Chamisa expecting victory, yet planning defeat
ZANU-PF understands that in every circumstance, if its supporters do not pull the party agenda in one direction, they risk being pulled down. With solid structures with an ideological firmness that is ready to usher President Mnangagwa into office, it is time the latter should start preparing for his inauguration.
There is no way President Mnangagwa cannot prepare for his inauguration ceremony for an uninterrupted five-year mandate because his main opponent, Mr Nelson Chamisa, is a funny character!
Prominent French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte once advised: “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Zanu-PF is doing exactly that!
Mr Chamisa has been infected with a “Trump syndrome” where today he speaks something, and only to reverse it tomorrow, he lies outright, without remorse, and blames opponents for spinning his statements.
While in the United Kingdom recently, he spent most of his time speaking about what he termed “Zanu-PF deep rooted divisions” instead of articulating what he wants to do for the electorate.
He constantly attacked the Mnangagwa brand, without providing an alternative.
As he was making publicity gestures of practising how to inspect a guard of honour and other etiquette signals, back home his party and alliance were at a standstill.
In the United Kingdom, Mr Chamisa threatened a national shutdown in Zimbabwe if what he termed “electoral reforms” are not put in place as the nation heads for elections.
His presentations were devoid of alternative policy to what he would do for the people, except saying “we are the real agents of change”.
He blamed the British government led by Prime Minister Theresa May of dealing much with Zanu-PF and turning a blind eye to the opposition.
While it is plausible for the May administration to pay attentive ears to both parties, one is looking at re-engagement talk yet the other is constantly making irritating noises that are rejecting cooperative goals.
Mr Chamisa wants to play Machiavellian, issuing divide and rule sentiments just like former president Mr Robert Mugabe.
Some of the politics exhibited by Mr Chamisa recently, the generality of Zimbabweans yearn that such be put to bed. Such immature and dangerous antics are a threat to the governance structure and institution of the nation whose founding principles are premised on unity.
While he was abroad, back home Zanu-PF was finalising primary elections that were endorsed by the greater establishment of the party.
In a democracy, it is known that the minority are always a victim.
The Zanu-PF losing candidates pledged their support for the party ahead of harmonised elections which President Mnangagwa last Friday said are “in a few weeks time”.
Furthermore, President Mnangagwa met veterans of the liberation struggle in an interface that exuded the confidence of the party and made an enthusiastic commitment to mass mobilisation of people to vote for Zanu-PF.
On the corporate front, President Mnangagwa has enacted remarkable provisions that are in the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
What is happening on the local body politic has triggered the appetite of once political by-standers who are now keen observers in the national political discourse. This is a result of the higher education of society, the bigger interest it shows in national politics and hence can make a more informed vote.
Based on events of the past week, the electorate knows that there is a presidential candidate who is not sincere with them between Mr Chamisa and President Mnangagwa.
Events of the past week are a confirmation Mr Chamisa’s narrative of an immature leader who has turned himself into a reckless adolescent, mixing a dangerous cocktail of phantom talk with uncontrollable entitlement.
A lot of educated members of the public are embarrassed with such a low show of morals and ethics by Mr Chamisa and are now shying away from reading or listening to his irresponsible talk.
Both as a leader of an opposition party and one of the longest serving, the 40-year-old is speeding into oblivion.
About defeating Mr Chamisa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga recently vowed that Zanu-PF “shall have time to dismantle their little, make-belief dreams as we get down to real campaign work.
“We excuse them for being too young to have participated in the struggle.
“But we cannot excuse them from mounting a bid for national leadership from a pilfered party crown.”
It is the political immaturity of opposition politicians which will make them easy victims of the Zanu-PF juggernaut which will tame them on the importance of prioritising the interests of the electorate.
The upcoming humiliating defeat of the combined MDC formations and other parties in the forthcoming elections will be a victory for the revolution that has always safeguarded the interests of the nation even when the opposition called for crippling sanctions.