Opinion / Columnist
Youthful Lumumba a sleeping giant!
29 Oct 2017 at 14:02hrs | Views
As a teacher I watched Acie Lumumba's video on YouTube with great interest. That video was kind of multi-dimensional in its narrative. It is his youthfulness in relaying several messages that impressed me most. Lumumba is speaking to his age mates in a language the youth understand and he captures them with eloquence and intellect, he engages them, entertains them in the process, becoming fascinating to go on listening to him, what he is going to say next. Lumumba is eloquent, articulate; indeed this young man will be a great politician, a hope for the future generations and an asset for the nation. This born-free speaks his mother language too, some deep Shona, yes he can! Wow! Most born frees do not know their mother languages! Their mother languages are inferior, they don't' say it loud!
He starts his video by speaking about new albums in town; music: makes jokes about them young people going to gigs with them girls! His jokes; the very jokes in town extend to the ear to compel them to listen more. Slowly introduces his massage having set his audience laughing in amusement and got informed about what was in town to talk about them youth! I found this art: modern art of facilitating what you want your audience to listen to, a stroke of genius! He tells them too that he has something to say, something very important. But again he brushes through the chaos in Zanu PF, he does not take sides: the three of them; Mugabe, Mnangagwa and Jonso! All three of them are made of the same cloth, he says!
If Lumumba was born in those "first world countries" they would have recruited him long back into main stream political parties and would be groomed to be future leaders of the party. Sadly Zimbabwean politicians do not see this talented man. It is rare to find someone who can be so BALANCED AND TRUTHFUL IN POLITICS, hence my admiration for him. Lumumba is not fearful of the powers that be in his midst. The boy does not fear Zanu PF for once. He stands above all evils the nation is gripped with. Remember this is the young man who was humiliated by Mugabe's secret service CIO, a political leader for 37 years could be his grandfather: CIO laid bare his most private self. To go so low as to abuse a young boy in that manner!
Seeing him talking on video, very casual, he is confident, his self esteem is still intact. Feeble minded would have long gone into hibernation because of shame. Those CIOs who confiscated Lumbamba's private videos must be ashamed today, they achieved nothing in trying to humiliate and reduce him that low. Lumumba left Zanu PF out of conviction. He confesses he ate himself to death in Zanu PF. But it is his soul that told him to quit. I am proud about this move he took. Very few people would take such a bold decision he made and he continues to speak without fear of the monster Zanu PF, a very rare feat.
The most important message in this video Lumumba gave us was the issue with 2018 elections. He is engaging the youth with a casual language; he is telling them what it means today to register to vote for elections: elections that are already rigged by Zanu PF, the outcome is known. Going to vote means giving Zanu PF another life-line of 5 years. SADC, AU UN and all those democratic institutions will accept the legitimacy of the elections: whether they are free and fair: Zanu PF will be recognized as the party to be in government for another 5 years. The participation of opposition parties legitimatizes the election processes and the results equally. No opposition political party will win election unless there is an underhand: some secret alliance with splitting away Zanu PF.
Lumumba laments that our opposition is weak. The opposition is indeed very weak. This is an opposition that cannot take advantage of the weaknesses of the Zanu PF and its infightings, Zanu is decaying in our eyes, and none in the mainstream parties is capable of rising up to give the ruling party a red card. Chematama is not well to give Mugabe a blow that he gave him in 2008. MDC-T is as fragile as the Zanu PF; a lot of infighting is going on in Tsvangirai MDC party. He critically analysis's on other opposition parties: Lumumba talked about Tendai Biti: some reflection on who could be a better candidate between Chamisa and Biti. To his amusement, (youthfully expressed but beautifully said) he says Biti has a big problem, his language and rhythm is not for the Zimbabwe consumption but for the cities in Washington, London and Berlin.
You cannot talk jargon with the Zimbabwe electorate, they will not be amused, they will not understand his educated English and dry content. President Biti has only made rallies in Bulawayo and Binga; and never in urban Harare. He knows very well that those are tribal areas he can never dare to, will be lynched. Now that he has been removed from his own party who does he represent in this Alliance with MDC-T? Why are elections so important in opposition parties, knowing full well they will be rigged elections anywhere? Zanu PF will rig elections in the way it wants, to get another 5 years in government. Is it the desperation in Zimbabwean opposition politics that makes them just go for those 33,3% opposition vote: piece-meals from the Zanu PF rigging?
