Tshisa, Eric KNight sing Mnangagwa praises

POPULAR former Radio 2 disc jockeys Eric Knight and Ezra Tshisa Sibanda yesterday said they were eager to return home to Zimbabwe courtesy of the new dispensation led by President Mnangagwa whom they said has transformed the country.

The former DJs said they once joined opposition politics but now want to work for the new Government led by President Mnangagwa which has brought hope for the nation.

In a statement to The Herald, Messrs Knight and Sibanda said: "As patriotic Zimbabweans, our passion has always been the desire to see our country recover and regain its status as one of the best nations in Africa. We have always dreamt of a nation that embraces constitutionalism in every sense, a nation that respects the rights of every citizen regardless of tribe or race, a Government that respects the laws of the land and, of course, Government that is committed to the empowerment of its citizenry through creation of opportunities.

"It is common sense that as professional media practitioners, we have an important role to play as ever. History will point to the fact that we have always been part and parcel of the national media fabric, until such a time that the old system frustrated us after being ill advised by the same forces that misled the former president, leading to the Operation Restore Legacy."

They said President Mnangagwa was walking the talk on his promises.

"It is not a secret either that we then joined the opposition eventually. Driven by our desire to fight the oppressive shenanigans of the old dispensation, we had to and we don't regret that. We were opposing madness and not individuals, we were opposing a bad system as proponents of democracy.

"We prayed and hoped that there would be change in Zimbabwe and thank God our prayers were answered. The new dispensation under President ED Mnangagwa is here. The President is preaching and already practising what we have been fighting for.

"Peace, tolerance, freedom of speech, economic development, job creation, re-engagement with the international world which by the way is a massive step in this contemporary world that has become a global village. We asked ourselves, then what is there to oppose?," the said in the joint statement.

"To us, when opposition opposes even what is right for the country, then it is no longer opposition but selfishness and enemity. Zimbabwe does not need that but it needs a spirit of unity to prevail. The media should be a catalyst in ensuring such. It is indeed a new and fresh dispensation that we are in now."

They applauded President Mnangagwa for redefining leadership. "ED has re-defined the art of leadership, just look around at how people are free to express themselves. Freedom of speech and freedom after speech were unheard of during the old dispensation.

Ezra Sibanda "We don't subscribe to the dogma of opposing just for the sake of opposing. As professionals we are pleased with the efforts, honesty and work ethics of the new dispensation and every sensible Zimbabwean should be also. We all have an important role in the revival of Zimbabwe.

"We want to see a reformed media landscape that will ensure that State and private media regain the confidence that they lost over the years. The new dispensation has all the ingredients for that.

"Not only that, we are very much aware of the efforts at hand to revive industries, meaning sooner or later, the problem of unemployment will be resolved.

"These and many others are the reasons we believe that fellow Zimbabweans must support the new dispensation, it's not about individuals but a nation," further reads the statement from the DJs. They urged all Zimbabweans across the globe to start working for their country.

"Withstanding the foregoing, we would strongly appeal to fellow professionals in the media, private sector, medical professionals and all skilled citizens scattered across the world, it is time to consider working for your country . Do not dwell too much on the past. Your memory takes you backwards, your vision takes you forward. We will always be available to serve our country in an capacity. Under ED, it is indeed a new dispensation."