Opinion / Letters
We must implement the GPA reforms and get rid both dictatorship and dictator - no Musewe compromises!
02 Jan 2016 at 11:09hrs | Views
Dear Editor,
"Some of our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora continue to protest and demand political reforms from a regime which knows that it will be suicidal to do so," argued Musewe. "Their calls for comprehensive reforms will never be heeded because ZANU (PF) knows that it is hugely unpopular especially amongst those who had to make the choice to leave the country. Allowing them to vote, for example, would sound their political death knell and they will do whatever it takes to make sure that Zimbabweans in the Diaspora do not vote. That is the truth."
I have read the above quotation and the original Vince Musewe article over and over again trying to make sense of it. It is clear he accepts that implementing the GPA reforms would deliver free and fair elections which Zanu PF fear because they cannot win.
For someone not totally versed in Zimbabwean politics; the above quotation is misleading; the people in the diaspora would benefit from implementing comprehensive reforms but so too will those in the country. Those in the diaspora are asking for polling station outside the country so they do not have to travel back to Zimbabwe to vote. For those in the country the problem is the elections are not free and fair. Granting those outside the right to vote in the present situation is just a waste of time; if the regime can rig the vote from a local polling station it can do the same with vote from London, New York, etc.
Vince accepts that implementing the reforms would deliver free and fair elections and get rid of President Mugabe, since he cannot win free and fair elections. So one expected Vince to be calling for the implementation of reform and here he is tell the people the exact opposite, do not bother demanding the reforms. Why, one was compelled to ask?
This is a clear contestation of the right of the slave to be free and right of slave-master to deny others freedom; the right of millions of ordinary Zimbabweans to freedom, human rights and their very survival and President Mugabe's right to be a dictator. So other the dictator's right tramps the inalienable of the ruled or is Vince is arguing that we cow in and accept the subjugation because Mugabe will ruthlessly impose his will anyway. It is clearly not be the latter because he furious at the people's lack of aggression.
"It was Thomas Jefferson who said that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots. It therefore can never be refreshed by continuous false hope and non-action as is the case in Zimbabwe. I, however, truly believe that the idea of freedom can indeed be circumvented but it can never be forsaken," demanded Musewe.
What Vince Musewe wants is for Zimbabweans to risk all to get Tsvangirai or whoever is the leader of his coalition but not to be even concerned about dismantling the dictatorship even if this is within the nation's reach.
He is talking of the folly of "continuous false hope" and yet that is exactly what he is offering us here what could be more hopeless than going out of our way to surgically remove the dictator so that all the other aspects of the dictatorship are not touch in the hope the next leader will never take advantage of dictatorial powers! In many ways that is what happened during the GNU, MDC did not implement any reforms because they believed they could term the dictatorship by painting it in MDC colours. This time it will be better since the dictator will be Tsvangirai and not Mugabe!
Yeah some people do like to make simple things complex; Brother Musewe had me scratching my head for hours, I think he is conning us into accepting a dictatorship be it with a new party colours and new dictator!
We know that the 2008 GPA reforms are exactly what we need to dismantle the dictatorship and with it will go the possibility of Mugabe or anyone else rigging future elections. We must keep to this simple and straightforward plan and not allowed those with forked tongues talk us into doing anything else!
Best regards
Nomusa.
"Some of our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora continue to protest and demand political reforms from a regime which knows that it will be suicidal to do so," argued Musewe. "Their calls for comprehensive reforms will never be heeded because ZANU (PF) knows that it is hugely unpopular especially amongst those who had to make the choice to leave the country. Allowing them to vote, for example, would sound their political death knell and they will do whatever it takes to make sure that Zimbabweans in the Diaspora do not vote. That is the truth."
I have read the above quotation and the original Vince Musewe article over and over again trying to make sense of it. It is clear he accepts that implementing the GPA reforms would deliver free and fair elections which Zanu PF fear because they cannot win.
For someone not totally versed in Zimbabwean politics; the above quotation is misleading; the people in the diaspora would benefit from implementing comprehensive reforms but so too will those in the country. Those in the diaspora are asking for polling station outside the country so they do not have to travel back to Zimbabwe to vote. For those in the country the problem is the elections are not free and fair. Granting those outside the right to vote in the present situation is just a waste of time; if the regime can rig the vote from a local polling station it can do the same with vote from London, New York, etc.
Vince accepts that implementing the reforms would deliver free and fair elections and get rid of President Mugabe, since he cannot win free and fair elections. So one expected Vince to be calling for the implementation of reform and here he is tell the people the exact opposite, do not bother demanding the reforms. Why, one was compelled to ask?
"It was Thomas Jefferson who said that the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots. It therefore can never be refreshed by continuous false hope and non-action as is the case in Zimbabwe. I, however, truly believe that the idea of freedom can indeed be circumvented but it can never be forsaken," demanded Musewe.
What Vince Musewe wants is for Zimbabweans to risk all to get Tsvangirai or whoever is the leader of his coalition but not to be even concerned about dismantling the dictatorship even if this is within the nation's reach.
He is talking of the folly of "continuous false hope" and yet that is exactly what he is offering us here what could be more hopeless than going out of our way to surgically remove the dictator so that all the other aspects of the dictatorship are not touch in the hope the next leader will never take advantage of dictatorial powers! In many ways that is what happened during the GNU, MDC did not implement any reforms because they believed they could term the dictatorship by painting it in MDC colours. This time it will be better since the dictator will be Tsvangirai and not Mugabe!
Yeah some people do like to make simple things complex; Brother Musewe had me scratching my head for hours, I think he is conning us into accepting a dictatorship be it with a new party colours and new dictator!
We know that the 2008 GPA reforms are exactly what we need to dismantle the dictatorship and with it will go the possibility of Mugabe or anyone else rigging future elections. We must keep to this simple and straightforward plan and not allowed those with forked tongues talk us into doing anything else!
Best regards
Nomusa.
Source - Nomusa
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