The dearth of Democracy and Consolidation of One-Party State in Zimbabwe

Opinion by Leo Taurai Chamahwinya

I will start with citing Biblical verses.

Exodus 20:15 Thou Shalt not steal. Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 22:1-4 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it or sell it: he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

It seems the self-procalimed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu never learned from the scriptures. I am also told he is an avid Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) elder and hardly misses a church service.

Despite his Christian background, it seems Tshabangu is not stopping any time soon, and just recently he filed an urgent court application seeking to stop the participation of 23 Candidates under the CCC banner in the upcoming February 3 by elections.

More than 50 elected officials have been so far recalled from either parliament or council.

All these recalls have been engineered and orchestrated by none other than self-styled CCC Interim Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu and his surrogates.

If past events are to go by, the recalls that we are witnessing today are not likely going to end soon, the recall spree will continue unabated. Tshabangu just like the biblical Judas Iscariot has managed to mortgage the struggle.

Our votes have been sold for a song! Regrettably, the opposition has been pitifully and distressingly decimated and buried by the heartless undertaker Sengezo Tshabangu.

Will dry bones resurrect?

The implications of these recalls on democracy and the viability of the opposition in Zimbabwe are dire and daunting.

Democracy has been put in the intensive care unit. Democracy in Zimbabwe is at risk of being eroded and weakened by Tshabangu and his masters.

They are determined to eliminate any checks and balances, civil liberties, and political pluralism.

Why the recalls are a recipe for disaster?

The recalls undermine the principle of representative democracy, which is based on the idea that the people elect their representatives to act on their behalf and express their interests in parliament.

Secondly the recalls weaken the role of parliamentary democracy, which is based on the idea that parliament is the supreme legislative body that makes laws and policies for the country and holds the executive accountable for its actions.

The recalls reduces the number and influence of the opposition in Parliament, and increase the dominance and control of ZANU- PF MPs.

They also diminish the diversity and pluralism of views and voices in parliament, and limit the space for debate and deliberations.

Lastly, the recalls endanger the vision of inclusive democracy, which is based on the idea that democracy is not only about elections, but also about participation, representation, and empowerment of all segments of society, especially those who are marginalised and disadvantaged.

These recalls have exposed the fragility of democracy and the vulnerability of the opposition in the country.

Whereas the recalls may be misconstrued to be a microcosm of internal opposition CCC squabbles, they feed into a broader dual securocratic state consolidation project.

The author Leo Taurai Chamahwinya is a seasoned democracy and governance activist and write in his own capacity.