Opinion / Columnist
Ask what you can do for your country - 'I'm not a politician,' cop-out Mtukudzi
19 May 2017 at 02:29hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's economic situation has reached the point where millions are suffered in dumb anguish and hundreds are dying every month unnecessarily for no other reason other than that they are poor. The situation is man-made and per se it is within our powers as a nation to resolve it.
One of the reasons why Zimbabwe is in this economic mess is because there are too many people out there who have never stopped to ask why the country was in a mess much less lift a finger to get the country out of the mess. Many of us expect "someone else" to do the think for us and then do whatever needs to be done.
Ask these people to name just one person of whom that "someone else" is and they do not say!
"I also live in the same conditions as everybody else, whatever struggle is there, I also experience that, I live here, I am a Zimbabwean, I stay here," answered Mtukudzi. Pindai Dube had asked him his thoughts on the economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
"Unfortunately, I'm not a politician. I don't know what to say, I don't know who is wrong. I don't know who can make it right. But I think as Zimbabweans we have to be optimistic that its going to be better."
Sorry, but that has to be one of the cheapest cop-out in human history!
Who can anyone claim they do not know who is wrong, after 37 years of living under one of the most corrupt and tyrannical regimes in Africa. Surely brother Mtukudzi must have heard of Zimbabwe's corruption. A year and half ago, Mugabe himself admitting that $15 billions in diamond revenue was swindled. To date, no one has been arrested and not a single dollar recovered was recovered.
How many countries in the world, much less ones like Zimbabwe with a misery $10 billion GDP, can sustain such a serious economic haemorrhage? It is therefore not surprising that Zimbabwe's economy is in a real mess, unemployment has soared to world record heights of 90% and has been this high now for decades.
An AfrAsia Bank report has just confirmed that Zimbabweans are now the poorest in the poorest continent on earth, Africa. Millions of our people now live in abject poverty and hundreds are dying every month of poverty related diseases and/or hardships.
On the political front this Zanu PF has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans to establish and retain its de facto one-party cum one-man dictatorship.
The nation had hoped for meaningful political change to come out of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Zanu PF was able to blatantly rig the 2013 elections, thanks to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends' failure to implement even one democratic reform to stop the vote rigging.
"Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!" (MDC people have learnt to enjoy the gravy train lifestyle and not rock the boat!) Was the boastful reply from one Mugabe crony during the GNU in response to the universal apprehension why MDC leaders were not implementing any reforms.
It is inconceivable that anyone, anyone at all will not be aware of the sorry economic state Zimbabwe is in because there is poverty, rot and decay everywhere! It is clear it is the decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption by our political leaders that has landed us in this mess. It should also be clear that unless there is meaningful political change this country will continue to sink in hopelessness and despair.
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," was the rally call of John F Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural speech.
If there was ever a time the people of Zimbabwe, wherever they are whoever they are, must ask themselves "What can I do for my country, Zimbabwe?" then there will never be a better time than now.
What can you do? Stop Zimbabwe going into yet another meaningless election by demanding the implementation of the democratic reforms BEFORE elections are held.
If elections go ahead with no reforms then Zanu PF will rig the vote, just as they did in 2013. That will deepen the country's economic and political situation, just as the regime's 2013 victory deepened the crisis.
The pressure point here is to force the opportunistic oppositions to withdraw from the elections and deny Zanu PF democratic credibility which opposition participation gives them, as David Coltart readily admitted in his Book.
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections," explained Coltart.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
In 2014, Tsvangirai and his MDC friends promised not to contest future elections until the reforms are implemented but they have since changed their minds. They now plan to contest the 2018 elections knowing fully well the elections will be rigged for the same reason the contested the flawed 2013 elections - greed.
It is now incumbent on every Zimbabwe to force Tsvangirai and his opposition opportunist and greed friends to honour their "No reform, no election!" party resolution. It will take the effort of all Zimbabweans to force through the demand for political reform and restore all our freedoms, human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.
In 1980 Zimbabwe had the potential to become the South Korea of Africa but, as we can see, it also had the potential to become the corrupt and tyrannical North Korea of Africa. We can save ourselves and posterity from the nightmare of poverty and hopelessness but only if we play our part in ending this Zanu PF dictatorship and not always wait for others to think and act for us.
