𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗭𝗜𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗪𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗞𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗜 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗨𝗥𝗢.

Khamenei and Maduro all taken out by the Americans.

The death of Khamenei and the capture of Maduro have illustrated one thing: the West wins many of its strategic objectives because of spies within the systems of revolutionary movements. It’s clear that for them to have known where Khomeni was, they had spies and also the aid of the enemy using their technology (cellphones, computers, internet systems like Starlink etc).

Another trait that is synonymous with both these countries is that they were greatly divided by religion, ideology, and economic despondency caused by prolonged economic sanctions. Economic despondency tends to be the biggest factor pushing nationals in sanctioned countries to flip and inform the enemy. How do we know? Because we never see the same level of defections in Western nations like the US or Israel, despite strong ideological differences. The reason being their economies are not under sanctions, so citizens tend to be content and are unified by economic well-being, which makes them loyal.

In addition to this, revolutionary nations oftentimes have cult-like hierarchical systems where leaders and elites are beyond reproach. As such, they monopolize the distribution of resources and wealth, which leads this class to be intolerant of constructive criticism and divergent views. As a result, very bitter people who feel excluded from accessing resources, oftentimes cross over to the enemy to become spies who seek to remove their leaders to gain access to resources as well.

This point brings me to our own situation in Zimbabwe. Our country is mainly polarized due to the economic problems caused by sanctions. This is exacerbated by a small elite that is prospering at the exclusion of most, and this has caused rifts within and outside ZANU PF. Let’s not forget that when Lacoste usurped G40, it was for resources, and now the current infighting is for the same.

Even more compounding is ZANU PF’s one-centre-of-power approach doesn’t allow for divergence or constructive criticism that may flag risks, because such views are seen as a threat. As a result, frustration, anger, and bitterness fester and polarize the movement and nation. It’s at this point that people cross over to the enemy or even undertake coups—not because they are aiding imperialism, but because they simply want access to resources.

Many-a-times, leaders of revolutions forget that the main cause of their revolution was to remove an obdurate imperialist who excluded them from access to resources, education, and opportunity. So now, when revolutionaries ascend to power and begin to emulate the colonizer by hogging resources, this approach raises smart, disgruntled people—like Jonathan Moyo and others—forced by exclusion, to destroy the movement from within in order to survive. Such people become informers who enable the capture of Maduro and Khamenei.

This is why I for one, am struggling to understand why ZANU PF, after surviving 24 years of sanctions that created rifts that could have resulted in regime change invasion, would insist on extending the election cycle to reduce divisions caused by elections, yet insist on doing it without seeking buy-in and consensus with those who differ with them, to foster national unity.

This reminds me of something I learned from the Rwanda Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Musoni. He explained to me that one major reason why Rwanda has successfully kept a once-fragmented nation together, is because President Kagame invited all parties, including the opposition and former enemies, to join his government to build one nation.

We as Zimbabweans should have learned from Mugabe’s toppling that divided we fall. But since we didn’t learn, let’s emulate Rwanda and ensure this constitutional amendment is not pushed down people’s throats; but instead, we must seek consensus with those who disagree, through a referendum. Why? Because ZANU PF, from inception, sold this Constitution as our unifying ideal. So, if the party now wants to change the national compact it sold the people, why do it without taking everyone else along, to unite the people and heal the long standing divisions that could lead to an implosion. This way, we eliminate the likelihood of the enemy destroying us from within.