EDITORIAL COMMENT: Build on success of Operation Restore Legacy

THE Zimbabwe Defence Forces yesterday wrapped up “Operation Restore Legacy” which began on the night of November 14 to arrest a deteriorating situation in the ruling Zanu-PF which was threatening peace, order and security in the country following the capture and abuse of former President Robert Mugabe by a criminal and power hungry gang known as G40 which was led by the garrulous former First Lady, Mrs Grace Mugabe.

The events of that historic night birthed a political transition in Zimbabwe as Cde Mugabe felt the heat and resigned on November 21 and was succeeded by President Mnangagwa, his long-time, loyal lieutenant. In between, of course, there was precipitation of popular calls for the veteran leader to step down as Zimbabweans in different world capitals and Diaspora centres converged to make their feelings known.

There is little doubt that the transition in Zimbabwe gave the world the biggest story for 2017. It will be a huge story for many years to come. And the way our Defence and Security Forces conducted the operation will be a subject of discussion and academic inquiry given the clinical, peaceful way in which it was executed and the mass popular support the ZDF received from the general public.

We are happy with the manner in which the ZDF conducted itself and the world is relieved that no blood was shed, a fact that was captured by South Africa’s Speaker of Parliament and top ruling ANC official, Baleka Mbete, as she gave a solidarity message to Zanu-PF last Friday during the latter’s Extraordinary Congress.

Now the transition has ushered in a lot of prospects for Zimbabwe. The most notable movement is the willingness of the West to engage Zimbabwe which they showed the moment a new order kicked in.

We are not overawed by the British our former colonial masters.

However, we are alive to the fact that they tried to internationalise a historic bilateral dispute over land with us which has had an effect of undermining Zimbabwe with countries like the United States and the European Union crafting odious policies and laws to punish little Zimbabwe.

We lost a lot.

We suffered a lot under sanctions.
Even when it appeared the sanctions would not work the effect of causing mass suffering and abdication of Cde Mugabe, the West still maintained them, to our great cost. With the removal of Cde Mugabe under the aegis of Operation Restore Legacy we saw the West finding a ladder to climb from its political-moral high horse.

Apart from that, we know we have to work together with the West and other members of the global family of nations.

It’s called realpolitik.
Zimbabwe can now engage with the world, thanks to the transition process that ZDF played midwife to and gave us Lt Gen Sibusiso Moyo who was then the public face of the intervention and now, as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, our man to the world.

We are confident things will pan out well on that front. On the other hand, we challenge the political leadership and the executive to build on the success of Operation Restore Legacy.

The nation expects change — like yesterday — mainly on the economy and they want money in the banks, jobs, social services and good life in general. Zimbabweans also expect the arrest of vices such as corruption and are happy that some high profile criminals are already facing the music.

Corruption has to be fought and lends the Government a lot of hygiene. Mending and growing the economy is a task that President Mnangagwa has to deliver on. He has the interim period to the next election to do that and hopefully gets a full term to do the job. With a lot of goodwill that he is enjoying and the firm foundation of Operation Restore Legacy, President Mnangagwa has a firm footing.

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