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ZANU-PF-s tyranny of unitarianism
Rejoice Ngwenya
September 17, 2012

The political homing device of President Robert Mugabe-s ZANU-PF is essentially locked onto a one-party state mode. Ultimately, it will be defused and discarded by 31 December 2013 as citizens of Manicaland, Midlands and Matabeleland revel in self-governance. There is absolutely nothing sinister about such autonomy. Call it federalism, separatism, self-determination, self-rule - I wouldn-t be bothered. Unitarianism is opium of the primitive. Only political vagabonds and control freaks with low ideological self-esteem are paranoid about devolution.

When unitary statists happen to be members of ZANU-PF, you know it is an invitation to sip tea laced with tiny glass granules. Whenever citizens crave for self-determination - from Juba to Hong Kong, Quebec to Tibet, Zanzibar to Matabeleland - consider it as rebellion against unilateralism. It is easy to dismiss us converts of devolution as merchants of Balkanization. Am I surprised? Whenever ZANU-PF does not agree with you, they marinate you in fresh blood and lock you up in a roomful of famished Dracula. As if political autonomy is anything new in Africa!

In their book 'Let the People Govern-, Frances Kendall and Leon Louw explain devolution as a hallmark of ancient African 'civilisations-. There were exceptions - like Zululand of Tshaka: "Shaka-s ruthless centralization of power and use of military might to conquer and lay waste every tribe in his path was an astonishing exception to the general rule." This 'general rule- was that: "All societies stressed the principle of government by discussion and consent [the Zulu term indaba]. Every official, whether paramount chief, lesser chief or headman, was answerable to his people or their representatives through his council, and legislation was introduced only after consultation . . . "

What we Zimbabweans now know is that despotic authoritarianism justified through Unitarianism has devastating consequences. An intoxication with centralism cost no less than fifty thousand innocent lives on either side of Zimbabwe-s independence, thanks to tyrannical arbitrary rule of the Rhodesia Front and ZANU-PF. In 1827 when Tshaka-s mother died, "during his initial grief about 7000 Zulus were killed, including all pregnant women and their husbands . . . " Compared to Robert Mugabe-s Gukurahundi-to-June 2008 governance terror, Tshaka-s exploits were kindergarten games.

Thus, critics of our COPAC draft who lie that decentralisation 'is better than devolution- need to pay heed to Pedzisai Ruhanya-s advice: "Decentralisation of despotism as captured by the ZANU- PF draft does not amount to empowering regional governments to exercise autonomy in the administration of national affairs."

A.J. Wills, in his 1967 version of 'An Introduction to the History of Central Africa-, quotes a map by Portuguese explorer Fernandez [1512-14]. It shows Monomatapa-s 'kingdom- covering only the present-day provinces of Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland east and Manicaland. Referring to Monomatapa-s sons, he admits: "The country to the south-west, beyond a line running roughly between modern Salisbury, Umtali, and Chipinga, was quite outside their control." The same map refers to this 'south-west- region under the influence of the Rozwi and Butwa. He explains that several centuries later in 1836, Mzilikazi established his new 'kingdom- around the modern-day Matopos area. The historian maintains a strong tone of autonomy and self-governance. It was the post 1890 colonial conquest of Zimbabwe by the 'pioneer column- which distorted the very essence of devolved, traditional system of governance.

I conclude. By refusing to acknowledge devolution as an essential component of modern-day constitutionalism, ZANU-PF becomes a subconscious extension of Ian Smith-s tyranny of Unitarianism. An obsession with a centralised unitary state is not borne out of ideological superiority. It is an acute thirst for control, rent-seeking and political patronage.

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