Opinion / Columnist
On funding for Zimbabwe's NCP activities in Diaspora
15 Sep 2015 at 11:40hrs | Views
Only Zimbabweans willing to make sacrifices can rescue Zimbabwe from the certain peril that it is facing. Donors and well-wishers can only help us when they have seen that are doing something to help ourselves.
The National Convergence Platform established an online platform to engage Zimbabweans at home and in the Diaspora and has also been engaging with donors. Our finding is that there is strong interest both at home and in the Diaspora to rescue the country from the paralysis caused by a government that no longer knows what to do, but which is determined to stay in power by whatever means.
But there is also a tendency among Zimbabweans to think that somebody should fund their participation in this struggle while they concentrate on building their family nest eggs. Donors, especially in Zimbabwe, have poured in millions of dollars which seem to have just gone down black holes, so they have also become a bit weary if not smarter.
The NCP platform on facebook received thousands of comments. We deliberately avoided commenting to give Zimbabweans an opportunity to speak from their hearts, and indeed they did.
Their message was that it is time Zimbabweans came together in a non-partisan forum and take control of the situation, rather than allow the country to continue deteriorating into failed statehood while we are watching.
The clear implication and what we are urging Zimbabweans to do, is that we need to organise ourselves in the best ways possible, wherever we are, using our own resources, so that we can mount Diaspora conferences in each continent which will produce a consensus of opinions on issues of how we can rescue our country.
Such input will then be made to, and be taken into consideration by the National Taskforce which has been established. The National Taskforce will also organise a National Conference of the various stakeholders, including political parties, trade unions, associations of various groups and individuals who want to participate in national rejuvenation.
The Diaspora is considered indispensable for this process and we expect that they will heed the call for an input, not with opinions of one or two people, but a consensus of Diasporans arrived at in an open and representative forum for Zimbabweans, wherever they are.
The National Convergence Platform realises that for such a forum to happen, Diasporans must organise it and fund it themselves. Our international co-ordinator is Gabriel Shumba (gabmrech@gmail.com, +27 84 664 9798) whom anyone in the Diaspora can contact if for any inputs or queries.
You can also contact his assistant on international mobilisation, (rodgers@zimconvergence.org or rodgers94@hotmail.com +27717217098) to co-ordinate plans and activities.
In the US we have Professor Stan Mukasa co-ordinating (stanford.mukasa@iup.edu) and in the UK we have Mr Makusha Mugabe who is also the Diaspora spokesman (czeditornew@gmail.com, +4407503322918) Diasporans are free to contact them for assistance with their plans to mount the conferences. But the clear issue is that you have to be resourceful and creative.
The ball is therefore in your court, all you diasporans, from Washington DC to Sydney, Australia. Our organisation should not be along party lines but along patriotic lines, whether you are party members, churches members, women's organisations or fellows or members of professional bodies you are welcome to organise your consultations, but they should be inclusive.
We are not a political party, nor do we plan to prescribe to any political party what it should do, or who should be its leader, but we are saying to them if they have the interest of rescuing this country, as we do, then they should join us and we brainstorm together and come up with resolutions that we will all commit to go and implement.
Just come together and brainstorm on how you think we can rescue Zimbabwe, and put a plan in action to participate or input into the national conference to be held in Zimbabwe in later this year.
I wish you success in your consultations. Zimbabwe needs you and we are gratified and encouraged by your efforts to redeem the deplorable situation in our nation.
Rt. Revd. Dr. S. Bakare
Convener National Convergence Platform
For more information please contact Vince Musewe - Tel +263776917440, email: vtmusewe@gmail.com
The National Convergence Platform established an online platform to engage Zimbabweans at home and in the Diaspora and has also been engaging with donors. Our finding is that there is strong interest both at home and in the Diaspora to rescue the country from the paralysis caused by a government that no longer knows what to do, but which is determined to stay in power by whatever means.
But there is also a tendency among Zimbabweans to think that somebody should fund their participation in this struggle while they concentrate on building their family nest eggs. Donors, especially in Zimbabwe, have poured in millions of dollars which seem to have just gone down black holes, so they have also become a bit weary if not smarter.
The NCP platform on facebook received thousands of comments. We deliberately avoided commenting to give Zimbabweans an opportunity to speak from their hearts, and indeed they did.
Their message was that it is time Zimbabweans came together in a non-partisan forum and take control of the situation, rather than allow the country to continue deteriorating into failed statehood while we are watching.
The clear implication and what we are urging Zimbabweans to do, is that we need to organise ourselves in the best ways possible, wherever we are, using our own resources, so that we can mount Diaspora conferences in each continent which will produce a consensus of opinions on issues of how we can rescue our country.
Such input will then be made to, and be taken into consideration by the National Taskforce which has been established. The National Taskforce will also organise a National Conference of the various stakeholders, including political parties, trade unions, associations of various groups and individuals who want to participate in national rejuvenation.
The Diaspora is considered indispensable for this process and we expect that they will heed the call for an input, not with opinions of one or two people, but a consensus of Diasporans arrived at in an open and representative forum for Zimbabweans, wherever they are.
You can also contact his assistant on international mobilisation, (rodgers@zimconvergence.org or rodgers94@hotmail.com +27717217098) to co-ordinate plans and activities.
In the US we have Professor Stan Mukasa co-ordinating (stanford.mukasa@iup.edu) and in the UK we have Mr Makusha Mugabe who is also the Diaspora spokesman (czeditornew@gmail.com, +4407503322918) Diasporans are free to contact them for assistance with their plans to mount the conferences. But the clear issue is that you have to be resourceful and creative.
The ball is therefore in your court, all you diasporans, from Washington DC to Sydney, Australia. Our organisation should not be along party lines but along patriotic lines, whether you are party members, churches members, women's organisations or fellows or members of professional bodies you are welcome to organise your consultations, but they should be inclusive.
We are not a political party, nor do we plan to prescribe to any political party what it should do, or who should be its leader, but we are saying to them if they have the interest of rescuing this country, as we do, then they should join us and we brainstorm together and come up with resolutions that we will all commit to go and implement.
Just come together and brainstorm on how you think we can rescue Zimbabwe, and put a plan in action to participate or input into the national conference to be held in Zimbabwe in later this year.
I wish you success in your consultations. Zimbabwe needs you and we are gratified and encouraged by your efforts to redeem the deplorable situation in our nation.
Rt. Revd. Dr. S. Bakare
Convener National Convergence Platform
For more information please contact Vince Musewe - Tel +263776917440, email: vtmusewe@gmail.com
Source - Revd. Dr. S. Bakare
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