Opinion / Columnist
LISTEN: 'Tsvangirai is not a GOD,' says Linda Masarira
25 May 2017 at 18:34hrs | Views
I was chatting with Linda Masarira recently. I had asked her why she is criticising Tsvangirai instead of supporting him. The audio is a response to my questions. I don't support her views but I am sharing the audio with her consent. I argued her to join the MDC instead of going solo in her fight for democracy.
Interview transcript below:
Hie Etiwel I saw your message I am done with my meeting and hmm let me start ehh, you said you were doing a great job fighting the evil Mugabe regime but you were quoted recently in the press criticising Tsvangirai.
Why should he not be criticised, I believe in constructive criticism. The moment you do not criticise a leader, you hmmm, how can I use it I want to look for a polite word to sue because sometimes I am brutal with the truth that people do not understand me. When you do not criticise a leader, you indirectly form a dictator. That is why Mugabe is a dictator now because people thought kuthi criticising him was wrong. Tsvangirai is not a GOD and he is not perfect and where he is wrong he should be told kuthi you are wrong. I believe in democracy and the prize of democracy is one or where you have to be able to accept the truth and where you cannot accept the truth as a leader and where you cannot accept constructive criticism, you are naturally not the leader we are looking for in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, I am sorry my brother I don't believe in hero worshipping a leader I believe in having leadership that has got quality, leadership that will deliver to the masses of Zimbabwe, leadership that will stand to be corrected.
You said you think you think you are now great to the size of Tsvangirai?
How great is Tsvangirai and what is the definition of great? I am not here to usher in a dispensation of another wave of dictatorship. My struggle is to usher in a leadership that cares for the welfare of Zimbabweans. To be able to usher in a dispensation of social democracy where all people are equal in Zimbabwe and have equal opportunities, where we do not hero worship a person, where we don't have presidents who have got motorcades with more than 20 vehicles which do not care about the people. I don't believe in that, I believe in building Zimbabwe and will only build Zimbabwe when we have got a leader who accepts criticism.
Do you think you can stand against Mugabe and win?
Did I ever say I want to stand against Mugabe? All that I do every day is that I want to fight him and to make sure that he is removed from power by hook or crook. We don't even need an election in Zimbabwe. Hapana anywhere in the history of the world where anyone was removed especially a dictator through elections, you can never remove an oppressive dictator through elections and that's a fact and so long you don't understand that all of you muchaswera muchingomhanya muchino vota and Mugabe achiwina achiriga achiwina, what is Tsvangirai doing about it, I've got that right to ask as a Zimbabwean, arikuyiteyi about it? What has he done to ensure that Mugabe doesn't rig the next election? Only fools, I am sorry forgive my French but that's a fact, only fools who believe that Tsvangirai will win next year's elections because he wouldn't, and that's a fact and I am not apologetic about that ichokwadi. Tsvangirai has to pull up his stockings, make sure that he prepares people to defend their vote kana achinge awina, not kuthi kana munhu awina ma elections anotora $5 million oyenda kuBotswana, we know all that, we know all that, he he he actually, what can I say, Tsvangirai aka aka aka betrayer vanhu vese vakafira MDC, he betrayed them, he failed to defend the people's vote, he failed to mobilise people to stand up to and defend their vote and I'm not apologetic about that because it's true. Dai thisimo muma problems ese atiri ano aya. Dai usiri ku hameno kunyika kwauri ikoko izvozvi urimuno muZimbabwe, Zimbabwe yakanaka Tsvangirai arikutonga but he's afraid of power, he is not bold enough to stand up for what he believes in and that is what I believe and I am entitled to my own opinion and no one can take that away from me.
If Tsvangirai is useless as you allege who is better than Tsvangirai within the opposition movement?
Right now ka, hapatorina atori better and that's a fact because no one is bold enough to stand and say lets fight for a better Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs a revolution. Zimbabwe doesn't need an election and hapana ka coalition ichashanda and that a fact. Come on the ground and see what is on the ground. What is opposition doing all ma political parties are just there because they are waiting to create another government of national unity kuti ivo vadje mari vanhu vachitambura and I am not going to wait for that and I am not going to watch maZimbabweans achiramba achitambudzwa because vamwe vanhu varikuzvi pozishina to make money.
You are fighting the evil Mugabe regime and at the same time-fighting Tsvangirai?
