Reject Nelson's Tyranny

After three decades of tyranny and oppression, Zimbabwe needs, now more than ever, peace, unity and moderation. We desperately need our political leaders to be robust in their work and criticism of each other, serving as important checks and balances.

However, given our history, we should be extra sensitive to any leader who uses threats to get their way or uses violence as a tool of intimidation. Only days in his new position as MDC president, Nelson Chamisa, is already trying to intimidate the government and the country into bowing to his will.

Chamisa has threatened massive streets protests if President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government fails to implement 10 electoral reforms demanded by the MDC Alliance ahead of this year's general elections.

Under the guise of democratic reforms, it is clear that Chamisa wants to flex his muscles and mobilise his supporters in a show of force.

Nevertheless, we know what happens when political opponents climb trees they are able to dismount from and use the people as their physical pawns.

Far too many times throughout Africa in recent history, leaders ensure massive streets protests in the hope that they will become violent, followed by condemnation and ending in making political hay out of the disorder. Then they place themselves as a martyr to democracy, when they are frequently anything but.

We should not be fooled into bloodshed by a leader who uses threats and intimidation, even within his own party. We should not be led into confrontations by a man who preaches peace and then has a militia surrounding him that quashes dissent.

Perhaps Chamisa already sees himself in State House and wants to use the divide and rule tactics that he used to assume the presidency of the MDC on the nation as a whole.

People of Zimbabwe, we should not follow someone who uses threats and intimidation. We should follow leaders who talk of peace and unity.

We need moderation and compromise. We need to turn away from extremism and shun it because the future of our nation is at stake.

Since November, when the people rose up as one to end the rule of Mugabe, there is a feeling that Zimbabwe is moving in the right direction, however slowly. Of course, we can argue about the pace of change and growth, but it is clear that we are in an entirely different Zimbabwe to the one we experienced half a year ago.

The nightmare is over and we can dare to dream again. A Zimbabwe that returns to its place as "the breadbasket of Africa", and one free of tribalism and prejudice, is within reach.

We have been given our voices back and this is a gift we dare not abuse or neglect.

Our voices should be heard at the ballot box, not in confrontation in the streets, and certainly not as hostages or physical collateral in a political

leader's 'game of thrones'.

While we are finally free to express our opinion and have the right to follow any leader we wish, we don't want to move to the other extreme away from authoritarianism, which is anarchy.

Both are lethal for our people.