In the realm of politics, there comes a point where desperation to maintain a facade of control and legitimacy crosses the line into the realm of the ridiculous. Zimbabwe’s Zanu pf party has not only crossed this line, but galloped past it with a spectacle that left many shaking their heads in disbelief. The recent Glasgow climate change conference bore witness to this, as the party orchestrated a theatre of the absurd, embarrassing the nation on a global stage.
The stakes were high, the status quo was threatened, and Zanu pf went above and beyond to salvage what little semblance of control they had left, only to tumble further into the abyss of ridicule. They enlisted students of theatre to don Zanu pf regalia, in a cringe-worthy attempt to endorse the failed leadership. This desperate endorsement act was coupled with an awkward attempt to impose themselves onto the schedule of the host, Prime Minister Johnson. As expected, this move fuelled Zanu pf’s propaganda machine which, sadly, is now more of a misfiring old cannon desperately in need of alignment with the reality on ground.
The invitation to the conference, a mere ritual as it was, carried no laurels for Mnangagwa and Zanu pf, who seemed to misconstrue it as a sign of reengagement with the global community. This misinterpretation is a futile attempt to veil the heinous human and property rights violations under their regime, the scars of which are etched deep into the national fabric. Their desperation for reengagement seems to echo in a void, as the nation grapples with ultra-high unemployment, deindustrialisation, a staggering brain drain, and a paralysed state machinery.
The Glasgow climate change conference was not a platform of reengagement, nor was it a panacea for the myriad of crises bedevilling Zimbabwe. It was not a balm to soothe the wounds inflicted by a one-party hegemony that has forced the state into submission. The tentacles of Zanu pf’s misrule have choked the nation, spawning a culture of impunity, looting, and plundering of resources, while the welfare of the masses is wantonly neglected.
The grotesque display of Zanu pf’s propaganda in Glasgow was a feeble attempt to paint a rosy picture of a party that has dragged the nation into the mire. The photos of Mnangagwa with the United Nations chief and the United Kingdom Prime Minister raised more questions than answers. Will this photo-op lead to media reforms, will it herald a new dawn where opposition parties, journalists, and activists are afforded the space and protection they deserve? Or was it just another cheap attempt at propaganda?
The narrative spun by Zanu pf seems to crash against the hard rocks of reality. The illusion of reengagement was shattered, exposing the rot within. The party’s vice grip on corruption, the illicit affairs of the so-called first family, the blatant money laundering operations, and the smuggling of valuable minerals, all came to the fore. The factionalism within Zanu pf was also laid bare, revealing a party in disarray.
In retrospect, the Glasgow conference was a mirror held up to Zanu pf, reflecting a grim image of a party that has lost its way. The questions raised are numerous, the answers few. The call for reforms reverberates across the nation, as Zimbabweans yearn for a break from the shackles of Zanu pf’s misrule, and a step towards a future where democracy, accountability, and the rule of law are not mere illusions, but the pillars of a thriving nation.
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