A FALSE PEACE: HOW ZANU PF MISTAKES POLITICAL APATHY FOR CONTENTMENT
In Zimbabwe, the ruling party, Zanu PF, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, seems to be under a dangerous delusion. Mistaking the silence of its citizens for peace, the party mirrors the misjudgments of British colonialists who once deemed the indigenous Shona people as lazy and cowardly, a costly underestimation. This narrative of assumed peace amidst oppression and tyranny is not just a historical repetition but a contemporary crisis, revealing a grave misinterpretation of the populace’s quietude.
Zanu PF, adopting and intensifying the exclusionary and tyrannical policies of colonial settlers, leans heavily on a partisan military, a compromised judiciary, and a subservient parliament, placing traditional chiefs above the welfare of the general populace. This reliance on authoritarian mechanisms has fostered an environment where political apathy is misconstrued as peace, a dangerous oversight that overlooks the true sentiments of the Zimbabwean people.
The party’s grip on power, seemingly legal, betrays a deeper fantasy of perpetual political dominance devoid of genuine popular will. This illusion of peace serves as a deterrence strategy against potential uprisings, rooted in the fear of losing control over a disillusioned and disenfranchised population. The constitutional right to assembly is twisted into a perceived act of violence against the state, furthering the narrative that any dissent or demand for accountability is an attack on national peace and sovereignty.
Zanu PF’s antagonism towards Western capitals – Washington, Brussels, and London – is not driven by ideological enmity but by a resistance to democratizing efforts that threaten its authoritarian rule. The regime’s labeling of transparency advocates and anti-corruption whistleblowers as agents of regime change underscores its disdain for democratic principles and its prioritization of power preservation over national well-being.
Democracy, transparency, and accountability are seen not as pillars of peace but as existential threats to Zanu PF’s aspirations for eternal dominance. The party’s entrenched position has led to prolonged suffering and misery for average Zimbabweans, a situation the party mistakenly believes can be managed through political apathy and suppression of dissent.
The deployment of military force against civilians demanding their rights and accountability for the plunder of national wealth is a testament to the regime’s brutal tactics to maintain the status quo. Incidents such as Gukurahundi and Operations Murambatsvina and Makavhoterepi highlight the extreme lengths to which Zanu PF will go to silence opposition, resulting in a populace that is politically frustrated and disengaged.
This disengagement, however, should not be mistaken for peace. The absence of a genuine push for national peace and reconciliation leaves the nation divided and polarized, suffering under the weight of Zanu PF’s sadism and egotism. The party’s confusion between political apathy and peace is a misjudgment with dire consequences, indicating a profound misunderstanding of the very people it claims to govern.
Zanu PF’s inclination for pillage and plunder at the expense of the people’s welfare, dating back to 1980, underscores a deep-seated disregard for the well-being of Zimbabweans. Protests and demands for accountability are met with state-sanctioned violence, further alienating a populace whose fundamental rights are continually violated.
In conclusion, the supposed peace that Zanu PF prides itself on is nothing more than a veneer masking a deep-seated political apathy. This apathy, far from being a sign of contentment, is a damning indictment of a regime that has failed to prioritize the welfare of its people, mistaking silence for peace and oppression for stability. The real peace that Zimbabwe yearns for requires an urgent commitment to reconciliation, transparency, and genuine democratic reform, far removed from the fantasies of an entrenched and authoritarian ruling party.
