Opinion / Columnist
We are collectively linked to the survival fortunes of this country
29 Mar 2019 at 16:52hrs | Views
On cyclone, preparedness is critical than response!!!
In one way or another, we must find each other. We are all Zimbabweans and we must be ready to accommodate each other. Sanctions will never affect Nelson Chamisa or Emmerson Mnangagwa, they will directly affect ordinary Zimbabweans, and this is how bad the situation can be. I was going through comments on social media each time, President Mnangagwa or any other senior official make a post and this shows people are not happy. It is key for leadership to engage people and consult on key decisions before making key decisions which deals with Governance affairs. Guess what, consulting will not take away presidency or any position but rather strengthens one's position. The ground is not happy, and this could be a signal of what we may face in future. Our politics is toxic and needs healing. Zimbabweans are heavily traumatized following many debacles such as gukurahundi episode, Murambatsvina, 2008 killings, August 1 shootings, January debacle where many disappeared and some were murdered in cold blood, and Zimbabweans have gone through a lot, its high time leadership from political parties, civic society, church, academics and policy makers must come together and provide leadership. Look at what happened in Chimanimani, over 500 were killed, more than 500 went missing, and imagine the trauma and I feel President Mnangagwa might do a good job for the nation by coming up with a national reconciliation and healing process involving everyone on board. The word sorry is key and it can build a lot of bridges, I see nothing wrong with Mnangagwa and Chamisa coming together, sitting together sharing the same table. It's critical for this country and it culminates into progressive imagination and provide necessary and expected leadership. There is a problem with our country, we have competitive politics when people are perishing.
Competitive politics
Honestly do we need that? I don't think so. We can't gamble with people's lives when people are dying in numbers. Whether X or P has gone to Chimanimani is not an issue, what matters most is, the necessary leadership must be provided. I expected Mnangagwa and Chamisa using the same plane to Chimanimani to go and serve their own people. We have Zanu PF supporters in Chimanimani and we have MDC A supporters in the same vicinity so leadership is critical at this juncture. One was in United Emirates of Arabs, and one was already on his way to Chimanimani, on such critical moments one cannot plan for a journey, this is where advisors must come in and give guidance, or human conscience must serve at its uttermost. We must always avoid the idea of competitive politics, overshadowing each other, when people are perishing. Do we need competitive politics in this era? At the end, Zimbabweans are on the receiving end.
On cyclone Idah, preparedness is key than response!!!
The events were regrettable and unfortunate, the Government of Zimbabwe, on its part did not do its best. The idea was preparations for evacuations and other prevention methods to avoid casualties. How long was it going to take to evacuate people from that area? Instead of spending much time, attacking each other and giving each other names, labeling and undermining each other, it was very important to talk less and be on the ground with people. All the resources and effort which is normally put in thank you rallies was supposed to be diverted on such occasions. Reports coming from Manicaland shows that most of the goods donated to those affected areas are being diverted for political use, and this shows that we need mature politicians who must desist from such actions and be level headed. Why would a whole some Government minister or deputy minister spend so much time on social media defending the Government's lack of preparedness instead of getting to the ground and respond to the needs of the people?
Sanctions must go period!!!
