Opinion / Columnist
Demonstrations that never was
13 Apr 2015 at 12:59hrs | Views
After trying all worker agitation tricks, still Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) demonstrations dismally failed to take off as anticipatedconfirming a lapsed era of violently echoing grievances. Zimbabweans over the weekend passed a vote of no confidence to the regime change planners by not participating in dubious demonstrations planned by ZCTU.
The poorly attended event was marked by shame as participants later wore their regalia inside out on their way home following the disgraceful flop of the event altogether.
The flop is another issue but to understand the underlying cause of the low turnout is of paramount importance as it defines the modern day Zimbabwe. Betrayal is something that is difficult to stomach at all levels in society.
When Richard Morgan Tsvangirai was head of the ZCTU he made tremendous promises based on lies and deliberate mis-interpretation of the then attaining economic climate (recovery from the ESAP). People blindly followed Tsvangirai in his quest to oust ZANU PF from power by attacking the economy and manipulate the workers as done in Zambia.
The US had successfully imposed a bus conductor by the name Fredrick Chiluba as President through the same antics. Thus Zimbabwe was going to be a walk over case, as a tea boy (Tsvangirai) had better qualifications in etiquette. This was not to be, given the literacy levels of Zimbabweans which played an enabling role to read between the lines and detect mud smearing by the West.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Chester Crocker said, before the 2001 Congressional hearings on Zimbabwe: "To separate the Zimbabwean people from Zanu-PF, we are going to have to make their economy scream, and I hope you, senators, have the stomach for what you have to do."
It is against such a background that the flopof ZCTU demonstrations should not come as a surprise to any reasonable Zimbabwean. Once beaten, twice shy, Zimbabweans are aware that they were once used to paddle personal and selfish ambitions and as such cannot allow history to repeat itself.
Revisits to the genesis of ZCTU tell a story of deliberate lies whose founders and ex leaders still paddle repeatedly today. However, the ghost of betrayal follows these leaders to whatever institution or organization they head.
After ZCTU Tsvangirai went on to be the president of MDC. MDC was not spared of betrayal as members out of mistrust splintered from the political party. This saw numerous MDCs with prefixes emerging after the fallout.
Let me hasten to repeat on betrayal. After a number of splits Tsvangirai sought audience with the Man of God TB Joshua who boldly told him he will never rule Zimbabwe. This revelation needed no prophet to say though, given a track record of betrayals.
Findings from the consultation of the Man of God remained a secret, and as usual people are blindly following the grand master of deception. The betrayal, however, goes onalthough on borrowed time as evidenced by the weekenddemonstrations flop. Opposition is not making sense anymore; rather it is at the core of the problems and looms bedevilling Zimbabwe.
Source - Caitlin Kamba
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