Thirty three years on and still B*llsh*t Politics prevails in Zimbabwe!

Zimbabwe has turned 33 and today we have nothing to show for those three decades. This line sounds self-defeating to many but truth be told, our country is embroiled in confusion. The fact is only a few that brag of obscene economic and social status while the majority chokes in abject poverty and political uncertainty. Those that seem to enjoy are either descendants of ZANU PF's murderous tactics or remnants of benefits by association with the party. Those that have murdered for the party resent the onset of true democracy because they fear the wrath of rule of law will lead them to only one destination - prison.

These include architects of ZANU PF chicanery like Perence Shiri, Constantine Chiwenga, Robert Mugabe, Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa and many more. They were and are still associated with crafting methods of eliminating political enemies by killing or silencing them either in prison or exile. Those who ride the tide of association and patronage include children of ZANU PF ministers and functionaries who benefited from expensive government scholarships outside the country while the rest of us wallowed in a dilapidated education system.  Today, they boast of being champions of indigenisation whereas their loyalty is paid for by being the deal makers of Zimbabwe business.

Many of them are not entrepreneurs at all but mere beneficiaries of syndicates that loot and blackmail local and international investors. They extort money from people with promises of partnerships in the lucrative diamond industry and other precious metals and more often than not, these deals are turned into threats of violence.  The whole picture is a sad scenario that erodes genuine expectations of those that sacrificed their lives 33 years ago and beyond.

The wannabes

Another group of the politically confused and corrupt is that of people that have for more than a decade forever promised to reform the political system in Zimbabwe. Most of them are now caught in the politics of greed and power grab. Their stories are becoming more like of those in ZANU PF. Several legislators and leaders from the opposition MDCs are trapped in matters that have nothing to do with a better life for all but selfish interests. Take for example in the MDC T, led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Stories of prospective candidate Geoff Nyarota being threatened with death by a fellow party member don't reflect a desire to make things better. Not long ago, their senator Morgan Femai opined why Zimbabwean women should not bath in order for them to repel men, thus reducing incidences of HIV and AIDS. Before that, many of them, just like in ZANU PF were nabbed for abusing community funds and inevitably, investigations fizzled out. ZANU PF prefers the MDC to be in political debt just like them. A surprise story that made headlines in the New York Times was that of a writer who described the pomp and show-off displayed at Morgan Tsvangirai's wedding to Elizabeth Macheka.

Confusion is the way

Yesterday, Newsday reported that President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai have agreed on poll preparations, setting up a two-member task team that is supposed to develop a legal framework for elections. Knowing the inconsistencies of politics in Zimbabwe, one should not be surprised when in a few days time; the Prime Minister threatens to boycott elections. This is because there have been so many agreements that he has made with Mugabe and then disowned. Given such, on this day, 18 April, I mourn those that fought or have parents that lost lives during the liberation struggle because all their causes were in vain. I suspect our fathers didn't fight to be represented by the clowning natures of people like Robert Mugabe and the Jabulani Sibandas of this world. All what I can say on this day is that if today's youth allow themselves to be covered by a worthless blanket with no political clarity, history will judge them harshly. A better course of action by youth is to rise and be counted in elections.

The famous saying

The famous refrain you hear these days – especially from the older generations that fought against minority rule of Ian Smith – is that life was much better before Independence. If truth be told, that was the case. Our currency was stronger, agricultural production fed the nation and education was world class. 33 years later, we have none of this. Sadly, it is rather reckless to make such a comparison because everyone tells you we are free from the whites. But what about freedom in general? This is a lingering question.