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Cde Kasukuwere

Takunda Maodza Assistant News Editor
When my dad fell sick – cancer of the lungs – like a troop of baboons we grouped as a family. We buried our differences on noticing as a family we were in the midst of a crisis. We fought the fight even though we all knew it was a matter of time. He was a resilient man but because all humans owe nature death, he settled his debt with nature.

His illness and death enriched my understanding of life and the importance of belonging to a family. It is only a stupid family that quarrels in the midst of a crisis. Had we quarrelled and mauled each other on who was going to pay for my father’s chemotherapy or buy medicines – he would have died a long time ago. zanu-pf is not a stupid family. It should find common ground and re-group like a troop of baboons as the enemy, who was long nursing the wounds of the 2008 elections – is fast healing up to prepare for yet another fight.

The enemy’s confidence is building up reinforced and buttressed by the chaos characterising the revolutionary party. As I peeped through the window yesterday, eyes zooming the Africa Unity Square – I saw multitudes of MDC-T followers led by Morgan Tsvangirai and his wife Elizabeth marching the streets. Inside I told myself, this should be a message to zanu-pf. If you want to deliver victory to the Western sponsored outfit in 2018 continue fighting. And the consequences of enemy victory are pretty predictable – the enemy will descend on you with a seven pound hammer, crashing your body and soul with the devil’s pleasure.

Dear zanu-pf, wake up! Why are you betraying the revolution to which many lost their lives? Where have you imported this toxic shoot thyself on the foot or stab they brother on the back character? What will Victoria Chitepo and Vivian Mwashita – whom we buried at the National Heroes Acre on Wednesday – tell the comrades that departed earlier about the situation in zanu-pf? Will they recite good stories to Cde Herbert Chitepo, Cde Josiah Magama Tongogara, Nikita Mangena, Eddison Zvobgo and the rest of the heroes on the state of affairs in the party? Take a minute zanu-pf cadre, introspect, self examine, prosecute yourself – be ashamed if the verdict is negative. Family, Family, Family! A family never fights itself unless it is a stupid family.

The day did not end miserably though. As I packed my bags to leave office the message from zanu-pf Midlands Province was encouraging. zanu-pf National Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere – met the zanu-pf Midlands Provincial Coordinating Committee in Gweru. His message was glass clear. This is what a commissar is Cde Kasukuwere. If you continue with that gospel, zanu-pf would be fishers of men come 2018. Certainly, it will not harvest thorns!

This is the message Cde Kasukuwere relayed to the Midlands and it should ricochet in other provinces too. I allow Tyson to speak: “We have been sent to reunite and reconcile people. We have come to the Midlands to build the party not to destroy it. There are a plethora of disciplinary issues that the party needs to deal with and that should be put to finality and ensure that we deal with all grey areas that have been bedevilling people and the party.

‘’If we have our own personal differences as individuals we should not drag the whole province into that and make it a big issue. Do not use the party to settle your own personal scores and differences. We should not destroy the party by our personal differences. I have no doubt there are issues in the province and there are leaders with the maturity and capacity to deal with those issues. Cde Gumbo you should rebuild the party and put all the differences to finality.”

Cde Kasukuwere sounded the Midlands Province and indeed every zanu-pf cadre who cares to listen in a typical panorairwa mwana wamambo muranda terera fashion – 2018 is by the corner and the revolutionary party cannot continue digging its own grave.

“Midlands is one of our key provinces and the party needs Midlands Province. Midlands should turn the volume down. We should know that 2018 is not too far and we cannot afford to continue fanning chaos and divisions in the party. Midlands should resolve its issues internally”.

That said, Cde Gumbo re-united warring cadres.

“I am giving you seven days to iron out your differences or I will go to the Politburo and let it dissolve the province. All those small groups that you had formed should be destroyed with immediate effect. Let us unite. Maimwa mese doro (Tapiwa) Matangaidze na (Daniel) Mckenzie kare and I have the photo of you together shake hands now and hug each other,” said Cde Gumbo.

The import of Cde Gumbo’s message to the Midlands comrades is clear – we are a family and a family fights in one corner.

zanu-pf’s journey – travelled well all along – would be as a false as a trip to heaven on Gossamer wings if it were to continue fighting itself. Siblings fight but never forget their totem. We did not forget ours when dad was sick and wherever he is, he knows we fought a good fight.

Takunda Maodza
Assistant News Editor