News / Press Release
Unravelling operation 'Restore Order'
29 Dec 2017 at 11:42hrs | Views
What is the legacy that the people of Zimbabwe are seeking and what legacy are the authors and implementers of 'Operaration Restore Order' restoring?
In November 2017 our military together with our war veterans mounted a military action that came to be known as 'Operation Restore Legacy' that culminated in the unconstitutional removal of Robert G. Mugabe and installation of Emmerson D. Mnangagwa as the 'new' president.
Truly speaking we are yet to see the difference. What with the same players that looted the nation dry remaining as the mainstay of the present cabinet and no discernible policy shift, not to mention no change in the fortunes of the hapless common citizen. Perhaps the most worrying aspect being the pronounced involvement of the military in civilian authority and institutions and along partisan lines to boot. This cannot bode well for democracy as it puts paid to the credibility of our democratic institutions that from the onset have been controlled and dominated by military personnel.
When our nation embarked on the war of liberation that brought us to independence from colonial bondage, the biggest rallying point as defined in the phrase coined by our liberation founding fathers among them the revered father Zimbabwe the late Dr. Joshua M. N. Nkomo was 'ONE MAN ONE VOTE'. This clearly defined the founding values and objective of the liberation struggle to be that of seeking a democratic dispensation that will give respect and accord the same democratic rights to all Zimbabweans regardless of race, colour, creed, religion or sex. This was a noble cause and a glorious struggle worth dying for.
It is through the same democracy that we knew equal opportunities, land, education and treatment at the hands of the law can only be found. It is through the same democracy that we envisaged a prosperity based on the respect for the wishes of the people could be founded. It was through the same democracy we felt that an end to abuse and respect for our fundamental human rights would come.
The founding fathers of our democratic struggle for independence suffered much hardships and humiliating abuse for the courage of their convictions in the hope of laying a firm foundation on which our nation was to be built. We must ask ourselves as the beneficiaries of such selfless dedication if today as a people we are truly enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice and if as a people we have done them proud in carrying that legacy forward.
So in defining the so called legacy of 'Operation Restore Legacy' we must define it in the spirit of the ideals of the liberation struggle that captured the imagination of a generation of Zimbabweans across the racial divide and galvanized them into action that brought the independence struggle. It was a generation that stood against the domination of a minority clique over the majority and, as patriots, put perceived differences aside to sacrifice for a Zimbabwe that we can all be proud to enjoy.
We at the People's Democratic Party along with our partners under the People's Rainbow Coalition whose presidential candidate is Dr. J. T. R. Mujuru, believe that it is a fallacy to say that legacy has been restored if the cry for democracy given life in the call for 'ONE MAN ONE VOTE' is not fulfilled in the full implementation of the people's constitution in particular by protecting constitutional rights derived therein along with the necessary legal and policy reforms to go with it implemented. We believe also that our nation shall not know peace for as long as our nation cannot come up with the policy framework within those lofty goals of the founding values of our liberation struggle that:-
- recognises every citizen without regard to ethnicity in eradicating poverty;
- provides adequate housing and amenities;
- provides equal opportunity to a quality education, employment, wealth creation, land, health and other social services;
- totally destroys corruption, nepotism, clientelism and the state capture by partisan interests to create elaborate and elitist patronage systems.
and,
- provides an electoral framework that is credible, free and fair that will bring an uncontested result that will be respected and upheld.
The questions still remain- 'What legacy was restored in 'Operation Restore Legacy' and was there need to violate the constitution to achieve this? What is that legacy and is it the same legacy left by the founders of our liberation struggle that the people of Zimbabwe want?
The People's Democratic Party.
Benjamin Rukanda
Deputy Secretary-general
WE ARE IN IT TO WIN IT!
In November 2017 our military together with our war veterans mounted a military action that came to be known as 'Operation Restore Legacy' that culminated in the unconstitutional removal of Robert G. Mugabe and installation of Emmerson D. Mnangagwa as the 'new' president.
Truly speaking we are yet to see the difference. What with the same players that looted the nation dry remaining as the mainstay of the present cabinet and no discernible policy shift, not to mention no change in the fortunes of the hapless common citizen. Perhaps the most worrying aspect being the pronounced involvement of the military in civilian authority and institutions and along partisan lines to boot. This cannot bode well for democracy as it puts paid to the credibility of our democratic institutions that from the onset have been controlled and dominated by military personnel.
When our nation embarked on the war of liberation that brought us to independence from colonial bondage, the biggest rallying point as defined in the phrase coined by our liberation founding fathers among them the revered father Zimbabwe the late Dr. Joshua M. N. Nkomo was 'ONE MAN ONE VOTE'. This clearly defined the founding values and objective of the liberation struggle to be that of seeking a democratic dispensation that will give respect and accord the same democratic rights to all Zimbabweans regardless of race, colour, creed, religion or sex. This was a noble cause and a glorious struggle worth dying for.
It is through the same democracy that we knew equal opportunities, land, education and treatment at the hands of the law can only be found. It is through the same democracy that we envisaged a prosperity based on the respect for the wishes of the people could be founded. It was through the same democracy we felt that an end to abuse and respect for our fundamental human rights would come.
The founding fathers of our democratic struggle for independence suffered much hardships and humiliating abuse for the courage of their convictions in the hope of laying a firm foundation on which our nation was to be built. We must ask ourselves as the beneficiaries of such selfless dedication if today as a people we are truly enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice and if as a people we have done them proud in carrying that legacy forward.
So in defining the so called legacy of 'Operation Restore Legacy' we must define it in the spirit of the ideals of the liberation struggle that captured the imagination of a generation of Zimbabweans across the racial divide and galvanized them into action that brought the independence struggle. It was a generation that stood against the domination of a minority clique over the majority and, as patriots, put perceived differences aside to sacrifice for a Zimbabwe that we can all be proud to enjoy.
We at the People's Democratic Party along with our partners under the People's Rainbow Coalition whose presidential candidate is Dr. J. T. R. Mujuru, believe that it is a fallacy to say that legacy has been restored if the cry for democracy given life in the call for 'ONE MAN ONE VOTE' is not fulfilled in the full implementation of the people's constitution in particular by protecting constitutional rights derived therein along with the necessary legal and policy reforms to go with it implemented. We believe also that our nation shall not know peace for as long as our nation cannot come up with the policy framework within those lofty goals of the founding values of our liberation struggle that:-
- recognises every citizen without regard to ethnicity in eradicating poverty;
- provides adequate housing and amenities;
- provides equal opportunity to a quality education, employment, wealth creation, land, health and other social services;
- totally destroys corruption, nepotism, clientelism and the state capture by partisan interests to create elaborate and elitist patronage systems.
and,
- provides an electoral framework that is credible, free and fair that will bring an uncontested result that will be respected and upheld.
The questions still remain- 'What legacy was restored in 'Operation Restore Legacy' and was there need to violate the constitution to achieve this? What is that legacy and is it the same legacy left by the founders of our liberation struggle that the people of Zimbabwe want?
The People's Democratic Party.
Benjamin Rukanda
Deputy Secretary-general
WE ARE IN IT TO WIN IT!
Source - Benjamin Rukanda
