Rugare Gumbo sings a different song

Rugare Gumbo, once responsible for producing Zanu-PF spin, is now singing a different song. ‘They want to remain leaders forever, at the expense of the suffering majority... Zimbabweans want real issues to be resolved and not for us to remain as prisoners of fear.' At what point exactly did Gumbo arrive at his Damascene moment? Was this during the rigging of the 2013 election or was it that moment when he left his Zanu-PF office to begin his lengthy suspension?

On social media, most people sympathise with Joice Mujuru. But it is worth pointing out that Mujuru, Goche, Gumbo et al have been part of the same corrupt, brutal and inept government. Just yesterday, Masvingo resident minister, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti blocked Morgan Tsvangirai from delivering donations to flood victims at Chingwizi. Yet he now appears as sad as a dove with a broken wing.

From a hospital bed, Nicholas Goche - one time CIO boss - now looks a victim. As well as stating ‘the only good white man is a dead white man,' Jabulani Sibanda intimidated rural voters -‘orientation' he called it - last year. Now he appears the good guy, victimised by a president seeking to soothe his wife's ego, after the war vet (real or fake) snubbed her rallies.

We are somehow programmed to identify the protagonists and antagonists of every story. Naturally, most people side with the good guys. Even when two monsters duel - hyena versus lion, crocodile versus alligator - humans automatically tend to place the labels ‘good guy' and ‘bad guy.' In some fights, there are just no good guys to be found.