Job Sikhala has slammed Nelson Chamisa in a secret strategy document for his new movement.
The full document reads:
This concept note provides an insight into the ideas and the inspiration behind the formation of the National Democratic Taskforce. It captures the background and context of Zimbabwe’s terrain, locating the incarceration of Sikhala as an opportunity for movement building.
The concept also outlines the objective of constructing a people’s political movement to complete the liberation struggle and a solid programme of action is laid out. It also sets out timelines of building a political movement that can lead the completion of the liberation project.
Background
The incarceration of Job Sikhala and his subsequent release birthed a movement of people who were clamouring for his release. Unfortunately, the discourse around Sikhala’ s persecution has been divorced from the governance Crisis. Zimbabweans have failed to link the persecution to judicial capture, Crisis of neo-liberalism and an entrenched dictatorship.
Zimbabwe’s post-independence political terrain has over the years been dominated by personalities with limited mention of prescriptions of solutions to the challenges of the day.
The pre independence Zimbabwe struggles were deeply influenced by the yearning of universal suffrage and defeating colonial bondage. The scientific model of achieving these ends and reconstructing society post-independence were clearly articulated using the Marxist-Leninist tools.
The problems of the day were well understood and framed for the masses to understand, a highly risky but realistic methodology for change, (armed struggle) was clearly articulated. The masses also clearly envisioned how victory would look like, independence and gu tsa ru zhi nji. The struggle was never about a person but a message for transformation.
The National Working People’s Convention of 1999 brought together labour, students, vendors, churches, Women’s organisations and academia among others to dialogue on the Zimbabwean Crisis and proffer a way forward. A program of action and a vehicle for change, the Movement for Democratic Change, MDC was birthed.
25 years later, the program of action has since been discarded and the MDC has since been dissolved at decision making level though the grass roots movement remains with no campus.
The People’s Charter of 2008 was also a product of massive consultations but there is no vehicle pushing for the implementation of the Charter.
Fast forward to the era of the Citizens Coalition for Change, and the preceding last days of the MDC, the focus has been shifted from the message to the messenger.
Zimbabweans are fed with some of the most sensational and unrealistic propaganda but they accept it without question because the right messenger is sharing the message.
In the August 2023 elections, the major political parties disregarded the most fundamental concept of election manifestos. They did not bother to articulate any convincing issue driven messaging. Their messages focused on the leaders. ZANU PF simply used an ED Pfee message and Chamisa Chete Chete or Ngaapinde Hake Mukomana were the message from the opposition. The 2023 election delivered Zimbabwe fully into the era of special messengers with no message!
The Chamisa outfit, with no valuable message to sell, decided to replace political ideology with religious messages. The grouping did not seem to be driven by any common goal to benefit the people, it also also shrouded in the mystery referred to as “strategic ambiguity”. #Godisinit became the ideology, a perfect way of evading accountability as all enquiries, are deferred to God.
In as much as the running a God guided movement helps the leadership to avoid accounting internally to the followers, the flip side of it is that, the followers become permanently pacified and they are not ready to engage the external adversary, ZANU PF in this context.
Post the massive rigging of the 23 August 2023 elections, Chamisa’s movement was exposed of being a sterile grouping of religious fanatics. The team did not at any point display any idea or appetite for resistance.
Today Mnangagwa’s government has free reign. The 2024 budget imposed a cruel tax regime, the Godisint cabal had no response, there was no attempt to demand any accountability from the government no defend the people against the harsh taxation.
Listed companies have been exempted from public scrutiny, the prayer warriors have remained mute. The message they subscribed to compels them to wait for the absent messiah to rescue them.
It is not surprising that when Job Sikhala left prison and articulated a different kind of politics, reintroducing content to the struggle, he was attacked for being the wrong messenger. No one has challenged his message, because there is no alternative message he is competing with. He has to be compared to the accepted messenger who carries no message!
It is against this background that a National Democratic Taskforce is being set, to facilitate the convening of consultations from Ward level, district level, provincial level and culminating into a National Democratic People’s Convention. The consultation process will be on the basis of a zero-draft originated from the resolutions of the National Working People’s Convention of 1999 and the People’s Charter of 2008.
The Democratic People’s Convention will define the People’s Agenda for the next 10 years and construct a vehicle to pursue the Agenda.
Objectives.
To use the resolutions of the 1999 People’s Convention and the 2008 People’s Charter, as basis for nationwide consultations to construct a PEOPLE’S AGENDA for the next 10 years.
To set up a mass democratic movement composed of multiple constituency bodies as a vehicle to pursue the PEOPLE’S AGENDA.
Methodology
Stage 1. Set up a National Democratic Taskforce and a supporting technical team to spearhead the implementation of the program of action.
Stage 2. Produce a Zero draft to be used for consultations. The Zero draft should incorporate the context of the Zimbabwean Crisis, proposed solutions and the strategy for pursuing the desired change. A zero draft of the Movement’s constitution should also be part of the package of consultations.
Stage 3. Ward Consultations
Stage 4. Constituency based consultations
Stage 5. Provincial Consultations
Stage 6. National Democratic People’s Convention.
Participants in consultation will be drawn from listed Constituency bodies. Representatives will be selected to represent each Ward, District and Province and the National Democratic People’s Convention.
Stage1: Setting up National Coordinating Committee
1 February to 28 February 2024
Outcome – Coordinating Committee
Stage 2. Drafting the Zero draft for consultations
1 March to 31 March 2024
Outcome – Zero draft produced.
Stage 3. Ward Consultations in Zimbabwe’s 1 978 wards
1 April 2024 to 1 April 2025
Resolutions from 1 978 Wards
Stage 4. Constituency based consultations.
1 May 2025 to 30 September 2025
Outcome – Resolutions from the 210 constituencies. Leadership structures in the 210 constituencies
Stage 5 . Provincial Consultations
1 October to 31 December 2025
Outcome – Resolutions from 10 provinces. Leadership structures in 10 provinces
Stage 6 Preparations and hosting of National Democratic People’s Convention
1 January 2026 to 31 August 2026
Outcome – Resolutions from the Convention, PEOPLE’S AGENDA – A constitution for the Movement National leadership structure.
Funding the program.
The activities will be funded from well-wishers, donors of goodwill and ordinary Zimbabweans at home and in the diaspora.
