The victory of Donald Trump and implications for Zimbabwe

The Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment would like to congratulate Donald Trump for winning the United States of America Presidential race. The world got shocked considering that Hillary Clinton was the likely candidate to win the race being "the better devil" than Trump in the eyes of many. However, Clinton was "Trumped" and the shock is as a result of people basing their analysis on the candidate rather than the electorate, a challenge we are as guilty as here in Zimbabwe (personality politics). The people of America have spoken and we would like to once again congratulate America for taking a decision in peaceful and tranquil manner. It is our hope that the world and especially Zimbabwe and its powers that be, can learn that an election can be highly contested but violence free, free and fair and the looser despite being the ruling party concede defeat and move on.

In the United States of America there is always a third of the electorate that support either the Democrats or the Republicans and another third vote either party for a change. So, whilst the media and all opinion polls were focusing on the personalities of the candidates, Trumps team knew where victory was going to come from and they focused on that. That is why Trump has won all the 29 electoral colleges of the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe of the United States, Florida state.  I hope this is gonna knock some sense in our opposition politics here in Zimbabwe. Once again, we say congratulations to Donald Trump and the Republicans and we hope this election will bring lessons to our own situation in Zimbabwe!

Now, what does the victory of Donald Trump mean to Zimbabwe? So many Zimbabweans were enthusiastically following the US Presidential elections and many are now referring to Trump's speech to American veterans as the panacea to our challenges here in Zimbabwe. He said, "I want to reiterate here before America's greatest heroes that I will not condone any dictatorial tendencies exhibited by dictators around the world especially the two old men from Zimbabwe and Uganda. Mugabe and Museveni must be put on notice that their days are numbered and that I am going to arrest them and lock them in prison. If the past American administrations have failed to stop these two despots, I will personally do it." As a party, we do not read much in such a statement for we understand that the United States of America has got one crucial foreign policy, that is "full spectrum global dominance" and what then differs is the degree of aggressiveness of the different administrations. So, does Zimbabwe pose a threat to the United States of America? Can we really rely on Donald Trump to solve our own problems and remove Mugabe and Zanu PF from power? Though we acknowledge that a change in the Presidency of the United States shacks the world in either way, but to say it will bring a significant change to our situation in Zimbabwe would be a dream that can remain a dream a dreamer in Dotito has to content with and never realize.

The problems and challenges we are facing in Zimbabwe today are as a result of a direct creation by Zimbabweans themselves and they can only be fully solved by the Zimbabweans themselves. The problem with us Zimbabweans is that we create our own problems and expect the world to solve the problems of our own creation without any effort by us. We need to understand that we are the change we desire. Only us and us only can solve the problems and challenges we are facing right now as a nation. This is the time for us to act rather than look up to and wait for a change in another country to trigger our own desired change. The Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment and other progressive democratic forces in the country will make sure that we will bring about that much-needed change in Zimbabwe. While we acknowledge, and accept assistance from outside the country, we shall make sure that we are the drivers of our own change! Come 2018, we will "Trump" Zanu PF and make Zimbabwe great again!

Clemence Tauya Nhliziyo "Dhodha ReKanyi"
Head of Communications-Democratic Assembly for Restoration and Empowerment