Last week witnessed the disruption of the constitutional drafting process by ZANU (PF) elements masquerading as war veterans in Manicaland. Barbaric as it is, this is part of ZANU (PF)’s election grand plan, which is a build up on the party’s Bulawayo conference resolutions. ZANU (PF)’s immediate plan is to rubbish the COPAC process as a precursor to pulling out of it and Mugabe calling for a snap election. Their reasoning is that they can justifiably call for an election under the Lancaster house Constitution once the COPAC process has collapsed.
I am not convinced that ZANU (PF) has a cogent and carefully thought-out political strategy in place beyond the elections. The party seems to be in fire fighting mode and is behaving like a clueless opposition political party. There seems to be an incessant disposition towards chaos as a means of survival. Decisions and actions within ZANU (PF) have not been based on rational thinking but have been driven by fear of the unknown. Frankly ZANU (PF)’s handling of the constitutional review process has been clumsy and it makes one wonder whether party strategists like Jonathan Moyo are really up to the task. One minute they announce that they are pulling out of the process, the next minute Mangwana is issuing contradicting statements. Is this part of a strategy or it betrays lack of cohesion in the party?
I have argued in this column before that Mugabe’s call for elections is ill advised. No one wants an election except for the small clique of hardline civilian elements and securocrats that is radically pushing the election agenda for selfish considerations. This is an unpopular election that is not in the national interest. ZANU (PF) elements would have us believe that elections are the only alternative to the GNU. I argue that they are not. There are many other courses of action that Zimbabweans can pursue in search of a democratic breakthrough.
A good example is the idea of a Transitional Authority or Transitional Council. Simba Makoni argued vociferously at the time of the GPA negotiations that having feuding political parties in a power sharing arrangement would not work. And it seems he has been vindicated. His proposal of a Transitional Authority fell on deaf ears but I am persuaded that it is time we opened an the debate on the efficacy of such a transitional mechanism. I still think that the GNU has a chance of ushering in a democratic dispensation if hardline elements in ZANU (PF) are neutralized. But if it is to collapse then the alternative is not an election but probably a Transitional Authority or Transitional Council whose mandate is to run the affairs of the state until a legitimate government is elected.
As a transitional tool the GNU has failed. Granted it has brought some modicum of political stability and economic recovery. But the reform agenda has stalled, thanks to ZANU (PF)’s recalcitrance. The hope for many including those in the SADC and AU was that the GNU would create conditions for a free and fair election through reform of state institutions and the drafting of a constitution that would reflect the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately the reform agenda has lost traction as hardline elements in ZANU (PF) have resisted reform at every level of the governance structure. The major problem has been that the of party-state fusion, a phenomenon where ZANU (PF) party activists are in control of the levers of the state infrastructure. A good example is that of permanent secretaries who are in charge of the day-to-day running of government ministries. A majority of the have exhibited patent allegiance to ZANU (PF) and they have frustrated MDC ministers by sabotaging the implementation of government policy and reform of state institutions. George Charamba behaves like a ZANU (PF) political commissar. Policy disharmony has been the order of the day and this has negatively affected the discharge of government business.
I argue that elections are not the solution to this morass. This is because the conditions on the ground are not conducive for a free and fair election and the outcome will be a disputed one. It is time that well meaning Zimbabweans got together in the national interest to forge a united front that will stop Mugabe and his henchmen from imposing an unpopular election on the country. Only a strong coalition with visionary leadership can get us out of this mess.
ZANU (PF) hardliners will obviously push Mugabe to go it alone in an election. Boycotting such an illegitimate process is not necessarily giving ZANU (PF) a blank cheque to take over the country. My sense is that there are well-meaning people in ZANU (PF) who do not agree with the groin-kicking politics that is being advocated for by the hardliners in the party and the security establishment. They will not openly disagree with this scorched earth approach but they will vigorously push for wise counsel to prevail over foolish counsel. When it matters most they will side with the people. Even if ZANU (PF) goes it alone in an election, the resultant government will be an illegitimate one and it will not be able to function. This will force ZANU (PF) to come back to the negotiating table.
Drivers of positive change in Zimbabwean society need to put aside their political differences and varied interests to agree on a national transitional charter that spells out a credible road map to free and fair elections. If there is need for an alternative to the GNU the charter will also draw up terms of reference for a Transitional Council or a Transitional Authority that is made up of eminent personalities from civil society, business, the clergy, traditional leaders and the intelligentsia. Political parties can participate but should not be part of the Transitional Council or Transitional Authority.
Its main brief will be to complete the process of drafting a constitution, which should be a fairly simple exercise given that there is enough raw data to work with. The draft can easily be a hybrid of the Chidyausiku Commission findings, the NCA draft, the Kariba Draft, the Law Society of Zimbabwe Draft, the COPAC draft, and any other drafts that are out there. The Transitional Council or Transitional Authority will also be tasked with the task of urgently reforming state institutions and running a credible election that will produce a legitimate government. With sufficient commitment and hard work this can be done in under a year. Zimbabweans are itching to get down to the hard work of rebuilding this beautiful nation.
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