Million-man march a sign of Zanu-PF victory

29 May, 2016 - 00:05 0 Views
Million-man march a sign of Zanu-PF victory Million Man March

The Sunday News

Million Man March

One Million Man March

Dumisani Sibanda, Sunday News Correspondent
FORMER journalist and now Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, tweeted on Africa Day, “You can’t beat this” in reference to a picture showing the huge crowd that took part in the Million-Man March.

A local veteran journalist, Brezhnev Malaba, also commented on Twitter that the Million Man March was proof that Zanu PF was still a “potent force at mobilising”.

Last month MDC-T staged what it dubbed a “grandmaster demonstration” in Harare. Some people described the MDC-T demonstration as the biggest by the opposition party in a decade. In some sections of the local media headlines screamed that the event was a resounding success and testimony that MDC –T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was “the real deal in town”. The “large” turnout by MDC-T standards of course was testimony that “indeed the 2013 election was stolen from Tsvangirai”.

But this month the Youth League of Zanu PF announced that the Million Man March in solidarity with President Mugabe — which it was organising — would be held in Harare on Africa Day to celebrate the legacy of their leader and Pan-Africanist icon, on Africa Day.

Each province had to organise its logistics for its own members who wanted to travel to Harare for the march.

Come Wednesday 25 May 2016, a date now firmly registered in the history of independent Zimbabwe, tens of thousands of people from all the four corners of Zimbabwe poured onto the streets of the capital, Harare, to march in honour of President Mugabe who had successfully completed his terms as the Southern African Development Community Chairperson and at the helm of the African Union.

A mosaic of people took part in the march from students, farmers, war veterans, members from all the structures of the ruling party among others giving true meaning to the expression “people from all walks of life”.

The MDC-T “grandmaster of a demonstration” suddenly paled into insignificance showing that Mr Tsvangirai and his party were no way near being the “real deal in town” and that if the numbers that turned out were a reflection of each party’s voters then MDC-T was surely “beaten hands down in the 2013 elections”.

Those who had been lauding Tsvangirai had to eat humble pie and switch the mute button but instead they decided to embarrass themselves by claiming that those who took part in the Million Man March were “commandeered to do so especially those from rural areas”.

Only, a person from Mars or some other far away planet would believe that most people in Zimbabwe’s rural areas were Mr Tsvangirai’s supporters and therefore those who were part of the march had been forced to travel to Harare and support President Mugabe.

Mr Tsvangirai with the support of Zimbabwe’s former coloniser, Britain, opposed the land reform programme when it was introduced by the Zanu PF led government in 2000 caricaturing newly resettled back farmers as “stone-age scavengers” that were “mushrooming everywhere”.

Clearly the new farmers whether commercial or communal joined the march to thank President Mugabe for resisting machinations by Mr Tsvangirai and his ilk that were opposed to the process of re-distributing land to correct the ownership imbalances of the resources, which was a legacy of the colonial era.

Mr Tsvangirai’s anti-land programme even claimed the scalps of some officials in the party such as the duo of Messer’s Munyaradzi Gwisai and Abel Mahlangu who were also members of the International Socialist Organisation and supported the idea of land redistribution.

There was also talk about the march being a case of “misplaced priorities”, this coming from people who claim to be “bastions of democracy”. Were people not free to take part in a march in honour of their leader?

Before the march took place, there were also predictions from the prophets of doom that it would be a flop as there were alleged factional fights in the ruling party. But alas this was not to be as the buzz word at the event was “unity” which was emphasised by President Mugabe in his address.

In fact, in an interview on Thursday, the Deputy Secretary of the Zanu PF Youth League, Cde Kudzanayi Chipanga also expressed gratitude to the members of the party and various other stakeholders for showing a unity of purpose by taking part in the march.

“It feels great that the march was a success and as Zanu PF youths who organised it we would like to salute Zanu PF members for turning up for the march in such large numbers. We realise that our President was happy for this event and as youths we are happy that he was happy. This is what we should do organise events and activities as youths in the party instead of causing problems. All party structures came in their numbers and you can see unity exists in our party.’’

However, opposition parties largely dismissed the march as a waste of resources at a time when the country is suffering economically.

But Cde Chipanga said there were not deterred by negative comments from detractors as Zanu PF youths and they have in fact been buoyed by the resounding success of the event that they are now planning to have another “big march” before the 2018 elections.

“According to us the MDC and several other MDCs, Zimbabwe People First included are not political parties but social clubs where you go just to relax and entertain yourself but if you want to be involved in serious national politics then you come to Zanu PF ,” said Cde Chipanga. “Let’s not waste time talking about clubs.”

The Zanu PF Youth leader said it was not true that people who took part in the march were forced to participate in the event.

“Commandeering all those people,” quizzed Cde Chipanga. “There was nothing like that. People came voluntarily because of Zanu PF’s policies of land reform, indigenisation, programme of providing stands to home seekers and host of others that are being implemented by government.”

Former journalist, who is now Mberengwa East legislator and Sport and Recreation Minister, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane put it aptly when he described the Million-Man March as “historical”.

“This is an epochal event in terms of the history of the party and the history of the youths in the country. The youths have finally been able to turn the important exuberant and ebullient energy they have into support not just for our iconic leader, President Mugabe but the iconic figure for the entire continent. So this is not a small thing. It is an important celebration that speaks to the importance of this great founding father of Zimbabwe, this great founding father of Africa and celebrating the works that he has done over many years of his life,” he is quoted as having said.

The marchers, many of whom were transported to the capital by bus, sang songs praising Mugabe and wore T-shirts displaying his image as they gathered at Robert Mugabe Square to be addressed by the icon. They waved flags and wore Zanu PF regalia with messages lauding President Mugabe for his anti-imperialist stance which has endeared him to many downtrodden peoples of the world who have been on the receiving end of imperialism and neo-colonialism.

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