Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. By Staff Reporter – OPPOSITION outfit, Zimbabwe First (ZimFirst) has launched a “silent revolution” with high hopes of causing upsets in the 2023 elections.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com from his US base, ZimFirst president Maxwell Shumba said the party has been busy building the silent revolution, code named Chimhukutira/Umshesha Phansi.
Without pre-empting the campaign strategy, Shumba said ZimFirst was targeting the rural vote where ZANU PF enjoyed majority support.
Over 67 % of the country’s population lives in rural areas, making it imperative for a political party hoping to clinch majority votes to get the support of the rural folk.
Shumba said he was optimistic of winning over the support of the key population as President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to restore the country’s prosperity and also install a political climate divorced from the repressive past under late predecessor Robert Mugabe.
“ZANU PF has to go and be replaced by a leadership that puts people and the country first,” he said.
“The political climate in the country can best be described as fake democracy. Zimbabwe has pseudo democracy whose existential manifestation is only meant to hoodwink the intentional community while it serves the purpose of keeping the militarised ZANU PF party in power.
“There is no new dispensation. So, it is futile to waste time and energy discussing the fallacy that Mugabe was replaced by a new dispensation. No and no.
“This is the same hyena coming from the bushes at different times of the day. ED (Emmerson Mnangagwa) regime is the same ZANU PF regime albeit worse than that of his predecessor,” he said.
Shumba said Mnangagwa deliberately created the Political Actors Dialogue Forum (POLAD) to fortify and legitimise his rule.
Mnangagwa ostensibly created the elite political forum to address the country’s political and economic woes.
Shumba argued that POLAD’s premise was flawed.
“ED is a protagonist in the lack of free and fair elections. Therefore, it was not proper for him to be the convener of a platform (POLAD) that sought to bring all opposition forces together and agree on a political solution.
“How can a hyena invite goats to an Indaba? POLAD is a hyena’s den. Its existence is to fortify and legitimise ED’s rule.
“Most of the individuals who joined POLAD are not genuine opposition worth their salt. They should have demanded a bureau arbiter, SADC or AU appointed envoy to chair the political indabas.
“There has to be confidence on both sides that there would be fairness in the process,” he said as opposed to a scenario where Mnangagwa is the judge and jury.
Moreover, some of the POLAD members such Bryn Taurai Muteki have since joined ZANU PF – adding weight to speculation that most of the political parties participating under the platform are ZANU PF projects.
Shumba said instead of Mnangagwa leading the country to peace, unity and development, his rule has been marred by greed, corruption and policy deficiency.
He indicated that health, education and economic development supported by the safety of the citizenry were key to the ZimFirst governance, which would never materialise as long as Zanu PF was in power.
“ZimFirst will bring fresh ideas and vision that is led by technocrats who have unparalleled expertise and experience gained on the first world platform. ZimFirst acknowledges and promotes involvement of the youth at national level of leadership.
“Together with the wisdom and experience of those who have remained in Zimbabwe, the ZimFirst is uniquely placed to transform Zimbabwe into a first world country. With ZimFirst, Zimbabweans are set to enjoy genuine peace and prosperity because we will bring accountability, honesty and unity as our nation’s core values system,” he said.
Shumba said their silent revolution has received tremendous support as the people are searching for an alternative to Zimbabwe’s challenges outside ZANU PF and MDC.
