Opinion / Columnist
Now is a time for strong leadership
22 Mar 2018 at 13:49hrs | Views
There are certain critical moments in the history of a nation which are transcendent and transformative.
We are all aware of these moments because once they happen you know nothing will ever be the same again.
One of these moments took place last November 22nd when Robert Mugabe officially resigned from the presidency after 37 years in power. This was the result of the people of Zimbabwe taking to the streets and peacefully demanding change.
While today we see the direct effects of that moment all around us, as the economy starts to recover, police roadblocks are a distant memory and foreigners are once again putting their faith in our nation, it could have all been so different were it not for the cool, steady and guiding hand of our new president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The transition of power in our new Zimbabwe could have been disastrous, anarchic and even bloody.
It could have been expected that after decades of repression and dictatorship, certain demons could have been let out of the bag. Our country could have plummeted to even greater depths.
If we look at the history of revolutions around the world, we see examples of years of bloodshed, anarchy and even a return to despotism and totalitarianism in another guise.
Nevertheless, in our new Zimbabwe the opposite happened.
Our new president spoke and acted differently. He became a unifier, talking peace while acting swiftly and resolutely, without hesitation.
He has not acted with an iron fist but with an open ear. He has listened to the pain of Zimbabweans and is leading us to economic recovery and a brighter future.
He has been the absolutely necessary strong rudder our nation needs to sail through the stormy waters ahead. We are certainly not out of the woods regardless of the signs of recovery. It is a long road ahead and we can only continue on this path with the help of experience and strong leadership.
President Mnangagwa was the pivot for the change in Zimbabwe and he has now promised us free, fair and harmonised elections, and according to observers from Africa, the United Nations, and elsewhere, he will deliver on this promise.
He promised to attract foreign investment and already well over $3 billion in foreign investment commitments have been racking up on an almost daily basis.
He promised an end to corruption and his amnesty for people to return money to Zimbabwe has been extremely successful and has now published a list of all those who still refuse.
The externalisation amnesty demonstrates that two sides to President Mnangagwa.
He will be magnanimous when it is in the best interests of the people and he will be ruthless against those who exploit and steal from the people.
It is said that leadership is not practiced in words but in actions.
We don't hear from ED every moment of every day. He is not the 'Big Brother' who desperately craves attention. He is the leader who takes a step back and is carefully finding solutions for our nation's challenges.
He hasn't even sought the trappings of office and neither he nor the First Lady have moved into State House. The scarf that he wears indicates to all that he is above all a patriotic and proud Zimbabwean.
One can see that those around ED have a deep and admiring respect for him, and he has led his party and the government without the back-stabbing, squabbles and fighting that characterises others.
He is far from the perfect leader but he is what Zimbabwe needs. We can not afford populism, divisions and gimmicks.
Zimbabwe needs strong and resolute leadership.
ED has already steered us through arguably some of the most transformative moments in Zimbabwe's history and it would be hard to find a single citizen who would argue that we are not in a better situation today than we were yesterday.
While we Zimbabweans are agents of our own change in the rough seas of metamorphosis, we can certainly be grateful that the hand on the wheel is President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
If we required his strong and steady leadership during the last few months, we will need it even more in the years ahead.
Faith, Harare
We are all aware of these moments because once they happen you know nothing will ever be the same again.
One of these moments took place last November 22nd when Robert Mugabe officially resigned from the presidency after 37 years in power. This was the result of the people of Zimbabwe taking to the streets and peacefully demanding change.
While today we see the direct effects of that moment all around us, as the economy starts to recover, police roadblocks are a distant memory and foreigners are once again putting their faith in our nation, it could have all been so different were it not for the cool, steady and guiding hand of our new president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The transition of power in our new Zimbabwe could have been disastrous, anarchic and even bloody.
It could have been expected that after decades of repression and dictatorship, certain demons could have been let out of the bag. Our country could have plummeted to even greater depths.
If we look at the history of revolutions around the world, we see examples of years of bloodshed, anarchy and even a return to despotism and totalitarianism in another guise.
Nevertheless, in our new Zimbabwe the opposite happened.
Our new president spoke and acted differently. He became a unifier, talking peace while acting swiftly and resolutely, without hesitation.
He has not acted with an iron fist but with an open ear. He has listened to the pain of Zimbabweans and is leading us to economic recovery and a brighter future.
He has been the absolutely necessary strong rudder our nation needs to sail through the stormy waters ahead. We are certainly not out of the woods regardless of the signs of recovery. It is a long road ahead and we can only continue on this path with the help of experience and strong leadership.
President Mnangagwa was the pivot for the change in Zimbabwe and he has now promised us free, fair and harmonised elections, and according to observers from Africa, the United Nations, and elsewhere, he will deliver on this promise.
He promised to attract foreign investment and already well over $3 billion in foreign investment commitments have been racking up on an almost daily basis.
He promised an end to corruption and his amnesty for people to return money to Zimbabwe has been extremely successful and has now published a list of all those who still refuse.
He will be magnanimous when it is in the best interests of the people and he will be ruthless against those who exploit and steal from the people.
It is said that leadership is not practiced in words but in actions.
We don't hear from ED every moment of every day. He is not the 'Big Brother' who desperately craves attention. He is the leader who takes a step back and is carefully finding solutions for our nation's challenges.
He hasn't even sought the trappings of office and neither he nor the First Lady have moved into State House. The scarf that he wears indicates to all that he is above all a patriotic and proud Zimbabwean.
One can see that those around ED have a deep and admiring respect for him, and he has led his party and the government without the back-stabbing, squabbles and fighting that characterises others.
He is far from the perfect leader but he is what Zimbabwe needs. We can not afford populism, divisions and gimmicks.
Zimbabwe needs strong and resolute leadership.
ED has already steered us through arguably some of the most transformative moments in Zimbabwe's history and it would be hard to find a single citizen who would argue that we are not in a better situation today than we were yesterday.
While we Zimbabweans are agents of our own change in the rough seas of metamorphosis, we can certainly be grateful that the hand on the wheel is President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
If we required his strong and steady leadership during the last few months, we will need it even more in the years ahead.
Faith, Harare
Source - Faith Hope
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