Opinion / Columnist
Diasporans Can Still Contribute in Rebuilding Zimbabwe from Anywhere
29 Apr 2011 at 00:22hrs | Views
Listening to both ZANU PF and MDC-T politicians speak on the topical issue of Diasporans, one is left dumbfounded on how the two (2) political parties have found common ground in advancing the argument that Diasporans the world over can make a significant contribution in rebuilding the country only when they are in Zimbabwe and nowhere else. With the world fastly turning into a global village, thanks to technological advancements, this piece seeks to interrogate if Diasporans cannot do a wonderful job, as they have always done from whichever station around the globe?
The pace at which ZANU PF and MDC-T are moving to outdo each other in making sure that Diasporans are returned to Zimbabwe is not only surprising but smacks of political formations filled with ingrates, who are intent on applying any desperate measures including stone age tactics to gain or remain in power. The tactics come in various forms such as formulating pieces of legislation to paying visits to Diasporans in their host countries with the aim of persuading and sometimes forcing them to come back to Zimbabwe without remedying the root causes which made the country's nationals flee in the first place.
Foremost it was ZANU PF, which came up with legislation which is still binding in this country abolishing dual citizenship. The moment someone obtains citizenship of another country, he/she automatically ceases to be a Zimbabwean citizen. It does not end there, that person is also disenfranchised and cannot participate in any electoral activity in Zimbabwe. In addition to this legislation ZANU PF drove millions of people outside the country through among a myriad of issues, questionable policies, systematic violence, torture and rape of women in a failed bid to suppress dissent. In other words, ZANU PF offered the country's nationals two (2) options. Option number one (1) is that, one chooses to live with the above untenable conditions in order to remain a citizen or secondly flees the country then automatically looses his/her citizenship which also go along with forfeiting one's voting rights. The majority of people in the Diaspora opted for the latter and lost their Zimbabwean citizenship. Dual citizenship does not exist in the ZANU PF dictionary.
Not to be out done, in June 2009, MDC-T through the Inclusive Government (IG) dispatched Morgan Tsvangirayi on a whirlwind tour of Europe for two (2) reasons. The primary one was to source funding for the Inclusive Government (IG) which had been consummated four (4) months earlier while the second one was to carry out a Public Relations exercise for ZANU PF, telling everyone that Robert Mugabe had turned a new leaf and the country is now shackled from all hell that Diasporans ran away from. Both reasons found no takers.
Tsvangirayi came back empty handed because nobody believed him. Many questioned the sincerity of Morgan Tsvangirayi and MDC-T. Here is someone whose very own children are warmly ensconced in Canada, Australia and South Africa, extending a call to other Zimbabweans to come back home though failing to make them believe that Zimbabwe is now safe. The responses, which Tsvangirayi got from Diasporans especially at Southwark Cathedral in London, on 20 June, 2009 were not to his expectation. He was booed, jeered and pelted by foodstuffs that anyone in the hall could lay his/her hands on.
Could MDC-T have such a short memory so as to forget that these were the same nationals who had contributed greatly to the growing of their party through donations and membership subscriptions? Not only did the Diasporans contribute to the growth of MDC-T, but also that of the nation's economy at large. Diasporans sent the much required foreign exchange back home at a time Zimbabwe was struggling with hyperinflation between 2007 and 2008. The foreign currency was meant to support relations who had remained behind, acquiring assets among other reasons.
Recently all three (3) political parties in the IG namely ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDCM/N through their representation in COPAC, agreed not to direct any resources towards visiting Diasporans in different countries to solicit Diasporans' views so that they could be incorporated into the country's National Law. The reason given was that it is a waste of time and resources as many Diasporans have since given up on Zimbabwe. Surprisingly, it is not a waste of time and resources when sending high powered delegations from the Inclusive Government with their retinue of Bodyguards on trail, drawing obscene allowances from the fiscus, checking in expensive suites in some of the world's renowned hotels then ask the same Diasporans for money to rebuild the nation?