Mukoma Oliver Mtukudzi you can go to any maternity ward anywhere you want, you will never find a baby stamped "Politician" on its bum. In a country where our political leaders control every facet of human activity with disastrous consequences affected us all; we are all politicians. We must all play our part in the fight to end the Zanu PF dictatorship because it is destroying us all!
One of the reasons why Zimbabwe is in this economic mess is because there are too many people out there who have never stopped to ask why the country was in a mess much less lift a finger to get the country out of the mess. Many of us expect "someone else" to do the think for us and then do whatever needs to be done.
Ask these people to name just one person of whom that "someone else" is and they do not say!
"I also live in the same conditions as everybody else, whatever struggle is there, I also experience that, I live here, I am a Zimbabwean, I stay here," answered Mtukudzi. Pindai Dube had asked him his thoughts on the economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
"Unfortunately, I'm not a politician. I don't know what to say, I don't know who is wrong. I don't know who can make it right. But I think as Zimbabweans we have to be optimistic that its going to be better."
Sorry, but that has to be one of the cheapest cop-out in human history!
Who can anyone claim they do not know who is wrong, after 37 years of living under one of the most corrupt and tyrannical regimes in Africa. Surely brother Mtukudzi must have heard of Zimbabwe's corruption. A year and half ago, Mugabe himself admitting that $15 billions in diamond revenue was swindled. To date, no one has been arrested and not a single dollar recovered was recovered.
How many countries in the world, much less ones like Zimbabwe with a misery $10 billion GDP, can sustain such a serious economic haemorrhage? It is therefore not surprising that Zimbabwe's economy is in a real mess, unemployment has soared to world record heights of 90% and has been this high now for decades.
An AfrAsia Bank report has just confirmed that Zimbabweans are now the poorest in the poorest continent on earth, Africa. Millions of our people now live in abject poverty and hundreds are dying every month of poverty related diseases and/or hardships.
On the political front this Zanu PF has murdered over 30 000 innocent Zimbabweans to establish and retain its de facto one-party cum one-man dictatorship.
The nation had hoped for meaningful political change to come out of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Sadly, Zanu PF was able to blatantly rig the 2013 elections, thanks to Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends' failure to implement even one democratic reform to stop the vote rigging.
"Mazivanhu eMDC adzidza kudya anyerere!" (MDC people have learnt to enjoy the gravy train lifestyle and not rock the boat!) Was the boastful reply from one Mugabe crony during the GNU in response to the universal apprehension why MDC leaders were not implementing any reforms.
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," was the rally call of John F Kennedy in his 1961 inaugural speech.
If there was ever a time the people of Zimbabwe, wherever they are whoever they are, must ask themselves "What can I do for my country, Zimbabwe?" then there will never be a better time than now.
What can you do? Stop Zimbabwe going into yet another meaningless election by demanding the implementation of the democratic reforms BEFORE elections are held.
If elections go ahead with no reforms then Zanu PF will rig the vote, just as they did in 2013. That will deepen the country's economic and political situation, just as the regime's 2013 victory deepened the crisis.
The pressure point here is to force the opportunistic oppositions to withdraw from the elections and deny Zanu PF democratic credibility which opposition participation gives them, as David Coltart readily admitted in his Book.
"The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn't now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections," explained Coltart.
"The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility."
In 2014, Tsvangirai and his MDC friends promised not to contest future elections until the reforms are implemented but they have since changed their minds. They now plan to contest the 2018 elections knowing fully well the elections will be rigged for the same reason the contested the flawed 2013 elections - greed.
It is now incumbent on every Zimbabwe to force Tsvangirai and his opposition opportunist and greed friends to honour their "No reform, no election!" party resolution. It will take the effort of all Zimbabweans to force through the demand for political reform and restore all our freedoms, human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections.
In 1980 Zimbabwe had the potential to become the South Korea of Africa but, as we can see, it also had the potential to become the corrupt and tyrannical North Korea of Africa. We can save ourselves and posterity from the nightmare of poverty and hopelessness but only if we play our part in ending this Zanu PF dictatorship and not always wait for others to think and act for us.
Mukoma Oliver Mtukudzi you can go to any maternity ward anywhere you want, you will never find a baby stamped "Politician" on its bum. In a country where our political leaders control every facet of human activity with disastrous consequences affected us all; we are all politicians. We must all play our part in the fight to end the Zanu PF dictatorship because it is destroying us all!
Source - Wilbert Mukori
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