Opinion / Columnist
Opposition, Civic Groups, et al should soon coordinate peaceful protests to inspire Mnangagwa to resign
11 Jun 2019 at 09:18hrs | Views
"The voice of the people is the voice of God", said Mnangagwa before the elections. Little did he know that this will backfire on him. People spoke during the election but he refused to listen. He actually changed their words to suit what he wanted. Some voices he muzzled, muzzling the voice of God. Even now activists continue to face arbitrary arrests.
A panic stricken government has already come out guns blazing labelling the promised peaceful protests violent well before they occur. Zanu-PF youths who are suffering just like anybody else, have promised to derail the protests. Protests are provided for in the constitution, and thwarting protests is like muting the people, closing the mouth of God according to ED.
Opposition, Civic Groups, et al should soon lead peaceful protest to inspire Mnangagwa to resign. This consortium should show leadership and resolve in leading the people in their demand that Mnangagwa must step down and new elections take place. The situation is now unbearable and Zimbabweans with no option are ready to protest. Preferably a Transitional Authority should then be formed, this implements reforms including and especially electoral reforms and make sure that ZEC is independent from control of Zanu-PF and any incumbent government. Media reforms are also critical and we could be expecting debates on national media, "kuti zvizipe". Up to now state media has shown open polarisation in it reporting. A single political party beliefs, propaganda and events were the only one covered by the state media. The previous MDC congress was a no show for ZBC TV and Radio. People can clearly see the state capture by Zanu-PF. Yet the government of Mnangagwa is at pains to prove that the election playfield was and is fair. Nobody in their right minds is going to believe that.
At the same time the international community should intensify restrictive measures, effect travel bans and also freeze assets for human rights offenders in Zimbabwe. The government of Mnangagwa should accept it as a basic truth that without democracy and the checks and balances that come with it together with the rule of the law, the economy will not improve. People are afraid to invest in an economy where the government is above the law and disregard the constitution.
People are frustrated and ready to go into the streets to exercise their democratic and constitutional right of freedom to protest and petition government to improve the economy or to resign altogether. The government of Mnangagwa has lost control of the economy and all arms of government expect possible the army and the dreaded CIO. The economy has failed. We cannot be led to believe that the same people who were in government since 1980 can bring a change.
The opposition should make sure that protests are peaceful, nonviolent. People are allowed to protest peacefully. Once the opposition ensures that protests are peaceful, they will be successful as more people who are initially afraid will join in. Everyone I have met and talked to is complaining and is ready to join protests. We have come to a dangerous point where people are saying, "hapana kusiri kufa". Intelligence should have relayed this long back to the powers that be that the peoplego of Zimbabwe no longer want the government of ED Mngangwa. The government should let people speak and the government should listen and obey.
The cunning leadership is already in the bid to silence the people's protest by trying to pit Zanu-PF youths against the protestors. This is the only way the protest can become violent and afford the murderous crocodile reason to kill more people or declare state of emergence. So this is the most critical issue when organising and conducting the protests. Opposition should not forget that they are dealing with very cunning people. But anyone who will ferry the Zanu-PF youths by buses to fight against the peaceful protestors will be liable for the deaths and destruction that may result. The Zanu-PF youths must not stop those who want to carry out peaceful protests. Zanu-PF can protest at different avenues or on different days. They should not fight those peacefully expressing their grievances within the confines and provision of the Supreme Law of The Land. Zimbabweans should not be intimidated by the Zanu-PF cowards who only employ violence to silence suffering masses. I say this because ZANU-PF national youth political commissariat Godfrey Tsenengamu told members of the opposition MDC that the ruling party's youth league is ready to meet them at the streets if they want to engage in protests. Statements like this have been heard by the rest of the country and the world at large by those who are concerned and are paying attention to how the Zimbabwe situation is playing out, and they Tsenengamu's words are on record. Youths should work to promote and safeguard the future of the fellow youths and not act to promote and protect those who are actually destroying that future. It comes as a shock one hand how Zanu-PF youths want to muzzle the voice of fellow Zimbabweans who would be peacefully expressing disgruntlement on how their affairs are very badly being misran. On the other hand we expect youth leaders to understand the simple and very clear lawful provisions of the constitution with regard to peaceful protest and petition. If the Zanu-PF youths are in doubt, we expect Zanu-PF leadership to educate them on the legality of peaceful protest. Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF leadership must understand that they cannot keep using violence to maintain the party's grip on power despite an awfully performing economy. Zanu-PF should not also keep misusing undereducated and misguided youths for its devious ends. The traditional chiefs should also play a role in teaching these youths to desist from seeing violence as the only means to achieve political cooperation. Youths have meted untold violence to political opponents under the helm of Robert Mugabe and this pattern of coerce is intensifying under the dictatorship rule of Ed Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa's government must never again unleash soldiers to shoot and kill unarmed citizens who shall be exercising their own rights on the streets. The army and its arsenals belong to the people of Zimbabwe and there never should be anytime that the same army be instructed or be used to oppress its owners and financiers, the people of Zimbabwe.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has threatened to uses Section 59 of the constitution to rally his supporters in engaging in protests that will inspire President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign, triggering an early election to an early election under the watch of a neutral Transitional Authority.
