Opinion / Columnist
Mujuru supporters threatened says NGO - NGOs must be proactive to end the culture
02 Feb 2016 at 06:52hrs | Views
"On 18 December 2015, at the inauguration of the substantive Headman Zvakaramba at Matsvitsi Village Ward 3 in Zvimba South, the guest of honour, Chief Zvimba Chikambi was asked to give a vote of thanks. Chief Zvimba began to attack smaller parties like the People First. He said he was aware of its activities in the area and the ruling party was not going to fold its arms and watch," reported Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP).
What goes round comes round; Mai Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Jabulani Sibanda and the other People First Movement bigwigs are used to hearing or even directing the violence with them holding the thick end of the whip. Now they and their supporters are on the business end of the whip and they do not like it one bit. One does not need to ask Mai Mujuru whether she likes, of course she hates it!
They never raised a finger to stop the violence when they were in positions of power and authori-ty to make a difference now all they can do is curse quietly. What goes round comes round.
The ZPP report showed that whilst the greatest number of perpetrates are Zanu PF operative on opposition members; there are nonetheless some Zanu PF to Zanu PF, opposition on opposition and the odd opposition on Zanu PF.
The Police have continued to turn a blind eye to Zanu PF politically motivated violence and each time they are involved they have descended on the opposition like a tonne of bricks from a great height whilst Zanu PF operative get a single finger slap on the wrist, at worst.
As the nation goes into election mode the political violence will swing into overdrive; in 2008 mil-lions of people were harassed, beaten and /or raped. Over 500 were murdered in three months of the presidential run-off. The next elections have all the hallmarks that a fiercely fought contest given the ever worsening economic meltdown so Zanu PF popularity will once again be rock bot-tom and so the party will be forced to resort to its most tried, tested and never-failed method of securing victory – brutal violence.
It is clear that Zimbabwe's culture of politically motivate violence is now deeply ingrain in our na-tional ethos and anyone who thinks it will go away, without the nation doing something to end it, is naïve. To end the scourge of political violence we need to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA which include reform of the Police and Judiciary to free these institutions from the clutches of Zanu PF to carry out their public duties without fear or favour.
ZPP and all the other civic organizations are doing a great job monitoring politically motivated violence but they must take a more proactive role and demand the implementation of the 2008 GPA democratic reforms designed end this perverse culture. The reforms must be implemented before the next elections; any elections held before the reforms will be marred by fear and vio-lence and therefore can never be a true reflection of the free democratic will of the people.
What goes round comes round; Mai Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Jabulani Sibanda and the other People First Movement bigwigs are used to hearing or even directing the violence with them holding the thick end of the whip. Now they and their supporters are on the business end of the whip and they do not like it one bit. One does not need to ask Mai Mujuru whether she likes, of course she hates it!
They never raised a finger to stop the violence when they were in positions of power and authori-ty to make a difference now all they can do is curse quietly. What goes round comes round.
The ZPP report showed that whilst the greatest number of perpetrates are Zanu PF operative on opposition members; there are nonetheless some Zanu PF to Zanu PF, opposition on opposition and the odd opposition on Zanu PF.
The Police have continued to turn a blind eye to Zanu PF politically motivated violence and each time they are involved they have descended on the opposition like a tonne of bricks from a great height whilst Zanu PF operative get a single finger slap on the wrist, at worst.
As the nation goes into election mode the political violence will swing into overdrive; in 2008 mil-lions of people were harassed, beaten and /or raped. Over 500 were murdered in three months of the presidential run-off. The next elections have all the hallmarks that a fiercely fought contest given the ever worsening economic meltdown so Zanu PF popularity will once again be rock bot-tom and so the party will be forced to resort to its most tried, tested and never-failed method of securing victory – brutal violence.
It is clear that Zimbabwe's culture of politically motivate violence is now deeply ingrain in our na-tional ethos and anyone who thinks it will go away, without the nation doing something to end it, is naïve. To end the scourge of political violence we need to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA which include reform of the Police and Judiciary to free these institutions from the clutches of Zanu PF to carry out their public duties without fear or favour.
ZPP and all the other civic organizations are doing a great job monitoring politically motivated violence but they must take a more proactive role and demand the implementation of the 2008 GPA democratic reforms designed end this perverse culture. The reforms must be implemented before the next elections; any elections held before the reforms will be marred by fear and vio-lence and therefore can never be a true reflection of the free democratic will of the people.
Source - zsdemocrats.blogspot.co.uk
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
