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Dr Panganai Kahuni Correspondent
A political reality check is what the opposition MDC-Alliance (MDC-A) and its largely urban supporters need, to humbly understand and move away from employing political strategies that also affectits unsuspecting supporters.

The economic situation in Zimbabwe now needs pulling together for the common good of our nation.

Throwing spanners in the works with the hope of punishing Zanu-PF must be, in my humble view, analysed as a double-edged sword that also affects the survival of the MDC-Alliance and its supporters.

Throwing sand in the dish (“Kudira jecha musadza”) is a highly popularised political strategy synoymous with the MDC-Alliance. This strategy, in my humble view, is one that seeks to destroy any economic transformation strategy put in place by Zanu-PF regardless of how practical and doable it will be. The “kudira jecha” strategy has been crafted in an asymmetric fashion so as to hoodwink the nation that it will only hurt Zanu-PF and its supporters. This economy-destroying strategy was crafted in the same manner in which sanctions were designed. The “kudira jecha” strategy, which in my view was designed using the same template as that of sanctions is wittingly supported by the European Union (EU) and America.

The EU and US use Zimbabwean individuals and some CSO actors to claim lack of legitimacy in Zimbabwe so as to give credence to their claim that the 2018 harmonised  elections were not free and fair. Zimbabwean political parties such as MDC-A, CSOs, lawyers such as Agency Gumbo are used by both the EU and US as the local voices that see with the same lenses like those of these giant Westeners in asserting that there is no rule of law, democracy and good governance in Zimbabwe.

Sadly, during the electoral period of the just ended elections MDC-A utterances that seem to border on violence were never taken as issues playing havoc on the rule of law, democracy and good governance. Videos showing such irresponsible political utterances such as “If MDC-A does not win the country will not be governable” (Kana MDC-A ikasahwinha nyika haitongeki). Fellow Zimbabweans, if such a statement in not regarded as intimidating voters, then God must help us.

What is shocking and nauseating is the claim by the US that Tendai Biti is being persecuted for being an intelligent, well-educated and experienced lawyer. While it is not contested that Hon Biti is a fine legal person and that he is an experienced constitutional lawyer, the same does not hold with his politics. As a legal person, bristling with vast legal experience, Biti knows better and cannot be said to be ignorant of what the Electoral Act says in regards to announcement of electoral results. To be a fine lawyer does not make one an excellent politician. Both Biti and Chamisa as fine legal individuals cannot be defined as fine political individuals who irresponsibly boast of the “kudira jecha” strategy, a political strategy that thrives on the suffering of people in order for them to become violent, giving themselves (Biti and Chamisa) a platform to ascend to political power. Shame!

This “kudira jecha” strategy is a furtherance of Zidera and both are aimed at destroying the economy. Fellow citizens, corruption becomes cancerous in an economic crisis. Employing strategies such as “kudira jecha” and sanctions under the mistaken belief that Zanu-PF will fall and MDC-A will rise is a clear demonstration of not having the people at heart.

In Tanzania, from founding president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to incumbent president John Magufuli opposition politicians never played the draconian sanctions and “kudira jecha” political strategies. From Nyerere to Magufuli Tanzania has remained politically stable which has resulted in steady economic growth. Today Tanzania continues to improve the socio-economic status of its people due to a stable political environment facilitated by political tolerance. From Nyerere to Magufuli it has been “Chama cha Mapinduzi” (CCM) in power.

I picked on Tanzania as an example where politicians put the country and its people first before personal egos. Honestly, where the highest court of the land has given a clear televised ruling politicians cannot continue to motivate their supporters to remain perpetually in election mode. Eloquence cannot be a replacement of sound reasoning. Fellow citizens, when a political party fails to field more than 200 polling agents and cannot provide unfalsified V11s cannot claim that the elections were rigged.

There have been claims that the opposition MDC-A has the keys to unlock Zimbabwe’s economy to prosperity. Instead of using destructive strategies such as “kudira jecha musadza”, one would think unlocking the economy is a better strategy as it provides a sensible economic alternative. Pouring sand in the dish from which MDC-A and its supporters eat does not make sense at all. Maybe the MDC-A executive could be benefiting from donations from the EU and US who have issues with Zanu- PF emanating from land reform. However, the economic crisis created by sanctions and “kudira jecha” will also serve to worsen the survival of MDC-A supporters. Fellow citizens, ED has said let bygones be bygones, let’s re-engage while politics takes a back seat as all of us must grow the economy to middle class by 2030. “Nero” is saying “dirai jecha musadza”, stage demonstration after demonstration and fiiling frivolous legal complaints one after the other. Parallel to demonstrations and frivolous legal challenges Nero supports EU and US sanctions year in year out. The question is which of the two political scenarios is capable of growing the Zimbabwe economy if embraced by all Zimbabweans with a sincere heart? The choice is yours.

It is quite mind boggling to note how some academics, politicians and civil society actors become spokespersons of Western countries’ interests, which interests brazenly destroy our socio-economic well-being. It is disheartening to see and hear men of our race becoming defenders of foreign interests against our own developmental agenda.

Sanctions and the “kudira jecha” political strategy only serve to ruin our people’s livelihoods, rather than creating a sound pathway for economic prosperity. Sanctions and “kudira jecha” only hurts Zimbabwean citizens while no EU and US citizens bears the grief of these heinous anti-economic political strategies.

European and America white predators laugh at us in their backyards in our absence as being fools who do not care for their own common good. Let no black academic, politician or civil society actor dream of being liked by any of these European citizens who clamour for sanctions in Zimbabwe. Theirs is to support a puppet government that works to strengthen the resource needs of Western industrial and economic developments

Dr Panganai Kahuni is a political socio-economic commentator, researcher and diplomat in the SADC region writing in his personal capacity.