"Who does it benefit to go to the elections today? Certainly not Zimbabwean population! There is no Rita Makarau who is going to declare Tsvangirai as winner of the 2018 elections." The best the opposition can do now is to make a total boycott of elections of 2018. We need change in Zimbabwe as early as yesterday. Going for election gives all regional bodies and international ones a strong indication that the opposition is dismally desperate and clueless. It is never too late to boycott 2018 elections; we ask the opposition to do the right thing now. The least we want is to prove you wrong: when you fall down with bleeding noses. You will lose those election and not that the people will not have voted for you. The people will vote for you and still lose.
Politically Biti is never a political person but some intellectual who should leave the political stages in Zimbabwe forever. He won a prise of late, a recognition that he deserved. But to go on overdrive and say abortion must be legalised in a conservative and Christian country like Zimbabwe just 8 months before the elections reflects a lot in him that he is making politics yes but attracting Washington, London and Berlin for praise. It is true that illegal abortion harms thousands of young girls and women in Zimbabwe. The language one uses with such issues of abortion has to be appropriate to capture our Christian electorate. He does not realize that it is a big blunder to say - legalize abortion- in Zimbabwe. But he thinks it is good just to impress the offshore electorate that will not vote for him come 2018 elections.
Our youthful Lumumba has answers to our political quadmire. We wait for his secret plans eagerly. I would suggest to him to go for total stay aways. He must rally some STAY AWAYS: Stay away from all the businesses and any kind of work for a month will bring down this government: only Zanu will realize that we cannot go on like this, we cannot take it anymore. STAY AWAYS simple mean NOBODY WILL BE HARMED; VERY DIFFERENT FROM STREET DEMONSTRATIONS! Street demonstrations as we have realized in previous demonstrations of 2016 are dangerous. Zanu PF does not respect life. Young and old people will be beaten to death by the very police and army that are given pennies as salaries ever to subsist. Take a look at the army and police and see the malnourished civil service
We wish we could have more of such fearless leaders like Lumumba in our politics. In Ndau language, I would have said: "Ndoda, Ndoda! Labafazi sibili! However Lumumba needs to learn to speak IsiNdebele to reach out to other regions of Zimbabwe. Again his comments that Ruvheneko Parerinyatwa is A MAN BECAUSE SHE IS TOUGH just tell us about the cultural narrative in our country: a man is better! However this does not diminish my admiration for Lumumba in any way. He is still young, he will learn that national politics means ability to speak some languages in other regions and also that men are equal to women: a declaration enshrined in the UN, in the AU and indeed in our Zimbabwe constitution.
We wish to have more of Lumumbas in Zimbabwe. You are indeed great my boy, amazing! A lot of challenges lie ahead with your talent and abilities. Very few have that courage and fearlessness you have. You are going to inspire more youth to be more courageous. I have this fascination for brave people and one of them is you!
He starts his video by speaking about new albums in town; music: makes jokes about them young people going to gigs with them girls! His jokes; the very jokes in town extend to the ear to compel them to listen more. Slowly introduces his massage having set his audience laughing in amusement and got informed about what was in town to talk about them youth! I found this art: modern art of facilitating what you want your audience to listen to, a stroke of genius! He tells them too that he has something to say, something very important. But again he brushes through the chaos in Zanu PF, he does not take sides: the three of them; Mugabe, Mnangagwa and Jonso! All three of them are made of the same cloth, he says!
If Lumumba was born in those "first world countries" they would have recruited him long back into main stream political parties and would be groomed to be future leaders of the party. Sadly Zimbabwean politicians do not see this talented man. It is rare to find someone who can be so BALANCED AND TRUTHFUL IN POLITICS, hence my admiration for him. Lumumba is not fearful of the powers that be in his midst. The boy does not fear Zanu PF for once. He stands above all evils the nation is gripped with. Remember this is the young man who was humiliated by Mugabe's secret service CIO, a political leader for 37 years could be his grandfather: CIO laid bare his most private self. To go so low as to abuse a young boy in that manner!
Seeing him talking on video, very casual, he is confident, his self esteem is still intact. Feeble minded would have long gone into hibernation because of shame. Those CIOs who confiscated Lumbamba's private videos must be ashamed today, they achieved nothing in trying to humiliate and reduce him that low. Lumumba left Zanu PF out of conviction. He confesses he ate himself to death in Zanu PF. But it is his soul that told him to quit. I am proud about this move he took. Very few people would take such a bold decision he made and he continues to speak without fear of the monster Zanu PF, a very rare feat.
