By Takura Zhangazha*
There are many ways to look at Zimbabwe’s current political economy
(where politics meets economics).
One could easily begin to look at the state of the current
ruling Zanu Pf party after its recent 2025 annual National Peoples Conference and go mentally
hay-wire with speculation at its succession politics. Which a lot of anlaysts have already done in the last week.
Or one could look at our national fundamentals around the
national economy (jobs, money, goods and services) and how the future is not as
bright as the ruling Zanu Pf party presents it.
And then there is the social element as to how to look at
this. One which would include our little
talked about rural-urban and again urban-rural divides, drug and substance
abuse and not forgetting our increasing over-religiosity, superstition and gambling
tendencies. Even before we talk about 'class' and and 'class aspirations' as they are occurring in the country.
It is easier for a lot of us to deal with our politics as
they are occurring. Mainly because of what has occurred since the year 2000. You
are either for or against one political party.
Or in support of specific populist narratives as they have
occurred. Mainly because we can all have
a political opinion. Moreso with the expansion
of social media and its related influencers.
But it all sometimes appears a bit ephemeral/temporary. In fact, it arguably is. Zimbabweans have a new tendency to move from
one issue to the next. In short-shrift time
and attendant ease. Which is what one
considers to be the stuff of populist and celebrity style politics ala-carte
the USA.
There is however a specific political precariousness to this
that we are not discussing. Whichever way
one wants to look at it. We talk about
Zanu Pf’s factionalism with a specific casualness. Almost as though we intend to
sit in front of a television, lap-top or smart phone and watch a soap
opera. In the moment. Until soldiers start rolling tanks in the streets of our major cities (2017). And then we shift in shock but more significantly in awe and in support of changes that with hindsight do not really change anything!
So we all have a visual and partially thought out impression of
why Mnangagwa and Chiwenga have their factions.
And also why the opposition that we have known for at least 25 years (MDC, MDC-T, CCC, MDC Renewal, PDP, MDC-M),
there are also highly personalized factions that are irreconcilable.
Even though, with application of a bit of common logic, we
would/should be able to think beyond these factions in a broader, non-partisan
national interests.
There are many reasons why we are entrapped in this
populism. And they are quite literally
inter-generational.
We have failed to understand our own society beyond its
immediacy in our existence. I know this
sounds somewhat complicated but it is necessary to outline.
And this is where history matters or cannot be
whitewashed. On a number of occasions I
have had to remind young Zimbabweans of who we are. Even if the populist winds are pointing in a
different direction as to what can define the present. Be it money, religion
and combined family material expectations.
At the same time we find ourselves in an unfortunate political
and economic conundrum where one has to ask themselves for example a question
as to what is it that they work/struggle for? Or what is the purpose of life as do
others in different nations. Except that in our case we are not steeped let
alone willing to capture a specific historical understanding of who we are and
who we can be. We want to mimic more and
leave the platitudes to the politicians.
There is no future in that for the country. Such an approach
would regrettably be ahistorical.
If we continue to live in immediate political moments such
as the ones we are living in now such as these Zanu PF political factionalism
moments, we are refusing to imagine a different political and economic
future.
This may seem slightly philosophical (something that we
should embrace a little bit more as did our ancestors), but it is necessary to
consider.
While we cannot live in a past consciousness (for example
the liberation struggle), we cannot also accede that history to a simplistic, populist
and materialist present (neoliberalism mixed with religion). Let alone an uninformed future of global economic
and cultural mimicry (kuteedzera zvavamwe/ open for business).
So we need to recover a more organic and progressive national
consciousness. For many of cdes my age, this is almost a no-go-area. Almost like as Thomas Mapfumo sang in his
song, “Dangerzone”. For cdes in their 30’s
they are more keen to heed Mnangagwa’s convoluted and ambiguous but unsustainable
advise of ‘make money!’ While failing to answer the question that no matter how
rich you are, you still live in a broader society and in any event, the ‘money!’
you have been advised to make, however you make it, will dissipate.
Or those in their early twenties and beginning to explore
the Zimbabwean political economy in admiration of ‘mbingas’ or the publicly and
politically rich may not understand that no one above their age group and in
power is looking for an equitable Zimbabwean society.
To put it as simply as I can without giving you the usual relevant but important
quotes of Fanon, Nyerere, Biko or Nkrumah. Or even Marx, Gramsci and Lenin, we
are faced with a crisis of national consciousness in Zimbabwe. Almost like an ‘age group’ differentiation of
what Zimbabwe can be. One that is also ‘gendered’
through marriage, materialism and how our children are preferably educated and
raised.
We know for a fact, in as capitalist and unequal society as
ours, we cannot ‘make money!’ in the manner that Mnangagwa is always advising
us. It is an elitist and cutthroat competitive
argument that does not build a better more equitable Zimbabwe. Almost like watching the much discredited
movie ‘Wolf of Wall Street”.
We must return to our national liberation ethos. Our post-independence anti-neoliberal struggles
and in the final analysis, no matter the ages of our current government leaders,
understand organic progressive generational praxis.
In this, Zimbabwe is a country that does not belong to those
that claim to be ‘vene’ (owners) as though they are inimitable oligarchs. It basically belongs to a hopeful,
progressive and compassionate people.
*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity
(takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)
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