Whither Zimbabwe?

I had the privilege of attending discussion panels in Washington DC during my Humphrey fellowship year at American University, Washington College of Law.  The United States Institute of Peace hosted a discussion in September 2016 under the theme Keeping Political Transitions Peaceful. A panel which consisted of diplomats discussed a study released by Chatham House on Zimbabwe's potential for a peaceful democratic transition. Another discussion panel was hosted in April 2017 by Voice of America-Zimbabwe Service under the title 2018: Zimbabwe's Watershed Moment-beyond elections. This event included panelists such as the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Harry Thomas Jnr and Zimbabwean academics based in the USA. I did not expect fireworks but I just attended out of curiosity. Perhaps it was the themes which attracted my attention and the fact that both these events were happening in DC. Whatever the motivation, I at least expected or was hoping to glean some fresh perspectives and ideas on our dire political situation and economic plight.

Events of this nature were quite rare in DC in a time when the focus was on the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump fight, a defining moment in American politics. I was tired of American politics and I was craving for news about my beautiful Zimbabwe.  A colleague at Solidarity Center- a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that works with trade unions, non-governmental organisations and community groups worldwide to advance worker rights-had sent me an e-mail alerting me about the beyond elections VOA event. I was alerted about the Keeping Political Transitions Peaceful event by another colleague, a Humphrey fellow from Botswana.

I could not help but feel overwhelmed by a sense of guilt after attending these two events. I suddenly realised that I was so desperate to hear good news about my country to the point of pinning my hopes on political commentators in the diaspora and some American diplomats. It is not so much about what the discussants said. Zimbabwe has been the subject of other similar discourses but solutions remain stubbornly elusive. We are a nation of debaters. We are good at policy making and setting up institutions to address various issues but we still find ourselves retrogressing. What then is the source of our misfortunes? Maybe we have been looking for solutions at wrong places. We mess up and expect other people to clean up. We are endowed with resources yet we still rely on foreign aid.  We fight and accuse each other on petty issues and ignore important things. This is surely not a time for a country in a crisis like Zimbabwe to be debating whether or not to allow Zodwa Wabantu to grace one of our biggest entertainment events. Or for people to be accusing each other of witchcraft and poisoning. This is surely not a time for Thokozani Khuphe and Morgan Tsvangirai to be deadlocked about where to have a meeting-a neutral venue.

It appears we are our own worst enemies. The world must just isolate us until we own up to our mistakes. This is a time to introspect. No more shifting of blame and pointing fingers. What role am I playing in the political and socio-economic development of Zimbabwe? Why do I still expect other countries and foreign nationals to solve my country problems? Why do I feel that South Africa has an obligation to extend the special permits dispensation beyond the expiration date? Why do I rely on foreign donors on essential services such as water and sanitation, health and education? Why do I allow myself to be led by people with a record and history of human rights violations and corruption?
I have since resolved that I will make informed decisions about who to vote for in 2018 elections. I will not be swayed by party slogans and threats of violence. I will not be swayed by chinja that or pasi with that. I have been voting people into or out of power for selfish reasons but I will not be making the same mistake. I will vote for someone who I will not be ashamed to mention his or her name when I cross borders. I will vote for a President, an MP, and a councillor with a passion for development, a sense of social justice and a commitment to public service.

Mthokozisi Nyathi is an alumnus of the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (Law & Human Rights) at American University, Washington College of Law. He can be reached at mmnyathi@gmail.com