Under Robert Mugabe, the gun determined the direction of Zimbabwean politics. Ofcourse money mattered, but the real currency of power was liberation war credentials and control of the security forces.
To get to the very top of ZANU-PF, it mattered what you had done during the liberation struggle. The people who had fought the war were the gatekeepers. They decided who came in, who moved up and who remained outside the inner circle.
The language itself was simple: “We died for this country.”
Under ED, that has changed. Yes the gun still matters, but money has become a much bigger currency of political power.
It is also interesting that Constitutional Amendment No. 3 changed the section dealing with the Defence Forces. The Constitution now explicitly says the Defence Forces must act in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that they are subject to the authority of the President and Cabinet and to parliamentary oversight.
At the same time, you no longer necessarily need an impressive liberation-war history to rise quickly within ZANU-PF. If you have enough money, you can build influence, get close to powerful people and move through the party structures much faster.
The liberation generation is slowly losing its position as the main gatekeeper of political power. Money is now opening doors that once upon a time could only be opened by liberation war credentials.
So, what used to be “we died for this country” is slowly being replaced by something much more transactional:
“We eat for this country.”
TAFFY THEMAN
#dzidzisoyataffy