The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) stands accused of unduly pressuring the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (COTTCO) into recruiting underqualified clerks, thus raising severe concerns about the future sustainability and success of this vital industry. It mirrors the legendary tale of a wolf persuading a shepherd to deliver the flock into its jaws – inevitably a doomed endeavour. This alarming move is not out of character for ZANU PF; it has a history of intervening in pivotal sectors like mining and production, often with disastrous outcomes.

COTTCO, already burdened with unpaid debts to farmers of approximately 2-3 billion, has had its financial health further eroded by inflation. Thus, one wonders how it could possibly function under the weight of an additional encumbrance. The forced recruitment of ZANU PF’s chosen, yet ill-suited, clerks will most likely result in administrative chaos. This is foreseen to culminate in unparalleled losses for COTTCO. Consider the potential confusion in maintaining records, calculating loans, and managing debt – all due to the placement of underqualified personnel.

But why is ZANU PF employing such an injurious strategy? The answer is populism – an often futile political tactic favoured by failing governments like ZANU PF. It mirrors past incidents of unconstitutional land appropriation, a direct product of populist politics. ZANU PF, after displaying its inefficiency and impotency, often resorts to populism as a diversion tactic from its various failures – a politically expedient soft power contrasting its usual violent tendencies.

ZANU PF’s application of this diversionary technique, however, only serves to buy time. Their despotic regime is well aware that power ultimately lies with the people, who are ready to reclaim it when the ruling party fails to deliver. Though ZANU PF utilises various government agencies to retain power, its strategy primarily revolves around diversion – employing populist politics to distract the populace from its glaring failures.

ZANU PF operates on the mistaken assumption that media repression would complement a politically apathetic, misinformed populace. It’s a deceptive premise used to enhance power retention, ultimately aimed at establishing a one-party state and enabling unrestrained exploitation of national wealth.

But who are the victims of this diversion? The answer lies in ZANU PF’s imposed COTTCO recruits – individuals without basic educational qualifications. It’s a strategy that enables the party to maintain power by using these unqualified employees for both resource extraction from COTTCO and vote buying.

ZANU PF’s continuous rule threatens to push Zimbabwe towards an unavoidable state failure, given the current political instability and burgeoning humanitarian crises, such as food insecurity, already affecting an estimated 5.9 million urban households. The only plausible solution lies in a peaceful transition of power to the opposition, followed by the restoration of constitutionalism and the rule of law. This approach could lead to the prompt recovery of struggling companies like COTTCO, as opposed to the party’s corrosive employment practices which serve only to perpetuate its hold on power.