Survival of the fittest – a jungle called Government

I was thrilled with an online article I read in the Zimbabwe Times about a clash between Webster Shamu and Nelson Chamisa over the control of the Communications department. The latter prevailed over the former, categorically telling him to buzz off his turf. The instigator was none other than the infamous George Charamba who whimpered off first from the heated exchange.

What is also instructive is that the NetOne workers were on Chamisa’s side, to the extent where Shamu felt embarrassed and admitted some other people were trying to use him. He knew he was playing a political game but this time round Chamisa stood him up and he had no answer.

This then must be the answer to MDC in this mortal game of death that they have engaged with Zanu PF. The law of the jungle needs apply: no quota asked, no quota given. The MDC must proceed with the business of ruling within their sphere of influence according to the GPA. Let Zanu PF do the complaining and let MDC dare the President to fire the Ministers or Prime Minister.

Let us start with the office of the Prime Minister. Mugabe is always doing a fait accompli knowing that open confrontation maybe impossible and decisions difficult to reverse. Well, fair and good. Why does the Prime Minister not do the same? For example, instead of waiting for the imposition of the permanent secretaries, Tsvangirai should have come up with a list of his governors, permanent secretaries and ambassadors etc long ago; and publicly announced these. If it is by quota, fair and good, let us know those names representing the MDC quotas and leave Zanu PF to their quota. Particularly in all ministries under MDC, chekumirira hapana, fambai nebhora machinda! (There is nothing to wait for, make your moves now).

Even now, let the MDC announce Permanent Secretaries to Ministries under its control in addition to nullifying Mugabe’s appointees, and these must proceed to their offices Webster Shamu style, of course ‘acting temporarily while awaiting Presidential confirmation’. The same thing must be done with Governors, Ambassadors etc. Ndokutotonga kwacho machinda, don’t think for a minute you will be told where the levers of power are.

The same thing must happen with the RBZ Governor and Attorney General’s positions. MDC should identify its preferred candidates, get them to agree and actually announce them. Let these people begin reporting to RBZ and AG’s offices respectively. Tsvangirai announced Ministers and it stood; privately done I am sure Mugabe would have resisted a few characters and suggested different permutations to those that prevailed in the end. In my opinion, that is precisely why Roy Bennet was taken in, to prevent the inevitability of him becoming Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Acting Mr. Nice, Understanding guy will get Tsvangirai and the MDC nowhere. Do anything and everything that appears like it is covered by the Global Political Agreement.

Next is the office of the Minister of Finance. If Gono could usurp the functions of the Minister of Finance and many other ministries, I do not see why it should not be possible for Biti to do the same. After all, he has the purse strings. He should find ways of circumventing the Central Bank. If Mugabe insists on Gono remaining in the office, let it be a hollow shell. After all, most of the money to be administered will be coming on the goodwill of the MDC’s presence in government. No secret must be made of the deliberate effort to circumvent the Central Bank and emasculate Gono, the whole world must know.

Up next should be the investigation of atrocities that were perpetrated in the run up to the second election period. There should be a parliamentary or ministerial committee set up, supported by neutral judicial personalities such as Justice Sandura or other such. This must start by compiling nationwide data of who destroyed, burnt or killed what and who, and at whose command. Next it must hear evidence from people in those communities affected and a people’s verdict passed.

If there is improvement in the human rights situation as this is progressing, such as the unconditional release of all political prisoners, a stop to all arbitrary arrests and detentions, free play to those who would wish to publicly voice any opinion, a return to press freedom and such like – maybe those found guilty, if they apologise unreservedly; can be let to go with suspended sentences in the interest of national healing. A motion in parliament should get this going as soon as possible; I believe a simple majority would be enough to carry it. Obviously those ‘residual forces’ resisting the GNU, if they indeed exist, after inflicting so much harm in the past 10 years, still want to hold people to ransom but the people must fight them and we will prevail.

On that reasoning, the MDC must not make deals of amnesty by reason of its comrades held in detention. Instead, it must get into motion immediately the very thing these Very Bad Men are trying to prevent, it means they know it can be done successfully! There can not be any going back, or any further delay. Any chess player will tell you attack is the best form of defence.

MDC should also employ divide and rule tactics. In every institution, in every place, they must identify senior people sympathetic to them, and these abound; and use them as the fulcrum upon which they wriggle themselves into positions of advantage. For example, is it true that all judges are sympathetic to Zanu PF? Is it true that all senior Army and Police Officers are sympathetic to Zanu PF? All senior Prison Officers? All senior CIO officers? Indeed all Prosecutors?

If these people could be found, the strategy would be to do actions that are embarrassing to Zanu PF and Mugabe to reverse, like get a judge to release prisoners on bail, get a police unit to stop farm invasions and generally shake up things everywhere in the establishment without waiting for a discussion over a cup of coffee with Mugabe and his henchmen. The people will always be behind them, and should they be dismissed, it is surely better than to ‘walk away’ from the GNU in dejection, because people will remember the strings they were pulling.

Of course this strategy will have its casualties, but either way, this mortal combat for the soul of Zimbabwe is bound to have many. It is better to have those casualties you budget for than those imposed on you by the enemy.

I do not for one minute advocate for lawlessness, all these things are merely political decisions and the exercise of political muscle: and can all be done without an iota of violence and within the laws of the land, as Shamu tried unsuccessfully because people were against him. Imagine if he was on the side of the people, just dare imagine what would have been the outcome.

I will inspire you with this link where a herd of buffalos kick a pride of Lion, a real life story. If buffalos can defeat a whole pride and rescue their young calf from jaws of certain death, anything is possible for the people of Zimbabwe.

Patrick Huni is a political commentator based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Posted by Patrick Huni on March 3, 2009. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.