Do you know that if Zimbabweans had learnt at those infernal all-night
vigils (pungwe) to question “Why, what has XYZ done?” instead of automaton “Kill
him! (Pasi naye!)” to the speaker’s repeated chant “Death to XYZ! (Pasi naXYZ!)”
Zimbabwe would have been spared the horrors of Gukurahundi and we would not be
in the political and economic hell-hole we now find ourselves?
Slogans have become
the open vitriolic chants with which to rouse the rally audience; no political
speech will be complete without it. “Pamberi neZanu PF!” (Forward with Zanu PF)
Mugabe would always start his rally speeches, punctuating each word with his
clinched fist. He loved slogans.
“Pamberi!” the crowd would answer, punching the air with
their clinched fists.
Mugabe would work the crowd by repeated the slogan an few
time, shouting louder with each repeat. He
would then finish with “Pasi nasingadi kubatana navamwe!” (Death to those who
do not want unity!” bringing his clinched fist emphatically down.
“Pasi navo!” the crowd would answer, bringing their fists, mechanically,
down too!
The people should have asked, as befit the free, justice and
prosperous Zimbabwe they all thought they had fought for, where “forward” are
we going? Because 34 years after independence few Zimbabweans can say this is
where they wanted Zimbabwe to be! After being misled by Mugabe and Zanu PF one
would think the people learnt their lesson. Sadly, no!
For the last 15 years MDC supporters have been chanting with “Chinja!
Chinja!” (Change! Change!)” without a clue what exactly they wanted to be changed.
If the party leaders had implemented the democratic changes the party had
promised and which the party’s name stood for then the 2013 elections would
have been free and fair. Zimbabwe would have a democratically elected
government and not another Zanu PF imposition following rigged elections.
Tsvangirai, Biti, Ncube and all the other MDC leaders did not
implement even one democratic change although they had five years to do so
because they were side tracked by the trappings of power, in the first place.
Second, they are breathtakingly incompetent. The MDC supporter had failed to
get them to implement any changes because they did not have clue what changes
were required (many still do not have a clue even with the benefit of
hindsight). They had all chanted “Chinja! Chinja! Chinja!” without knowing what
they wanted changed!
“Renewal” and “grand coalition” are the new kids on the block
these days. The “renewal” is headed by Biti and Mangoma and a number of the
same corrupt and incompetent MDC leaders. What is new there? The grand
coalition is to be composed of recycled failed leaders from MDC and Zanu PF.
What is so grand in that!
Conclusion
If we are
serious about building a democratic Zimbabwe in which the electorate is expected
to cast an informed and meaningful vote and to hold those in power to account;
then we must end culture of empty slogans geared to produce a naïve and
gullible electorate.
5 comments:
Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo says the arrest of thee Sunday Mail editor, Edmund Kudza-yi, by armed Police showed something “very serious” was happening but was relieved the course of justice was taking place.
“I think all rational fair minded people will understand that when police take action or when law enforcement agents take action, it should give us from a legal constitutional point of view some relief that at least the rule of law or the course of justice is taking place,” said the Minister.
“It’s much easier for everyone concerned especially when we take into account the fact that there is no individual and indeed no institution that is above the law.”
What is he talking about now? Since when has Mugabe, the Police and the courts before whom the poor editor will be appearing are all “above the law”. They are a law unto themselves!
Mugabe was boasting in Bolivia of having won free, fair and credible elections but the West, his “detractors have remained trapped in their negative posture”. Within hours of returning he is the one back doing what he has been doing arresting and harassing journalists for doing the duty of informing the public!
Mugabe is set in his way; he is an unrepentant corrupt and murderous tyrant who has dragged the nation right up to the very gates of hell and is now ready to take it beyond the point of no-return rather than give up power!
@ Sarah Logan
If Mugabe was allowed to have his way, he wanted to borrow $27 billion, enough to pay civil servants and keep himself and his cronies in the "swing". The country is failing to repay its present debt of $10 billion and he wanted it increase it four fold in four years and have nothing to show for the money at the end of it. And for generations Zimbabwe will be a resource colon state of China!
What the Chinese have to be careful of is that Zanu PF stay in power long enough for them to recover all the loan because there is no way any incoming government will accept honouring a deal China knew Mugabe will waste just to get the tyrant to sign away the nation's resources for a song!
There is growing resentment of the negative role China has been playing in Africa. And sell-out deals like this are certain to leave a very sour taste in every Zimbabwean's mouth. Every African will be on the lookout for being similarly short changed!
@ Injiba yeGoli
Yes we all want to see Zimbabwe prosper; the challenge here is how are we going to achieve that. What some of us are saying is we must address the basic problems like mismanagement and corruption that landed the nation in this mess first BEFORE we throw more money at the problem.
For 34 years Mugabe has lied that there was no corruption allowing the problem to grow to the point where it is killing the economy.
This is like someone denying they have cancer and thus allowing the tumour to grow and spread. We have now reached the point where the patient is in ICU we must remove the tumour and stop wasting time giving him painkillers. EIB giving the private sector money in this situation is the equivalent of giving the sick man Viagra tablets.
Yes the poor man’s sex drive has been below normal but it is not why he is in the ICU nor will the Viagra cure the cancer! Just because the sex drive is easier to treat is no excuse for not dealing with what everyone knows is the real problem here.
It is corruption that is killing the national economy; we should stop wasting time and resources faffing about. Everyone knows only Mugabe can do something to end corruption, but has chosen not to because it is part of his political patronage system that has kept him in power. For 34 years we have waited for him to act contend to do whatever else in our power regardless of how totally useless and pointless that might be!
After 34 years of Mugabe denying there was no corruption when the evidence was there for all to see. Corruption has now become so rampant it is impossible not to see the mountain of evidence. Only someone who is breathtakingly naïve and stupid would fail to see that corruption is the country’s number one problem. Only someone who is breathtakingly naïve, stupid and cowardly would want to address every other problem because they would not want to deal with corruption and the tyrant, Mugabe, behind it. It would be folly to abandon reason and follow the cowardly fool!
What Ambassador Aldo Del'Arricia should never forget is that the Mugabe regime are masters of propaganda; they will be using the Ambassador's praise as cover to do a lot of dirty stuff. The regime has already started with the arrest of journalists.
This is a regime that insist it won free and fair elections but will not release the voters roll because it knows it is the smoking gun to the rigged vote but is now going after the editors who reported the salary scandal stories with all guns glazing!
It is OK for Ambassador Aldo Del Arricia to flatter the tyrant; we the ordinary Zimbabweans will have to suffer the consequences of his renewed confidence that the EU will forgive him whatever wrong he does when push comes to shove!
If only MDC had implemented the democratic reforms the nation would have been saved. Now the Zanu PF dictatorship continue to hang over the nation like a gathering storm. All signs are that it is going to be a bad storm with winds speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour. The clouds are as black as coal and forecasts are that saying it will be raining hail the size of tennis balls for days.
The nation could not be more ill prepared for the storm as the muddy huts where most people live are simply to feeble to withstand a heavy storm much less this hurricane.
This is a nightmare!
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