GOVERNMENT and Zanu PF’s hostile attitude towards opposition parties aimed at driving them into their deathbed is not revolutionary, but a sign of immaturity and cowardice, a former Cabinet minister said.
Zimbabwe has a long history of State-sponsored violence against opposition parties, with activists either being jailed, persecuted, maimed or even killed for going against the ruling party.
Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of the ongoing Ideas Festival conference, former Industry and International Trade minister Nkosana Moyo said the ruling party should respect opposition parties.
“So let me tell you what, firstly, we have not yet matured to a point where we understand the value of opposition,” he said.
“When you’ve got somebody who disagrees with you, if you are a mature person, you listen very carefully to what they say, because they see things from a different perspective from you. You don’t kill them.”
The Ideas Festival is organised by Alpha Media Holdings, the publishers of daily NewsDay, weeklies Zimbabwe Independent weeklies Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard as well as operating an online broadcast station Heart & Soul TV.
Moyo said Zanu PF should accept that the opposition comprised of a population that is loyal to the country not to a party.
“When you take the view that opposition is disloyal to the country and is an enemy and you don’t listen to them, then you are going to do things without any checks and balances,” he said.
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“But sadly, not only is it a question of checks and balances, your leadership will not have the opportunity of being pushed to be refined by someone who tells you it’s up to you because you don’t want to listen.
“So if we were really smart people, we would understand that opposition is a valuable issue. It’s a valuable thing for this country.”
Opposition parties yesterday said Zanu PF wanted to see the death of their parties.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the ruling party should embrace divergent views.
“As I speak, the ruling party is implementing some of the ideas and policies that were being advocated by president Nelson Chamisa, which shows that his ideas, though contrary to those of Zanu PF, are also good for the country and that diversity enriches our society,” he said.
“For example, the renaming of provinces is a key milestone in detribalising our provinces and the alternation of the capital city can facilitate positive development across the country, over and beyond Harare.
“This is just a current example, but there are many more advantages of having a viable opposition in the country that generates and articulates alternative views and ideas.”
MDC leader Douglas Mwonzora’s spokesperson Lloyd Damba said they believed in cultural, political, religious and social diversity.
“This honestly means that we subscribe to opposing views within the same society internally and externally as long as it is for the eradication of negative practices of the aforementioned things,” he said.
“Unfortunately for Zanu PF, opposition means unpatriotic because they want everyone to be cloned in the image of their president, politburo and central committee, only then can you be defined as a patriotic citizen.”
Labour, Economists and African Democrats party leader Linda Masarira said Moyo spoke to the profound truth about the health of democracy.
“Moyo’s view resonates with our belief that a robust and respectful political ecosystem demands pluralism and an acceptance that no one party holds a monopoly on ideas or solutions,” she said.
“Our position is that opposition parties should be safeguarded against repression and given legitimate roles in policy and decision-making.
“Zimbabwe’s current political climate, however, often leans toward stifling dissent rather than valuing it as constructive.”
