Iden Wetherell in Harare
Despite growing demands in Zimbabwe for political reform, President Robert Mugabe has declared that his ruling Zanu-PF party will continue to take precedence over Parliament as far as governing the country goes.
Mugabe slapped down members of Parliament who had been calling for change ahead of last weekend’s Zanu-PF conference held in Bulawayo, reminding them where ultimate power resides.
Zanu-PF occupies 147 of the 150 parliamentary seats. But a group of restive MPs have recently proposed reforms such as the restoration of the Senate, the removal of appointed MPs, and a limit to the terms a president may serve ‘ all of which would impact upon Mugabe’s sweeping powers.
‘They think things can just be suggested in Parliament and the policy made by Parliament. That is nonsensical,’ Mugabe said, repeating a long-held view that his party is sovereign. ‘Policy has to be made by the party, by the central committee which is the custodian of our policies.’
The party was not opposed to change, Mugabe added, citing as an example the introduction of an executive presidency and two vice-presidents in 1987.
Nearly ten years on, that structure remains rigidly in place. No debate on the succession to Mugabe (72) was permitted at the Bulawayo meeting. Vice-President Joshua Nkomo (78) appears
determined to hang on despite growing signs of infirmity while Vice-President Simon Muzenda (73) shows no sign of going either.
In his keynote address Mugabe called for ‘ideological education’ on the country’s unique brand of socialism and announcced that Zanu-PF’s controversial land acquisition policy would be given new impetus.
He brushed aside the recommendations of a report drawn up by the British government which offered donor support for land acquisition on a willing-seller basis and declared he would take the land anyway, without compensation.
The same spirit of arbitrary redistribution has guided the party’s approach to black empowerment, also a major topic at the conference. Multi-national companies have been invited to offer shares to the government which will then ‘warehouse’ them until approved entrepreneurs come forward with an offer to purchase.
Anglo American recently parted with 20% of its Bindura nickel mine under this scheme, thus facilitating a work permit for its new managing director, Philip Baum. It still hasn’t seen the money.
Critics point out that, like land acquisition, Zimbabwe’s economic indigenisation policy has been characterised by a lack of transparency and is calculated to empower a well-connected elite.
But it was not all plain sailing for the party in Bulawayo. Delegates accused senior party members of fuelling factionalism in an undeclared struggle for power. ‘The party is collapsing because of our leaders who are hungry for power and greedy for money,’ said one delegate, to applause.
The conference also saw renewed attacks on the independant press. Zanu-PF’s deputy information secretary, Chen Chimutengwende, said resources would be allocated to the party’s information department to counter what he called the ‘completely unacceptable propaganda’ of the ‘opposition press’.
The government already controls Zimbabwe’s broadcast media and owns 90% of its print media.
Observers point out that with a virtual press monopoly and an emasculated civil society, Zanu-PF has been able to dominate national discourse and resist reform of institutions which maintain it in power. This includes allocating itself public funds.
Zanu-PF’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, who describes Mugabe as ‘Zimbabwe’s king’, said last week it was ‘unAfrican’ to discuss the succession issue.