Whilst the call for sanctions to go is loud and clear, it is also very important, for Zanu PF Government to respond collectively to the human rights issues, brutal cases, so that the responsible countries can lift up the embargo on us. We are buffeted by lack of cohesion on our part, intolerance, indecisive politics, politics of hate, torture and all the misfortunes this country is facing because of greedy politicians. Some have gone in the public, making proclamations of how many people they have killed, bragging about the killings they have made previously. So honestly who would in his right sense, lift up the embargo imposed on us after such claims? The events leading to August 01, 2018 were regrettable, as if it's not enough, in Mid-January this year, we had so many human rights issues with over 800 cases recorded countrywide, so who would in his right sense call for the lifting of sanctions? Whilst I'm so sincere that sanctions must go, we also need to be introspective of the economic and political developments in our country.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as an academic, policy analyst and development practitioner and he is studying Doctor of Philosophy at Women's University of Africa and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com
In one way or another, we must find each other. We are all Zimbabweans and we must be ready to accommodate each other. Sanctions will never affect Nelson Chamisa or Emmerson Mnangagwa, they will directly affect ordinary Zimbabweans, and this is how bad the situation can be. I was going through comments on social media each time, President Mnangagwa or any other senior official make a post and this shows people are not happy. It is key for leadership to engage people and consult on key decisions before making key decisions which deals with Governance affairs. Guess what, consulting will not take away presidency or any position but rather strengthens one's position. The ground is not happy, and this could be a signal of what we may face in future. Our politics is toxic and needs healing. Zimbabweans are heavily traumatized following many debacles such as gukurahundi episode, Murambatsvina, 2008 killings, August 1 shootings, January debacle where many disappeared and some were murdered in cold blood, and Zimbabweans have gone through a lot, its high time leadership from political parties, civic society, church, academics and policy makers must come together and provide leadership. Look at what happened in Chimanimani, over 500 were killed, more than 500 went missing, and imagine the trauma and I feel President Mnangagwa might do a good job for the nation by coming up with a national reconciliation and healing process involving everyone on board. The word sorry is key and it can build a lot of bridges, I see nothing wrong with Mnangagwa and Chamisa coming together, sitting together sharing the same table. It's critical for this country and it culminates into progressive imagination and provide necessary and expected leadership. There is a problem with our country, we have competitive politics when people are perishing.
Competitive politics
Honestly do we need that? I don't think so. We can't gamble with people's lives when people are dying in numbers. Whether X or P has gone to Chimanimani is not an issue, what matters most is, the necessary leadership must be provided. I expected Mnangagwa and Chamisa using the same plane to Chimanimani to go and serve their own people. We have Zanu PF supporters in Chimanimani and we have MDC A supporters in the same vicinity so leadership is critical at this juncture. One was in United Emirates of Arabs, and one was already on his way to Chimanimani, on such critical moments one cannot plan for a journey, this is where advisors must come in and give guidance, or human conscience must serve at its uttermost. We must always avoid the idea of competitive politics, overshadowing each other, when people are perishing. Do we need competitive politics in this era? At the end, Zimbabweans are on the receiving end.
The events were regrettable and unfortunate, the Government of Zimbabwe, on its part did not do its best. The idea was preparations for evacuations and other prevention methods to avoid casualties. How long was it going to take to evacuate people from that area? Instead of spending much time, attacking each other and giving each other names, labeling and undermining each other, it was very important to talk less and be on the ground with people. All the resources and effort which is normally put in thank you rallies was supposed to be diverted on such occasions. Reports coming from Manicaland shows that most of the goods donated to those affected areas are being diverted for political use, and this shows that we need mature politicians who must desist from such actions and be level headed. Why would a whole some Government minister or deputy minister spend so much time on social media defending the Government's lack of preparedness instead of getting to the ground and respond to the needs of the people?
Sanctions must go period!!!
Whilst the call for sanctions to go is loud and clear, it is also very important, for Zanu PF Government to respond collectively to the human rights issues, brutal cases, so that the responsible countries can lift up the embargo on us. We are buffeted by lack of cohesion on our part, intolerance, indecisive politics, politics of hate, torture and all the misfortunes this country is facing because of greedy politicians. Some have gone in the public, making proclamations of how many people they have killed, bragging about the killings they have made previously. So honestly who would in his right sense, lift up the embargo imposed on us after such claims? The events leading to August 01, 2018 were regrettable, as if it's not enough, in Mid-January this year, we had so many human rights issues with over 800 cases recorded countrywide, so who would in his right sense call for the lifting of sanctions? Whilst I'm so sincere that sanctions must go, we also need to be introspective of the economic and political developments in our country.
Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as an academic, policy analyst and development practitioner and he is studying Doctor of Philosophy at Women's University of Africa and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com
Source - Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo
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