Who says lightning does not strike twice? But where exactly did the wheel come off now that Diasporans are under siege from both ZANU PF and MDC-T politicians who are not willing to acknowledge the significant role played by our well meaning brothers and sisters scattered around the globe?
In most cases, actions of Politicians in the Inclusive Government are not driven by sensitivity. To imagine the pain and trauma that these Diasporans went through to be where they are today? Some were raped, tortured, maimed, had relatives killed, marriages broken and even went as far as disposing of valuable assets to buy tickets for their intended destinations. Politicians from ZANU PF and MDC-T are saying all this should just go to waste.
There is only one modern political party which believes that Diasporans can contribute from anywhere in rebuilding their nation, Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn (M.K.D). One of the positions which M.K.D has been advancing since inception of the process to gather views for the Constitutional making process by COPAC is that Zimbabweans should be allowed to have dual citizenship if one so wishes. With dual citizenship, one can make a contribution to a country of his/her choice without being coerced. Dual citizenship will restore voting rights which were unceremoniously taken away from the country's disenfranchised nationals.
The position that an individual has to renounce citizenship of the country to which he/she is resident in order to be allowed to participate in activities of national importance like elections should be scrapped. Diasporans should be allowed to vote from anywhere and contribute to national debates at any given time. There is no reason for them to be forced to come back home against their will. Now, is the time that we should all be encouraging Diasporans to take advantage of their presence in different countries where they are resident, to work, gain experience and obtain specialist skills through training, attributes which again they can use for the good of Zimbabwe.
The truth of the matter is that, despite formation of the Inclusive Government two (2) years ago, the whole country has since been turned into Zimbabwe Ruins. The situation is worsening for the ordinary person. Insistence by political parties that Diasporans should return to Zimbabwe even against their will is bound to foil any attempt to restore Zimbabwe to its enviable status of the first one and a half (1 ½) decades after 18 April 1980. Diasporans can still do a splendid job for Zimbabwe, even better than what locals are doing if they are treated as adults and allowed to participate in national activities from their new established homes.
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Joel Mapaura can be contacted on joel@mavambokusiledawn.org or +263 (4) 792 566, 795 326, +263772 307 423, +263733 597 786. 72 George Silundika Ave (opp. Raylton Sports Club), Harare.
The pace at which ZANU PF and MDC-T are moving to outdo each other in making sure that Diasporans are returned to Zimbabwe is not only surprising but smacks of political formations filled with ingrates, who are intent on applying any desperate measures including stone age tactics to gain or remain in power. The tactics come in various forms such as formulating pieces of legislation to paying visits to Diasporans in their host countries with the aim of persuading and sometimes forcing them to come back to Zimbabwe without remedying the root causes which made the country's nationals flee in the first place.
Foremost it was ZANU PF, which came up with legislation which is still binding in this country abolishing dual citizenship. The moment someone obtains citizenship of another country, he/she automatically ceases to be a Zimbabwean citizen. It does not end there, that person is also disenfranchised and cannot participate in any electoral activity in Zimbabwe. In addition to this legislation ZANU PF drove millions of people outside the country through among a myriad of issues, questionable policies, systematic violence, torture and rape of women in a failed bid to suppress dissent. In other words, ZANU PF offered the country's nationals two (2) options. Option number one (1) is that, one chooses to live with the above untenable conditions in order to remain a citizen or secondly flees the country then automatically looses his/her citizenship which also go along with forfeiting one's voting rights. The majority of people in the Diaspora opted for the latter and lost their Zimbabwean citizenship. Dual citizenship does not exist in the ZANU PF dictionary.
Not to be out done, in June 2009, MDC-T through the Inclusive Government (IG) dispatched Morgan Tsvangirayi on a whirlwind tour of Europe for two (2) reasons. The primary one was to source funding for the Inclusive Government (IG) which had been consummated four (4) months earlier while the second one was to carry out a Public Relations exercise for ZANU PF, telling everyone that Robert Mugabe had turned a new leaf and the country is now shackled from all hell that Diasporans ran away from. Both reasons found no takers.
