THE Zanu PF politburo will meet this morning in the capital to either accept or reject the outcome of its recent provincial polls that have left the ruling party divided.
The polls saw the reincarnation of factionalism, regionalism and tribalism akin to the last days in office of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
There was a cacophony and mudslinging in the countdown to the elections and chaos on the voting days. Several candidates have alleged massive rigging and irregularities, malfeasances the politburo will sift through today and take appropriate action. Jostling and horse-trading for power in the party has over the years left government business almost paralysed as opposing political gladiators abandoned their work stations to concentrate on plotting, both overtly and covertly, to assume or retain power in Zanu PF, all at the expense of the ordinary man and woman crying out for jobs, food, shelter, water and electricity.
The political gymnasium and mudslinging is shockingly coming from a party which should be united and preparing for the March parliamentary and council by-elections and the fast approaching 2023 harmonised polls.
The needless internal fighting distracts party leaders from concentrating on their government duties to turn around the economy and spur social development as they spend most of their time working on patching up differences in Zanu PF. There is a need for the government to accelerate the implementation of the National Development Strategy 1.
Last year, the country recorded a noticeable improvement in the economy and this year the momentum has to be incremental, hence our worry that the current cacophony in Zanu PF may derail progress as government leaders concentrate on resolving party differences.
Zimbabweans are tired of the infighting and want the ruling party to deliver on its electoral promises during the countdown to the 2018 elections that when elected it would deliver jobs, food, shelter, water and electricity.
Leadership contests in Zanu PF should be allowed to be open, not clandestine as currently is the norm.
Factionalism is not democracy, but corruption — and has innuendoes of illegality, evil plotting and sub-plotting.
It’s high time Zanu PF should not tolerate factionalism. President Emmerson Mnangagwa should live up to his vow at the last politburo meeting that the party would not tolerate indiscipline and crush factionalism. He needs to be ruthless if he is to keep the ruling party united and continue to implement programmes that transform the economy and the ordinary people’s livelihoods.
Anything short of it would be frowned upon by the electorate.
