A RESOLUTION by Zanu PF’s Matabeleland North province to endorse First Lady Grace Mugabe (pictured) as the party’s life leader of the women’s league confirms her growing influence in Zimbabwean daily life and politics, but with huge knock-on effects on democracy, analysts have said.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Zanu PF Matabeleland North last Saturday held a provincial inter-district conference and endorsed President Robert Mugabe as the ruling party’s 2018 presidential candidate, and Grace the life leader of the women’s league respectively.
The inter-district conference said Grace deserved such an honour because she was the “mother of the nation”, and had shown courage in fighting rampant corruption in the ruling party.
“The First Lady should be the life leader of the women’s league because of her courage in fighting corruption that was bedevilling the party and also she runs an orphanage project in Mazowe, which shows that she is the mother of the nation. She has been assisting the elderly with food handouts throughout the country and that is the motherly figure we all need,” part of the resolution read.
Analysts said while Zanu PF reserved the right to come up with such resolutions, this, however, showed the systematic weakening of ruling party structures for the sake of those linked to the First Family, with grave consequences on democracy and Zimbabwe as a whole.
“The implications of that are at two levels — for Zanu PF, it may not mean much in the near future because since the last congress, the party is now wholly owned by Mugabe and the First Family. The systematic weakening of all potential power contenders means that current structures are filled with the First Family’s functionaries,” Obert Hodzi, a Zimbabwean researcher and scholar of African politics based in Hong Kong, China, said.
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“For Zimbabwe, as a nation, we might see the increasing dominance of Grace Mugabe in Zimbabwean politics and daily life. Combining her dominance in Zanu PF and the blind show of allegiance to the First Family within Zanu PF, as well as a relatively weak opposition, democracy may still be a long way ahead.”
Civic society activist Liberty Bhebhe said the resolution should not be supported “because it will surely be the second step towards the building of a Mugabe dynasty”.
He said the resolution reflected how Zanu PF does not espouse principles of democracy.
“It might be followed by a resolution that the next leader of Zanu PF must be a woman and given the flawed electoral processes, Zimbabwe might be cursed with the leadership of Grace. It is a reflection of how Zanu PF, at both the leadership and membership level, will never appreciate the values and principles of democratic practice.
“The fact that such a resolution was passed means there is limited appreciation of the need to respect even the constitutional provisions of the party’s constitution. Expecting them to respect that of the State would be asking too much from miracle workers. It is a reflection of a long-standing practice of Zanu PF, that of ruling through mob psychology,” Bhebhe commented.
Bulawayo-based analyst, Methuseli Moyo weighed in, saying Zimbabwe could make history in Africa for the wrong reasons, where all spheres of political influence of Zimbabwean life are dominated by the First Family, effectively shutting out other voices.
“Zimbabwe is on the verge of making history in Africa, where a dictator’s wife inherits the throne. That is the Mugabes’ plan. It will be Grace next and then their son Robert Jr after her. It is clear Grace is now the centre of power and Zanu PF structures are simply obliging to her wishes,” he said.
“It will take very bold and calculated steps by brave leaders outside and inside Zanu PF to confront the situation and stop Mugabe and his family and relatives and friends. Otherwise this country might as well be called Mugabe (Pvt) Limited.”
South Africa-based Zimbabwe media scholar Trust Matsilele said: “It’s worrying that as a country, we have people who think in such a medieval way.”
Zanu PF Matabeleland North chairperson Richard Moyo, however, defended the resolution when contacted yesterday.
“It is from the women’s league in the province and they have a right to do so. We cannot disagree or shoot down their resolution,” he said.