Yes, I will fight Tsvangirai, I think I have answered all your questions, so long all the MDC-T councils are corrupt and Harare can go for 3 or 4 days without water under an MDC council what gives me the comfort yokuthi an MDC government will be better off. Let's talk fact, let's talk reality. Righ now we don't have an opposition in Zimbabwe and that's my perception.
Interview transcript below:
Hie Etiwel I saw your message I am done with my meeting and hmm let me start ehh, you said you were doing a great job fighting the evil Mugabe regime but you were quoted recently in the press criticising Tsvangirai.
Why should he not be criticised, I believe in constructive criticism. The moment you do not criticise a leader, you hmmm, how can I use it I want to look for a polite word to sue because sometimes I am brutal with the truth that people do not understand me. When you do not criticise a leader, you indirectly form a dictator. That is why Mugabe is a dictator now because people thought kuthi criticising him was wrong. Tsvangirai is not a GOD and he is not perfect and where he is wrong he should be told kuthi you are wrong. I believe in democracy and the prize of democracy is one or where you have to be able to accept the truth and where you cannot accept the truth as a leader and where you cannot accept constructive criticism, you are naturally not the leader we are looking for in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, I am sorry my brother I don't believe in hero worshipping a leader I believe in having leadership that has got quality, leadership that will deliver to the masses of Zimbabwe, leadership that will stand to be corrected.
You said you think you think you are now great to the size of Tsvangirai?
How great is Tsvangirai and what is the definition of great? I am not here to usher in a dispensation of another wave of dictatorship. My struggle is to usher in a leadership that cares for the welfare of Zimbabweans. To be able to usher in a dispensation of social democracy where all people are equal in Zimbabwe and have equal opportunities, where we do not hero worship a person, where we don't have presidents who have got motorcades with more than 20 vehicles which do not care about the people. I don't believe in that, I believe in building Zimbabwe and will only build Zimbabwe when we have got a leader who accepts criticism.
Do you think you can stand against Mugabe and win?
Did I ever say I want to stand against Mugabe? All that I do every day is that I want to fight him and to make sure that he is removed from power by hook or crook. We don't even need an election in Zimbabwe. Hapana anywhere in the history of the world where anyone was removed especially a dictator through elections, you can never remove an oppressive dictator through elections and that's a fact and so long you don't understand that all of you muchaswera muchingomhanya muchino vota and Mugabe achiwina achiriga achiwina, what is Tsvangirai doing about it, I've got that right to ask as a Zimbabwean, arikuyiteyi about it? What has he done to ensure that Mugabe doesn't rig the next election? Only fools, I am sorry forgive my French but that's a fact, only fools who believe that Tsvangirai will win next year's elections because he wouldn't, and that's a fact and I am not apologetic about that ichokwadi. Tsvangirai has to pull up his stockings, make sure that he prepares people to defend their vote kana achinge awina, not kuthi kana munhu awina ma elections anotora $5 million oyenda kuBotswana, we know all that, we know all that, he he he actually, what can I say, Tsvangirai aka aka aka betrayer vanhu vese vakafira MDC, he betrayed them, he failed to defend the people's vote, he failed to mobilise people to stand up to and defend their vote and I'm not apologetic about that because it's true. Dai thisimo muma problems ese atiri ano aya. Dai usiri ku hameno kunyika kwauri ikoko izvozvi urimuno muZimbabwe, Zimbabwe yakanaka Tsvangirai arikutonga but he's afraid of power, he is not bold enough to stand up for what he believes in and that is what I believe and I am entitled to my own opinion and no one can take that away from me.
If Tsvangirai is useless as you allege who is better than Tsvangirai within the opposition movement?
Right now ka, hapatorina atori better and that's a fact because no one is bold enough to stand and say lets fight for a better Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe needs a revolution. Zimbabwe doesn't need an election and hapana ka coalition ichashanda and that a fact. Come on the ground and see what is on the ground. What is opposition doing all ma political parties are just there because they are waiting to create another government of national unity kuti ivo vadje mari vanhu vachitambura and I am not going to wait for that and I am not going to watch maZimbabweans achiramba achitambudzwa because vamwe vanhu varikuzvi pozishina to make money.
You are fighting the evil Mugabe regime and at the same time-fighting Tsvangirai?
Yes, I will fight Tsvangirai, I think I have answered all your questions, so long all the MDC-T councils are corrupt and Harare can go for 3 or 4 days without water under an MDC council what gives me the comfort yokuthi an MDC government will be better off. Let's talk fact, let's talk reality. Righ now we don't have an opposition in Zimbabwe and that's my perception.
Source - Etiwel Mutero
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