Opinion / Columnist
Coming home to vote victory is certain
27 Jul 2018 at 15:08hrs | Views
After all the rallies, election manifestos and promises were done. Here comes the day which we have been waiting for.
It was on a beautiful Friday morning and turned into a sunny day later. I woke up early around 02:00hrs just to catch the earliest truck which was going to Zimbabwe via Mussina border post in South Africa.
I was happy that I was going to cast again my vote as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution, that I shall freely choose or elect a leader of my choice through the ballot box without any intimidation. So let my voice speak.
Zimbabwe is always my home come hell come thunder. The passion I have for my country really drives me nuts.
I boarded a loaded truck which was a brand new Mercedes Benz and I was seated at the passenger's seat. The driver was playing music from one of my favourite artist Oliver Mtukudzi. He had a very good collection and I asked him whether he had the song Nyika yedu ye Zimbabwe.
He rewinded and got the song which Oliver Mtukudzi was singing about how the enemy had conquered Zimbabwe and taken everything from the black people. It was a nice song where Tuku was strumming the guitar melodiously. It has a deeper political meaning and the lyrics in the song really touched me. The song went on to describe how we got the independence and how our people conquered the white supremacy. Well I could vividly recall such kind of life we lived in he early 80s. Things were flowing and everybody embraced the new Zimbabwe.
The driver cruised along N1 the nice tarred road to the border. There were a lot of people especially Zimbabwean's crossing the border going to exercise their political rights of voting. Having grown up in a poverty stricken area, I didn't think that one day I would skip the borders looking for employment outside my motherland.
Anyway there was no option. Having a acquired a degree in Media Studies, I thought I would make it into the media mainstream but alas it was a mammoth task. Jobs were scarce and not easy to come by. I thought the world was crumbling down on me. I had a family to look after. I had a family to feed. Surprisingly I was not the only one struggling to get employment but not thousands of university graduates had fled the country and we're seeking for greener pastures.
On 30 July 2018 , we all hope this election will usher in a young new political dispensation more focused, hungry for success and with a complete break from our painful past. We cannot afford to live a past that has made us the laughing stock of the whole world.
We are called names in foreign lands but we just swallow it. A past that has led to the turning of a whole people into economic refugees. A past that has changed our culture which was rich and admired by the whole world. We need to rebuild all that has been destroyed. Let us bring back the once bastion of Africa.
There is now need for new foundations. All is tied to this make or break election. Zimbabwean people must unite and end this poverty, end this jobless country, end this corrupt government, end this poor service delivery.
Well I could vividly recall such kind of life we lived in he early 80s. Things were flowing and everybody embraced the new Zimbabwe.
On 30 July 2018 we hope this election will usher in a young new political dispensation more focused, hungry for success and with a complete break from our painful past. A past that has made us the laughing stock of the whole world. A past that has led to the turning of a whole people into economic refugees. A past that has changed our culture which was rich and admired by the whole world. We need to rebuild all that has been destroyed. There is need for new foundations. All is tied to this make or break election.
I had to scrounge for food. Life in a foreign land is not all that rosy as what others might want to portray it. The police is always after foreigners who are illegally living in the country and rail being deported. Accommodation also is very expensive but Zimbabweans soldier on just to try and make ends meet.
Travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe just to go and vote is too costly and let's hope the new government which I am going to vote for will allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora the right to cast their votes. There must be modalities to ensure that the diasporians are catered for in the next election.
We arrived well around 1600hrs and there was a hive of activity at the border. We got our passports in for stamping and got to the Zimbabwean side. Our own Beitbridge border post. I could see the stretched faces of our people who were looking restless.
Winter was coming to an end. I breathed a new season of hope. I could see the dry grass, cattle grazing the little dry grass which was left. Trees were almost half way shedding down their leaves preparing for the new season. A season of hope. As soon as we drove along the way and after passing Beitbridge town, I could see posters pasted on trees as usual whenever we go for elections. Zimbabwe my motherland full of people who are so resilient. Driving along the road I wondered when was the dualisation of the Beitbridge -Harare road going to be finished because there were not even signs that the work has started.
