@ O’forth
It is hard being a Zimbabwean. Most people can only imagine what unemployment rate of 80% plus for over ten years and the economic hardship that comes with it real means. What makes it all even harder is all the political repression which has made it near impossible all these last 30 years to change. But this is all nothing; the hardest thing to bear is the betrayals by the people who yesterday one thought were on your side.
People fought the war of independence only for Mugabe and his thugs to betray the them and deny them, the freedom, liberty, human dignity, hope, everything so many had died for.
For the last thirty years many more Zimbabweans have suffered and thousands have died to end the Mugabe dictatorship. In 2008 the nation thought their goal had finally been achieved only for Tsvangirai to betray them and allow the tyrant back into State House. And only for an empty title of Prime Minister - Mugabe saw to it that the position had no real power or authority - that was the thirty pieces of silver Tsvangirai got!
Tsvangirai could still prevent the blood shed his blundering has made certain if only he will use his parliamentary majority to stop Mugabe. But he will not do it because for all the political posturing he is now one of the ruling elite and is enjoying all the benefits and privileges that go with it. Mugabe knew he only had to give him and his MDC friends a ministerial Mercedes Benz, endless foreign travel, etc. – “vhara muromo,” in Shona - and they will promptly forget their promise to bring democratic change, freedom, rule of law, etc. And that is exactly what has happened!
People have asked why Zimbabweans have not staged mass demonstrations against the Mugabe regime, similar to those in Tunisia, Egypt, etc? Many people would say it was fear of the regime’s brutal repression and point to the how the regime has always deployed the Riot police, Police and even the Army each time people stage any public gathering. The only public demonstrations allowed are those supportive of the regime the rest are considered a serious threat to maintaining public order and dealt with accordingly. But then the same was said about Tunisia and Egypt until the Arab Spring! There is more to why Zimbabweans have not taken their clue from Egypt and force the Mugabe regime out of office.
The people of Zimbabwe do not believe rising against Mugabe would bring them any nearer their cherished goal of freedom and liberty because the leaders who emerge at the end of the day will betray them just as readily as Mugabe and Tsvangirai has done. The people of Egypt and Tunisia had never risen against their dictators until now for the same reason.
The Egyptians and Tunisians had been desperate for change for decades, just like Zimbabweans. It was the desperation that drove the fruit seller in Tunisia to commit suicide. There was nothing new in that. In the past a few people would have come out in the street in sympathy only for the regime to fall on them like a tonne of bricks. What the Tunisian regime did not realise was that two things had changed: a) the people were better informed so instead of a few protesters on the streets there was a multitude. b) the people themselves were in control of the revolution and not some crooks who would betray them. It was these two fundamental changes that got the people into the streets in Egypt, Syria and Yemen day after day after day!
It was desperation that got Zimbabweans to vote for MDC in droves in March 2008 but when Mugabe turned his terror machine on them, the people quickly changed in June 2008 vote. MDC, true to form, betrayed the people the minute they enter office.
The people of Zimbabwe are even more desperate for change today as ever. Come the next elections many Zimbabweans will try once again to vote Mugabe out of office regardless of the threat of violence and the certain betrayal by the MDC or whoever else. That is why Mugabe has no choice but to step up the violence and MDC, for their part, are confidence of an election victory regardless of their dismal past performance.
There is no hope of ever achieving a free and democratic Zimbabwe until the electorate is enlightened enough to hold the leaders to account at every level. Being desperate should force the people to seek the enlightenment but, on its own, it is not enough!
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