Appeasing Zanu PF is no solution, should know better after 38 years - must step down now, period

"Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe has condemned acts of violence, while calling for dialogue to end the political and economic dilemma in the country," reported Bulawayo24.

"We strongly urge our governing authorities to urgently convene a round-table dialogue platform with all concerned players, actors and citizen representative groups to discuss the root causes of the unrest and the way forward that is inclusive and sustainable in the immediate to mid-term," read the statement.

Every thinking Zimbabwean out there will heartily welcome all genuine attempts to find a solution to Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis. The emphasis is on GENUINE solution.

The crisis has been long in coming the nation's unemployment rate did not soar to 90% over night, it has been 70% plus for the last 20 years. Our health care service has all but collapse and that too did not happen the last year or two; the rot started in the 1990s with savage budget cuts in the health sector.

"We strongly reiterate that violent expression and or violent repression will not help the situation and anyone affected, including both the governing authorities and citizens," continued the Evangelical statement.

True, the use violence, be it on the part of the public or the authority, must be condemned. Still it is useful to understand the Genesis of violent protests in Zimbabwe.

Each time the people have tried to voice their concerns about their worsening economic situation, notably the students, the government has always swiftly moved in to violently disrupt the demonstration and silence all dissent.

What some people have failed to understand is that using brute force to silence all dissent, peaceful or otherwise, was the only option for the Zanu PF government that knew it would never address the citizen's concerns and, worst of all, was not democratically accountable to the people through the holding of free, fair and credible elections.

In Zimbabwe the only demonstration that are permit are pro-Zanu PF and organised by the party. A few years ago war veterans, who have been as faithful as dogs to the Zanu PF dictatorship all along, found themselves at the business end of the whip when they tried to organise a demonstration against the regime. They were tear gassed, hosed with water cannon and savagely beaten up by riot Police just like everyone else.

Violence begets violence! It is not surprising that most of those taking part in demonstrations in Zimbabwe know they will face violence from the authorities and are themselves prepared to fire back.

In a determined effort to stay on top on the situation and beat all dissenters into submission the Zanu PF government has escalated its brutal response to public demonstrations by issuing "shoot to kill orders'! The very fact that there are still people on the street risking arrest and being shot underlines who desperate these people are for meaningful change.

The real tragedy here is Zanu PF is creating a pool of hardened citizens just like Ian Smith's regime created the Zanu PF thugs. The dangers is if these street protest hardened citizens should ever get into power they too will be as intolerant and autocratic as the Zanu PF thugs the nation is fighting to  remove!

We are seeing this autocratic tendency amongst some MDC leaders already, they deeply resent being held to account over their past performance. "I have been in the trench!" they would argue. The point exactly, after 19 years on the political stage, the party has failed to bring about even one democratic change!  

President Mnangagwa rigged last year's elections, in keeping the Zanu PF tradition of holding on to power at all cost regardless of the people's democratic wishes. The party have no clue what to do to ease the country's worsening economic meltdown. The people, for their part, are desperate for a solution to ease their economic suffering; they are so desperate they are going out in the street knowing they risking being beaten and even being shot dead.

The only genuine attempt to find a way forward in Zimbabwe must be premised on talking truth to power. Zanu PF must be told in no uncertain terms that the party landed the nation in this mess because of 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule. And, of immediate importance, that the regime has no clue what to do to get the nation out of the mess and has no mandate to stay in power.

After 38 years of corrupt and tyrannical rule Zanu PF must step down. It is not for Mnangagwa or anyone else in Zanu PF to decide what should happen next; the nation will decide that.

The only genuine solution to Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis is to be blunt, honest and speak truth to power: Zanu PF must go! After 38 years of appeasing the regime with the disastrous consequences we can all see, appeasement is now a luxury the nation can ill afford.