Thirty eight years into independence the road which connects Harare and South Africa is still narrow and makes it difficult to transport goods and services between the two countries. The road has recorded more fatal accidents according to traffic statistics. Along the way were we pulled off the road and parked at a certain old looking shop which was painted long time ago and we bought some few refreshments and continued with our journey.
Tick, tock , tick, tock the time is nearing election and I was so upbeat that I was going to exercise my right. All what I ask is a new dream, a new magical and strategic thinking. To see a government which will be in a position to eradicate poverty and create employment for its citizens.
I don't expect this government to rig this election. If they rig that means everything will go down the drain and we can't afford to have a civil war. The country will deteriorate and become ungovernable. The country is in an disorderly manner and we must put it into the right trajectory. The leaders must be held accountable and together we can move the country.
That time of change which I have been patiently waiting for the past 20 years has come. The change which will usher in a new fresh of ideas, a new crop of leaders who are upright. To all Zimbabweans who are scattered all over the globe our time has come. This is a defining moment for all of us.
We are no longer kids who are told what to do. No one should try to get their way on our backs. Zimbabweans are not fools anymore they can see through ZANU PF propaganda and lies.
Zimbabwe is full of educated people but we live like squatters in our country. How do people live without cash and its so funny that our government is always fooling our people that we should use plastic money yet that should be an optional thing to do.
When the government fails, they must go for the better of the country. We should not be talking of sanctions. We should stop hiding under the finger of sanctions. Where is the $15 billion. Did the sanctions make the money disappear? That's not an excuse anymore. These people have killed our country. We had the capacity to pull over even in the presence of sanctions, but we kept on misfiring from all the cylinders. It's a do or die encounter.
Contacts
Facebook- Leonard Koni
Twitter - @Leokoni
WhatsApp - +27747402042
Email - konileonard606@gmail.com.
It was on a beautiful Friday morning and turned into a sunny day later. I woke up early around 02:00hrs just to catch the earliest truck which was going to Zimbabwe via Mussina border post in South Africa.
I was happy that I was going to cast again my vote as enshrined in the Zimbabwean constitution, that I shall freely choose or elect a leader of my choice through the ballot box without any intimidation. So let my voice speak.
Zimbabwe is always my home come hell come thunder. The passion I have for my country really drives me nuts.
I boarded a loaded truck which was a brand new Mercedes Benz and I was seated at the passenger's seat. The driver was playing music from one of my favourite artist Oliver Mtukudzi. He had a very good collection and I asked him whether he had the song Nyika yedu ye Zimbabwe.
He rewinded and got the song which Oliver Mtukudzi was singing about how the enemy had conquered Zimbabwe and taken everything from the black people. It was a nice song where Tuku was strumming the guitar melodiously. It has a deeper political meaning and the lyrics in the song really touched me. The song went on to describe how we got the independence and how our people conquered the white supremacy. Well I could vividly recall such kind of life we lived in he early 80s. Things were flowing and everybody embraced the new Zimbabwe.
The driver cruised along N1 the nice tarred road to the border. There were a lot of people especially Zimbabwean's crossing the border going to exercise their political rights of voting. Having grown up in a poverty stricken area, I didn't think that one day I would skip the borders looking for employment outside my motherland.
Anyway there was no option. Having a acquired a degree in Media Studies, I thought I would make it into the media mainstream but alas it was a mammoth task. Jobs were scarce and not easy to come by. I thought the world was crumbling down on me. I had a family to look after. I had a family to feed. Surprisingly I was not the only one struggling to get employment but not thousands of university graduates had fled the country and we're seeking for greener pastures.
On 30 July 2018 , we all hope this election will usher in a young new political dispensation more focused, hungry for success and with a complete break from our painful past. We cannot afford to live a past that has made us the laughing stock of the whole world.
