Opinion / Columnist
Mr. Mugabe, who is 'us'?
22 Jul 2016 at 14:54hrs | Views
Comments made by President of Zimbabwe Mr. Robert Mugabe at the National Heroes Acre on Tuesday 19 July 2016 in reference to Pastor Evan Mawarire makes very sad reading. Once more, Mr. Robert Mugabe has abuse a family bereavement of a family and the nation to launce a vitriolic verbal attack on a perceived enemy.
Delivering his so called keynote address at the burial of little known Charles Utete, Mr. Mugabe abused the podium to insult Evan Mawarire, the pastor who initiated the recent national stay away in protest against Mugabe and his ZANU PF regime.
He said Evan Mawarire and the rest of the Zimbabweans who exercised their constitutional right to protest and demand accountability from Robert Mugabe and his regime are not part of us and are free to go to perceived sponsors in the form of Western Countries.
One is left wondering as to who Mugabe is representing with such pronouncements. Who is "us"? Does this statement relegate the rest of the country to lesser citizens while promoting him, his family and ZANU PF to full and privileged citizenship? Where does Mr. Mugabe get the authority to unilaterally evict Zimbabwean citizens from their country?
We remind Mr. Mugabe that Mawarire and the rest of Zimbabweans are not backyard tenants in his blue roof mansion, but citizens of Zimbabwe at whose pleasure he serves. We also remind Mr. Mugabe that his citizenship to Zimbabwe is equal to each and every other citizen, hence his statement was reckless and misplaced to say the least. So when the citizens feel its time for him to leave, just as they are saying today, he should comply and silently do so without arrogantly insulting them by lessening their citizenship.
Change in Zimbabwe is inevitable, the people are demanding regime change and if Mr. Mugabe truly loves this country as he claims, he should listen to the wishes its people. Regime change is not illegal. It is the very essence and driving force of multi-party democracy.
The multi party democracy movements are what constitutes the people of Zimbabwe and the "us" which Mr. Mugabe is trying to steal and spin to represent private ownership of the country. It is "us" the people of Zimbabwe who own this country and have the prerogative to choose our leadership and the way we want to be governed. It is "us" again, the people of Zimbabwe who have the authority to grant or deny anyone citizenship to our country, not an individual like Mr. Mugabe. We recognize the equal citizenship of each and every citizen and Mr. Mugabe has no authority whatsoever to lessen anyone's right to his/her citizenship for narrow political reasons as pursued by Mr. Mugabe and ZANU PF.
Iphithule kaMaphosa is Director of Information Publicity and Marketing.
Zimbabwe African People's Union-(ZAPU).
Delivering his so called keynote address at the burial of little known Charles Utete, Mr. Mugabe abused the podium to insult Evan Mawarire, the pastor who initiated the recent national stay away in protest against Mugabe and his ZANU PF regime.
He said Evan Mawarire and the rest of the Zimbabweans who exercised their constitutional right to protest and demand accountability from Robert Mugabe and his regime are not part of us and are free to go to perceived sponsors in the form of Western Countries.
We remind Mr. Mugabe that Mawarire and the rest of Zimbabweans are not backyard tenants in his blue roof mansion, but citizens of Zimbabwe at whose pleasure he serves. We also remind Mr. Mugabe that his citizenship to Zimbabwe is equal to each and every other citizen, hence his statement was reckless and misplaced to say the least. So when the citizens feel its time for him to leave, just as they are saying today, he should comply and silently do so without arrogantly insulting them by lessening their citizenship.
Change in Zimbabwe is inevitable, the people are demanding regime change and if Mr. Mugabe truly loves this country as he claims, he should listen to the wishes its people. Regime change is not illegal. It is the very essence and driving force of multi-party democracy.
The multi party democracy movements are what constitutes the people of Zimbabwe and the "us" which Mr. Mugabe is trying to steal and spin to represent private ownership of the country. It is "us" the people of Zimbabwe who own this country and have the prerogative to choose our leadership and the way we want to be governed. It is "us" again, the people of Zimbabwe who have the authority to grant or deny anyone citizenship to our country, not an individual like Mr. Mugabe. We recognize the equal citizenship of each and every citizen and Mr. Mugabe has no authority whatsoever to lessen anyone's right to his/her citizenship for narrow political reasons as pursued by Mr. Mugabe and ZANU PF.
Iphithule kaMaphosa is Director of Information Publicity and Marketing.
Zimbabwe African People's Union-(ZAPU).
Source - Iphithule kaMaphosa
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