Tsvangirayi came back empty handed because nobody believed him. Many questioned the sincerity of Morgan Tsvangirayi and MDC-T. Here is someone whose very own children are warmly ensconced in Canada, Australia and South Africa, extending a call to other Zimbabweans to come back home though failing to make them believe that Zimbabwe is now safe. The responses, which Tsvangirayi got from Diasporans especially at Southwark Cathedral in London, on 20 June, 2009 were not to his expectation. He was booed, jeered and pelted by foodstuffs that anyone in the hall could lay his/her hands on.
Could MDC-T have such a short memory so as to forget that these were the same nationals who had contributed greatly to the growing of their party through donations and membership subscriptions? Not only did the Diasporans contribute to the growth of MDC-T, but also that of the nation's economy at large. Diasporans sent the much required foreign exchange back home at a time Zimbabwe was struggling with hyperinflation between 2007 and 2008. The foreign currency was meant to support relations who had remained behind, acquiring assets among other reasons.
Recently all three (3) political parties in the IG namely ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDCM/N through their representation in COPAC, agreed not to direct any resources towards visiting Diasporans in different countries to solicit Diasporans' views so that they could be incorporated into the country's National Law. The reason given was that it is a waste of time and resources as many Diasporans have since given up on Zimbabwe. Surprisingly, it is not a waste of time and resources when sending high powered delegations from the Inclusive Government with their retinue of Bodyguards on trail, drawing obscene allowances from the fiscus, checking in expensive suites in some of the world's renowned hotels then ask the same Diasporans for money to rebuild the nation?
Who says lightning does not strike twice? But where exactly did the wheel come off now that Diasporans are under siege from both ZANU PF and MDC-T politicians who are not willing to acknowledge the significant role played by our well meaning brothers and sisters scattered around the globe?
In most cases, actions of Politicians in the Inclusive Government are not driven by sensitivity. To imagine the pain and trauma that these Diasporans went through to be where they are today? Some were raped, tortured, maimed, had relatives killed, marriages broken and even went as far as disposing of valuable assets to buy tickets for their intended destinations. Politicians from ZANU PF and MDC-T are saying all this should just go to waste.
There is only one modern political party which believes that Diasporans can contribute from anywhere in rebuilding their nation, Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn (M.K.D). One of the positions which M.K.D has been advancing since inception of the process to gather views for the Constitutional making process by COPAC is that Zimbabweans should be allowed to have dual citizenship if one so wishes. With dual citizenship, one can make a contribution to a country of his/her choice without being coerced. Dual citizenship will restore voting rights which were unceremoniously taken away from the country's disenfranchised nationals.
The position that an individual has to renounce citizenship of the country to which he/she is resident in order to be allowed to participate in activities of national importance like elections should be scrapped. Diasporans should be allowed to vote from anywhere and contribute to national debates at any given time. There is no reason for them to be forced to come back home against their will. Now, is the time that we should all be encouraging Diasporans to take advantage of their presence in different countries where they are resident, to work, gain experience and obtain specialist skills through training, attributes which again they can use for the good of Zimbabwe.
The truth of the matter is that, despite formation of the Inclusive Government two (2) years ago, the whole country has since been turned into Zimbabwe Ruins. The situation is worsening for the ordinary person. Insistence by political parties that Diasporans should return to Zimbabwe even against their will is bound to foil any attempt to restore Zimbabwe to its enviable status of the first one and a half (1 ½) decades after 18 April 1980. Diasporans can still do a splendid job for Zimbabwe, even better than what locals are doing if they are treated as adults and allowed to participate in national activities from their new established homes.
----------------------------
Joel Mapaura can be contacted on joel@mavambokusiledawn.org or +263 (4) 792 566, 795 326, +263772 307 423, +263733 597 786. 72 George Silundika Ave (opp. Raylton Sports Club), Harare.
Source - M.K.D Communications Department
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