The most important message in this video Lumumba gave us was the issue with 2018 elections. He is engaging the youth with a casual language; he is telling them what it means today to register to vote for elections: elections that are already rigged by Zanu PF, the outcome is known. Going to vote means giving Zanu PF another life-line of 5 years. SADC, AU UN and all those democratic institutions will accept the legitimacy of the elections: whether they are free and fair: Zanu PF will be recognized as the party to be in government for another 5 years. The participation of opposition parties legitimatizes the election processes and the results equally. No opposition political party will win election unless there is an underhand: some secret alliance with splitting away Zanu PF.
Lumumba laments that our opposition is weak. The opposition is indeed very weak. This is an opposition that cannot take advantage of the weaknesses of the Zanu PF and its infightings, Zanu is decaying in our eyes, and none in the mainstream parties is capable of rising up to give the ruling party a red card. Chematama is not well to give Mugabe a blow that he gave him in 2008. MDC-T is as fragile as the Zanu PF; a lot of infighting is going on in Tsvangirai MDC party. He critically analysis's on other opposition parties: Lumumba talked about Tendai Biti: some reflection on who could be a better candidate between Chamisa and Biti. To his amusement, (youthfully expressed but beautifully said) he says Biti has a big problem, his language and rhythm is not for the Zimbabwe consumption but for the cities in Washington, London and Berlin.
"Who does it benefit to go to the elections today? Certainly not Zimbabwean population! There is no Rita Makarau who is going to declare Tsvangirai as winner of the 2018 elections." The best the opposition can do now is to make a total boycott of elections of 2018. We need change in Zimbabwe as early as yesterday. Going for election gives all regional bodies and international ones a strong indication that the opposition is dismally desperate and clueless. It is never too late to boycott 2018 elections; we ask the opposition to do the right thing now. The least we want is to prove you wrong: when you fall down with bleeding noses. You will lose those election and not that the people will not have voted for you. The people will vote for you and still lose.
Politically Biti is never a political person but some intellectual who should leave the political stages in Zimbabwe forever. He won a prise of late, a recognition that he deserved. But to go on overdrive and say abortion must be legalised in a conservative and Christian country like Zimbabwe just 8 months before the elections reflects a lot in him that he is making politics yes but attracting Washington, London and Berlin for praise. It is true that illegal abortion harms thousands of young girls and women in Zimbabwe. The language one uses with such issues of abortion has to be appropriate to capture our Christian electorate. He does not realize that it is a big blunder to say - legalize abortion- in Zimbabwe. But he thinks it is good just to impress the offshore electorate that will not vote for him come 2018 elections.
Our youthful Lumumba has answers to our political quadmire. We wait for his secret plans eagerly. I would suggest to him to go for total stay aways. He must rally some STAY AWAYS: Stay away from all the businesses and any kind of work for a month will bring down this government: only Zanu will realize that we cannot go on like this, we cannot take it anymore. STAY AWAYS simple mean NOBODY WILL BE HARMED; VERY DIFFERENT FROM STREET DEMONSTRATIONS! Street demonstrations as we have realized in previous demonstrations of 2016 are dangerous. Zanu PF does not respect life. Young and old people will be beaten to death by the very police and army that are given pennies as salaries ever to subsist. Take a look at the army and police and see the malnourished civil service
We wish we could have more of such fearless leaders like Lumumba in our politics. In Ndau language, I would have said: "Ndoda, Ndoda! Labafazi sibili! However Lumumba needs to learn to speak IsiNdebele to reach out to other regions of Zimbabwe. Again his comments that Ruvheneko Parerinyatwa is A MAN BECAUSE SHE IS TOUGH just tell us about the cultural narrative in our country: a man is better! However this does not diminish my admiration for Lumumba in any way. He is still young, he will learn that national politics means ability to speak some languages in other regions and also that men are equal to women: a declaration enshrined in the UN, in the AU and indeed in our Zimbabwe constitution.
We wish to have more of Lumumbas in Zimbabwe. You are indeed great my boy, amazing! A lot of challenges lie ahead with your talent and abilities. Very few have that courage and fearlessness you have. You are going to inspire more youth to be more courageous. I have this fascination for brave people and one of them is you!
Source - Nomazulu Thata
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
