less. For instance, Gideon Gono and Johannes Tomana’s appointments by Mr. Robert Mugabe were done in flagrant violation of the terms and conditions of the GPA that was solemnised in Harare on 15 September, 2008.

These two men’s appointments were effected in late 2008, several weeks after the signing of the GPA. The mere fact that the other signatories to the GPA were never consulted when Mr. Robert Mugabe made these appointments is clear and unmitigated violation of the political agreement.

It is, therefore, preposterous, naive and ill-informed for anyone to argue that Gono and Tomana should not be considered as issues in the on-going talks by the negotiators from the three political parties who are signatories to the GPA.

ZANU PF is mortally and fatally wounded. They can only resurrect themselves by resorting to thuggery and violence as they did after the MDC resoundingly won the March 29, 2008 harmonised local government, parliamentary and presidential elections.

Lest the people forget; Morgan Richard Tsvangirai thrashed Robert Mugabe in the March 29, 2008 presidential elections. If democracy had been allowed to prevail, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai should, by electoral right, be the legitimate and lawful President of
the Republic of Zimbabwe today.

ZANU PF can huff and puff but the simple truth is that the people spoke on March 29, 2008. The people will speak again, more resoundingly this time, should free and fair elections be held held right now or at any time in the future.

Mr. Robert Mugabe has promised that elections will soon be held to determine who should run matters of state in our beautiful little country called Zimbabwe. The people cannot wait to show Mr. Robert Mugabe and his moribund and faction-ridden party that they prefer to have Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC as their custodians in running Zimbabwe. ZANU PF has hopelessly failed to adapt to the dictates of modern day developmental politics. It is not a matter of whether but rather, when ZANU PF will become extinct like the dinosaur. Senator Obert Gutu