By Wisdom Mumera
ZANU PF calls itself socialist, but in practice it hasn’t been Marxist-Leninist since the 1990s.
In its founding documents and constitution, the party declares itself a “democratic, revolutionary, socialist party”.
Marxism-Leninism was its official doctrine in the 1980s soon after independence when it frolicked with the Russians and Chinese in body and spirit.
Party schools taught class struggle, anti-imperialism, vanguard party and the liberation heritage was a core identity extending beyond rhetoric to practical expression on the ground.
It was a party floating on big ideas, even if they were somewhat utopian.
A Febrile Party
Today that ideological facade is gone and the party is a mish-mosh of whatever goes to retain power.
The economy is dominated by the private sector and there are big roles for contractors, Chinese capital and private investors.
It’s a hybrid system which academics usually call state nationalist or pragmatic developmentalism.
The Marxist language is kept for ideology, but policy is capitalist with strong state intervention.
While under Mugabe there still remained heavy undertones of an ideological soul to the party’s work the current administration is working to wring out the last drops.
Gasping for air to remain alive politically the Mnangagwa administration has no time for theoretical niceties.
It’s the ultimate street fighter acutely aware of the absence of governing laws dictating where to hit and not to.
It will hit anywhere to earn the win.
Winging It As A Strategy
That’s why we have figures popping from the bushes and declaring themselves Secretary General of an opposition party and the Speaker of Parliament and the Courts all nod in unison.
The party is no longer operating according to any big ideological idea to give inspiration to policy as was the case in the 80s and 90s.
It’s prime objective is to survive and whatever else it decides to do for the people should not jeopardize that sacrosanct target.
It is no wonder or mistake that the party’s politics has been redacted to the personality and figure of the President.
He embodies all that the country and party may need.
Ideology is too big an idea to employ as a guide, instead marshal and frame the President as the ultimate ideology daily churning pools of wisdom.
If he decides that Munhumutapa is a credible pedestal in a democratic system from which he now seats to rein forever, that’s it.
We applause and insert an addendum to our growing body of knowledge.
Thus as long as he is alive, he has to remain in power, suckling the nation with life from a fountain only he has.
Thus 2028 is shifted to 2030 and soon after that you get Goodwills Masimirembwa speaking about 2037.
You laugh it off thinking this is just too much until you remember that Saviour Kasukuwere wanted Mugabe to rein from the wheelchair!
The big ideas are gone and all we have are big men.
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