Let's unite and make Mugabe history!

Let's unite and make Mugabe history!

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By Jethro Mpofu

THE Zimbabwean economic and political condition is unfortunate, unfair, unnecessary and unwanted. Our country has obviously fallen to be continental and global economic and political bad example.

The very essential education delivery sector is suffering a sad collapse. The important health provision sector is in an unhealthy condition of decay. The average and the ordinary citizens of the country are drowning in poverty and misery, while Mugabe and the chosen few swim in vulgar prosperity.

At this rate, it really takes a strong belief in miracles and wonders to imagine a future for our country. We have allowed it to go on for too long. We almost have embraced our man-made economic disasters and Zanu PF manufactured political crisis as our natural and necessary trials and tribulations. While turning the other cheek, forgiving and forgetting can be virtues, too much patience with political evil, injustice, theft and corruption can be unforgivable weaknesses. At this stage, where evil of Zanu PF can be seen by the blind and where the sins of the regime can be experienced and witnessed even by some of the pilots of the Zanu PF project it will be a grave on our part not to act. In fact, history might judge us unkindly. Posterity might fix to our generation the unwanted label of traitors and cowards who failed to confront evil, who failed to correct wrong and who failed to act when opportunities compelled.

There is no doubt; Zimbabwe is rich in human and other resources. It is only our mismanagement of the political and economic capital that becomes a roadblock to our political, developmental and democratic project. There are brave men and women in the Tsvangirai led MDC. There courageous sons and daughters of Zimbabwe in the UPM. There are valiant citizens of Zimbabwe in the Mutambara-led MDC. There are men and women of courage and conscience in our religious community. There are dedicated activists in the NCA and in the students’ movement, strong women of Woza and also talented and creative singers, poets and novelists on our cultural landscape. We have Journalists of insight and dedication in our midst. The question is what must be done? How do we mobilise all this talent and energy, all this wealth of courage and fearlessness towards the grand project of recovering our country from tyranny and economic collapse?

There is a need for a solid unity of political purpose and intention in our country. We need to collapse divisions amongst us and construct progressive unities against the regime. It is sad to note that in most instances leaders in the opposition and civic society almost undo Mugabe and Zanu PF intolerance as we scandalise and criminalise each other, most often due to petty political jealousies and prejudices. We need to observe the basic truth that at this stage where the regime must be deconstructed by all available means we need each other as Zimbabweans, even those still in Zanu PF are allowed by revolutionary necessity to rejoin themselves into a revolutionary conspiracy with other Zimbabweans and contribute all they can that will help in the undressing of the emperor and deconstruction of the empire. The weaknesses of the others and the objective is one, the re-invention of our country which will be concretised in the crafting of a new leadership for the country and the drafting of a new constitution.

The Nigerians have a saying that “you can put a log in water for as long as you want but it will never become a crocodile.” Mugabe is an example that a man can be entrusted with the leadership of his country for ore than two decades and still fail to be a hero. Here is a man, who in his own words has insisted that “Zimbabwe will never be a colony again” and that “to vote Zanu PF is to shame Blair” and imperialism. His Excellency is very innocent of the fact that his bad economic management and hostile political leadership have led to a situation where hundreds of thousands of young Zimbabweans have exported themselves to the United Kingdom to serve Blair doing menial and sometimes embarrassing jobs suitable for only slaves and the colonised-talk about shaming Blair and imperialism. The challenge of the new Zimbabwe is to ensure that the economic and political conditions in the country make Zimbabwe a hospitable home for all Zimbabweans to the extent that we will attract foreign investors and tourists instead of repelling citizens and forcing them to resort to being economic refugees in foreign lands.

The current regime’s failure or unwillingness to fund and sustain the important education sector is also an embarrassing irony and a painful paradox. Coming from a government that claims to hate foreign influence and interference. The fact that our universities are under funded, the lecturers poorly paid means that the infrastructure of the colleges and universities will not be producing its own professionals and experts in any sector of the economy and society. For doctors, lecturers, engineers, lawyers and other essential professions will soon be relying on expatriates and other imports for knowledge and other needs and services. This regime is actually working over time calculating and cultivating to re-colonisation of our country. Our government does not have the money to pay academic professionals, buy books and fund academic researches –the money they have is buying bombs, bullets, guns, teargas, button sticks and other instruments to pain and death. In short here is a regime that will invest everything in pain and death rather than in the knowledge, the future and the life of the country.

Throughout the country, the hospitals are collapsing. Patients die of hunger, the doctors are very poorly paid, medicines and medical equipment are hard to come by and mortuaries are overflowing, it's Babylon! Yet our government and its apologists will mobilise funds and all other resources to sponsor the celebration of Mugabe’s 82nd Birthday. Talk about twisted priorities. In short, here is a government that urgently needs to be changed. In fact, at this juncture, the responsibility and irresponsibility of every Zimbabwean will be measured on one’s commitment at ensuring this government is changed yesterday.

Despite the abundant rains that our country has received, the nation will still starve. The regime mishandled the land reform project. Vast spaces of land were given to cronies and friends of his excellence to buy allegiance and votes instead of empowering local Agricultural production. The land has not been utilised the implements for farming were not made available; the inputs like fertilizer were also scarce.

Surely, are we the proverbial fools that will be thirsty in the abundance of water, hungry where food was naturally meant to be plenty? In short what have we done against Mugabe and Zanu PF that will give them the right to substitute themselves for the creator and sentence all of us to this political and economic slavery? If there is nothing, we Zimbabweans need to unite and urgently help Mugabe and Zanu PF to go!

I believe strongly that the political opposition in Zimbabwe should organise an all stakeholder’s conference where strategies and progressive plans can be generated. I believe strongly again that the opposition should take advantage of the serious divisions and the factionalism that is currently rocking the ruling party.

Actually, below the pretence of normalcy and order that they put up in the media, Zanu PF have never been more divided. As the date for Mugabe’s departure naturally nears there is panic and unease in the various camps and these divisions are rich political capital for the opposition.
Mpofu is a former university student leader and political activist. He can be contacted at bdialogue@yahoo.com
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