By Hopewell Chin’ono
President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa was inaugurated yesterday for his second term.
But as we can see from the arrest of Doug Colart and Tapiwa Muchineripi last night, nothing will change!
What now, many have been asking me in my inboxes?
The opposition in its current construct is terribly weak, and it can’t take on a monster like ZANUPF!
ZANUPF rigs elections, the opposition’s job must be to stop that and not just mourn!
If it doesn’t unite and continues to believe in its own propaganda, we will get to 2028 the same way we got to 2023!
It is time the opposition has serious conversations in its ranks, or else it will not succeed in strengthening itself.
Strategic ambiguity failed, promises of divine intervention failed, and motivational speeches failed.
This is reality and not opinion, you discard it at your own peril! If anyone can’t see that, then they can’t be helped.
ZANUPF doesn’t care about legitimacy, if it governs using meritocracy, the opposition will have a mountain to climb.
ZANUPF will repeat its shameful acts of there is another election tomorrow, it only cares about retaining power.
The opposition is lucky that ZANUPF can’t govern using meritocracy because corruption is in its DNA, but that in itself won’t save the opposition if it continues to be a one man and his friends outfit. Being in denial of this will assure another defeat!
The opposition needs to have a constitution, a congress to establish structured leadership, a bank account and a website as a foundation to avoid ZANUPF destroying it.
The opposition leader must be accountable to a constitution not to himself, that is what happens in a democracy.
Journalists MUST ask tough questions to both the ruling party and the opposition or else they will become complicit in the country’s demise.
Both ZANUPF and CCC are in Government at different levels, so they must be accountable.
Elections are over, it is pointless repeating what we mentioned before the elections.
I want to tell every Zimbabwean this, ONLY a broad based and inclusive opposition will defeat ZANUPF.
That way when ZANUPF’s rigs, it becomes personal to everyone and becomes everyone’s business!
We are all affected by the choices ZANUPF and CCC make, so behind United and having a leadership that can unite people is paramount!
The Zimbabwean diaspora must also be at the center of opposition politics not just as funders, but as an engine for ideas because they have them.
The opposition must not just criticise, but it must be an engine for ideas and solutions.
Parliament must be the place to demand and push reforms not twitter, we want to see a competent opposition cohort in parliament.
The opposition has time to go and reflect, and it must tell itself the truth about what it could have done differently.
Learn from your mistakes from the last term and election or perish!
Lastly, the opposition must care and be seen to care about Job Sikhala and Jacob Ngarivhume not just in tweets but in reality.
Opposition politics must be about good over evil everywhere, and not just when it affects your favourites.
I wish the opposition well in its reconstruction.
