Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe has turned war vets into custodians of tyranny
10 Nov 2014 at 12:40hrs | Views
I was struck by two stories this weekend involving two former liberation struggle individuals who have been corrupted to serve this Zanu-PF dictatorship at the expense of the nation.
The first story was about some war vets who have pledged to support the war vet thug Jabulani Sibanda who is under pressure to resign from the chairman position because he did not support Grace Mugabe's bid for power. He had the chic of dismissing it as a "bedroom coup"; which it is but that is beside the point. The point being that Sibanda has been going around the country intimidating and harassing people to support and vote for Mugabe and Zanu-PF, riding roughshod over their basic rights including the right to a free and meaningful vote.
The war vets backing Sibanda claimed 'fought for a Zimbabwe that recognises freedom of expression'. They clearly do not have a clue what they are talking about! Sibanda and the those war vets accompanied him have been systematically denying the populous their freedom of expression, freedom of association, the right to free, fair and credible elections and even the right to life particular during the 2008 elections.
The war vets backing Sibanda even threaten a second Entumbane (the fighting pitting Zanu-PF former freedom fighters against-PF Zapu former freedom fighters soon after independence resulting in many being killed) if Sibanda was force out of office.
If these guys are going to have another Entumbane then they must know that they will be fighting for Zanu-PF dictatorship or to settle their own selfish scores and not for freedom or human rights for the ordinary Zimbabweans!
In the second story, the nation learnt that the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoner Detainees and Restrictees Association (ZEPPDRA) members ‘converged in Harare to deliberate on several issues affecting them'. No doubt they must have deliberated at lengths on the abject poverty that is affecting the whole nation. 72% of Zimbabweans are now considered poor because they live on less than $1.25 a day. 16% or 2 million are way below that, they live in abject poverty.
Even Zanu-PF grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarira and Enos Nkala have not been spared the economic hardships; they lived the last years of their lives in abject poverty and died paupers. No doubt many of the ZEPRDRA members have been caught in the dragnet; many of them will poor and some will already be living in abject poverty.
ZEPPDRA Chairman, Victor Kuretu said his executive is in support of the move taken by the revolutionary party ahead of its national elective congress of elevating Dr Mugabe to lead the Women's League. How sad!
Here was the ex-detainees' chance to say something profound about how the country has completely lost direction; how a few in power have betrayed the values of freedom, liberty, justice and human rights and human dignity for selfish political gain. These are values they were imprisoned to secure for all Zimbabweans and not just the few in power. These are the values that underpin good governance and the nation is in this political and economic nightmare precisely because the ruling elect have denied the people freedom, liberty, etc.!
Corruption is now so rampant it is soaking up all the nation's wealth forcing millions into poverty and despair. It is clear that Zanu-PF does not know what to do.
As ex- liberation struggle war vets and prison detainees and as fellow victims of the worsen economic meltdown, the war vets and ZEPRDRA should have added their voice to the growing chorus calling on Mugabe and Zanu-PF to step down and allow for fresh free, fair and credible elections. For this is the only way out of this mess.
Instead the war vets back Sibanda, a ruthless thug propping up this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu-PF dictatorship. The ZEPPDRA endorse Grace Mugabe as chairperson of the Zanu-PF women's league. It boggles the mind how that is going to help the nation get out of this mess!
Has Mugabe infiltrated and corrupt all the organisations representing all those involved in the struggle for independence so that they are all controlled by stooges who never understood freedom, liberty and any of the other values the war of independence was fought for? It is little wonder that the nation is in a real mess; the custodians of freedom have now become the custodians of tyranny!
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Nomusa Garikai can be contacetd at zimbabwesocialdemocrats@gmail.com
The first story was about some war vets who have pledged to support the war vet thug Jabulani Sibanda who is under pressure to resign from the chairman position because he did not support Grace Mugabe's bid for power. He had the chic of dismissing it as a "bedroom coup"; which it is but that is beside the point. The point being that Sibanda has been going around the country intimidating and harassing people to support and vote for Mugabe and Zanu-PF, riding roughshod over their basic rights including the right to a free and meaningful vote.
The war vets backing Sibanda claimed 'fought for a Zimbabwe that recognises freedom of expression'. They clearly do not have a clue what they are talking about! Sibanda and the those war vets accompanied him have been systematically denying the populous their freedom of expression, freedom of association, the right to free, fair and credible elections and even the right to life particular during the 2008 elections.
The war vets backing Sibanda even threaten a second Entumbane (the fighting pitting Zanu-PF former freedom fighters against-PF Zapu former freedom fighters soon after independence resulting in many being killed) if Sibanda was force out of office.
If these guys are going to have another Entumbane then they must know that they will be fighting for Zanu-PF dictatorship or to settle their own selfish scores and not for freedom or human rights for the ordinary Zimbabweans!
In the second story, the nation learnt that the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoner Detainees and Restrictees Association (ZEPPDRA) members ‘converged in Harare to deliberate on several issues affecting them'. No doubt they must have deliberated at lengths on the abject poverty that is affecting the whole nation. 72% of Zimbabweans are now considered poor because they live on less than $1.25 a day. 16% or 2 million are way below that, they live in abject poverty.
Even Zanu-PF grandees like the late Nathan Shamuyarira and Enos Nkala have not been spared the economic hardships; they lived the last years of their lives in abject poverty and died paupers. No doubt many of the ZEPRDRA members have been caught in the dragnet; many of them will poor and some will already be living in abject poverty.
ZEPPDRA Chairman, Victor Kuretu said his executive is in support of the move taken by the revolutionary party ahead of its national elective congress of elevating Dr Mugabe to lead the Women's League. How sad!
Here was the ex-detainees' chance to say something profound about how the country has completely lost direction; how a few in power have betrayed the values of freedom, liberty, justice and human rights and human dignity for selfish political gain. These are values they were imprisoned to secure for all Zimbabweans and not just the few in power. These are the values that underpin good governance and the nation is in this political and economic nightmare precisely because the ruling elect have denied the people freedom, liberty, etc.!
Corruption is now so rampant it is soaking up all the nation's wealth forcing millions into poverty and despair. It is clear that Zanu-PF does not know what to do.
As ex- liberation struggle war vets and prison detainees and as fellow victims of the worsen economic meltdown, the war vets and ZEPRDRA should have added their voice to the growing chorus calling on Mugabe and Zanu-PF to step down and allow for fresh free, fair and credible elections. For this is the only way out of this mess.
Instead the war vets back Sibanda, a ruthless thug propping up this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu-PF dictatorship. The ZEPPDRA endorse Grace Mugabe as chairperson of the Zanu-PF women's league. It boggles the mind how that is going to help the nation get out of this mess!
Has Mugabe infiltrated and corrupt all the organisations representing all those involved in the struggle for independence so that they are all controlled by stooges who never understood freedom, liberty and any of the other values the war of independence was fought for? It is little wonder that the nation is in a real mess; the custodians of freedom have now become the custodians of tyranny!
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Nomusa Garikai can be contacetd at zimbabwesocialdemocrats@gmail.com
Source - Nomusa Garikai
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