Earlier today (Tuesday), the government released a statement criticising Julius Malema’s calls for President Mugabe to step down. Malema’s party the Economic Freedom Fighters did not take long to respond. Here is their own statement in response.
The EFF reaffirms its position that President Mugabe’s occupancy of the position of president is not good for the radical African political program. He is the bastion of the reactionary phenomenon of “lead to the death” that has crippled the image and praxis of post-colonial Africa. President Mugabe is not only the contemporary engine of personality cult, but he is protected by a group of cowards around him who hypocritically defend him everyday, whilst harbouring ambitions to lead soon.
We are unequivocal that revolutions ought to promote programs and not personalities. The continent needs heroes who will be able to stand firm on the objectives of the African revolution whilst allowing democratic practices and succession of leadership. His example is contradictory to this ideal since it directly or indirectly promotes the phenomenon of refusing to leave office until death.
Before the ZANU-PF and its youth wing respond to the EFF about the charge that they are cowards; they should ask themselves a simple question – what is revolutionary about being led by a person in old age; who sleeps all the time in meetings, can no longer even hold a pen or write half a page? Failure to respond to this question signifies not that they are afraid of others, but of President Mugabe.
When youth movement across the continent are fighting for change, questioning the transformation of liberation movements into old age homes and general gerontocracy. The ZANU-PF youth is instead defending and advancing an essentially anti-youth statuesque. This is because there is actually no youth in the ZANU-PF Youth; what you find are middle age men and women, half of which are suffering from a mid-life crises. They should be ashamed of themselves for holding the future from being born in Zimbabwe.
We shall never tell lies as revolutionaries; all the anti-colonial struggle icons like Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere knew when it was enough and handed over the baton to others. The African revolution must always distance itself from all forms of personality cults; insistence that President Mugabe must lead to the grave is a sign that ZANU-PF is drowning in cowardice.
ISSUED BY THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS
MBUYISENI QUINTIN NDLOZI (National Spokesperson)