We are called names in foreign lands but we just swallow it. A past that has led to the turning of a whole people into economic refugees. A past that has changed our culture which was rich and admired by the whole world. We need to rebuild all that has been destroyed. Let us bring back the once bastion of Africa.
There is now need for new foundations. All is tied to this make or break election. Zimbabwean people must unite and end this poverty, end this jobless country, end this corrupt government, end this poor service delivery.
Well I could vividly recall such kind of life we lived in he early 80s. Things were flowing and everybody embraced the new Zimbabwe.
On 30 July 2018 we hope this election will usher in a young new political dispensation more focused, hungry for success and with a complete break from our painful past. A past that has made us the laughing stock of the whole world. A past that has led to the turning of a whole people into economic refugees. A past that has changed our culture which was rich and admired by the whole world. We need to rebuild all that has been destroyed. There is need for new foundations. All is tied to this make or break election.
I had to scrounge for food. Life in a foreign land is not all that rosy as what others might want to portray it. The police is always after foreigners who are illegally living in the country and rail being deported. Accommodation also is very expensive but Zimbabweans soldier on just to try and make ends meet.
Travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe just to go and vote is too costly and let's hope the new government which I am going to vote for will allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora the right to cast their votes. There must be modalities to ensure that the diasporians are catered for in the next election.
We arrived well around 1600hrs and there was a hive of activity at the border. We got our passports in for stamping and got to the Zimbabwean side. Our own Beitbridge border post. I could see the stretched faces of our people who were looking restless.
Winter was coming to an end. I breathed a new season of hope. I could see the dry grass, cattle grazing the little dry grass which was left. Trees were almost half way shedding down their leaves preparing for the new season. A season of hope. As soon as we drove along the way and after passing Beitbridge town, I could see posters pasted on trees as usual whenever we go for elections. Zimbabwe my motherland full of people who are so resilient. Driving along the road I wondered when was the dualisation of the Beitbridge -Harare road going to be finished because there were not even signs that the work has started.
Thirty eight years into independence the road which connects Harare and South Africa is still narrow and makes it difficult to transport goods and services between the two countries. The road has recorded more fatal accidents according to traffic statistics. Along the way were we pulled off the road and parked at a certain old looking shop which was painted long time ago and we bought some few refreshments and continued with our journey.
Tick, tock , tick, tock the time is nearing election and I was so upbeat that I was going to exercise my right. All what I ask is a new dream, a new magical and strategic thinking. To see a government which will be in a position to eradicate poverty and create employment for its citizens.
I don't expect this government to rig this election. If they rig that means everything will go down the drain and we can't afford to have a civil war. The country will deteriorate and become ungovernable. The country is in an disorderly manner and we must put it into the right trajectory. The leaders must be held accountable and together we can move the country.
That time of change which I have been patiently waiting for the past 20 years has come. The change which will usher in a new fresh of ideas, a new crop of leaders who are upright. To all Zimbabweans who are scattered all over the globe our time has come. This is a defining moment for all of us.
We are no longer kids who are told what to do. No one should try to get their way on our backs. Zimbabweans are not fools anymore they can see through ZANU PF propaganda and lies.
Zimbabwe is full of educated people but we live like squatters in our country. How do people live without cash and its so funny that our government is always fooling our people that we should use plastic money yet that should be an optional thing to do.
When the government fails, they must go for the better of the country. We should not be talking of sanctions. We should stop hiding under the finger of sanctions. Where is the $15 billion. Did the sanctions make the money disappear? That's not an excuse anymore. These people have killed our country. We had the capacity to pull over even in the presence of sanctions, but we kept on misfiring from all the cylinders. It's a do or die encounter.
Contacts
Facebook- Leonard Koni
Twitter - @Leokoni
WhatsApp - +27747402042
Email - konileonard606@gmail.com.
Source - Leonard Koni
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.