Our Traditional Chiefs are involuntarily complicit to the Zanu-PF destruction of the economy, social life and environment. Chiefs are witness to the problems facing the nation and how Zanu-PF is totally and unilaterally liable. Chiefs have thoughtlessly supported Zanu-PF government destructive economic policies without questioning. Chiefs have been content with the gifts they received and with only their own bellies full; they turned their back on their suffering subjects. They kept accepting gifts until they completely became blind to the suffering of their subjects. With all due respect, this was selfish on part of our chiefs. Chiefs should lose sleep when it comes to the welfare of their people. The Christians' God offered his own life when his people were in danger. But our chiefs took shelter when people were in danger and pretended not to be seeing. Chiefs should be truthful and dignified and be always ready to defend their people. The chiefs should lead us in fostering integrity and wisdom.
It is now that chiefs have to come back to their senses and utter sense and not be blindly partisan, but be on the side of the truth and people, their people. Chiefs have seen government neglect hospitals to close, have seen people hungry and poor, they have also heard about rampant looting and corruption in government, they have also seen government shoot people down in broad daylight, and they have seen the government fail dismally but chose to remain quiet. Where do they think all this is going? Will they wait until late or total collapse before they can rebuke. Now there is no investment, unemployment is high, no money in the banks, there is no fuel in the country, there is no water in every city and town, people are living well below the poverty datum line, there is no electricity because of massive load shedding, the list is endless. Yet our revered leaders remain mum, just how bad does it have to get before they start complaining. Only one chief, Ndiweni the brave one, has complained so far. Will other the traditional chiefs continue to only think and be content with their own welfare and not the welfare of the nation. Traditional Chiefs have been fingered out in frog marching their subjects to polling stations and making sure their people vote for Zanu-PF. This is the lowest our traditional chiefs have sunk, just for gifts.
On the other hand Government officials also must know when to quit. Britain has had a high turnover of prime ministers. For Zimbabwe just to have a second president, it had to be a coup. Previous British leaders did not wait for situation to turn sour or unmanageable before they could throw in towels. They never kept telling their people to be resilient The situation in Zimbabwe no longer need resilience, only heads should roll, particularly the one at the top. People are allowed to protest and heads are also allowed to resign if they fail. They can't keep trying policies that failed before over and over. They must also not give people false hope whilst they continue to bleed the dying economy. Resiliency feeds from prospect and that we all pulling in the same direction. The government of Zimbabwe cannot tell Zimbabweans to be resilient in abject poverty whilst government officials themselves are living in opulence. People like Dubiso Dabengwa and Chief Ndiweni have noble ideas. They simply refused to be selfish enjoy corrupted benefits at the expense of other people's suffering. Zimbabwe will be on the path to recovery if more chiefs take courage and speak out.
When God saw that Saul was disobedient to his directives, he sent Samuel to anoint a young boy called David to be the new king, whilst Saul was still alive. From herding sheep, David was king from the day he was anointed. He fought the battles of the Israel kingdom young as he was, and he was successful. Meanwhile the Spirit of God had left Saul, who got filled with jealousy and bitterness. All his remaining life, Saul was chasing after David wanting to kill him but God kept foiling his attempts. David had no intentions of killing Saul. He only fought and defended the kingdom and its people when there was need. But Saul now having been deserted by Yahweh was just groping in darkness, making one mistake after another one, still refusing to listen to God, not knowing he was no longer king. Maybe Emmerson and his government could read between the lines and listen to the people's voice, which Mnangagwa himself said is the voice of God. Mnangagwa's government is no longer furthering and has failed to serve the interest of the people of Zimbabwe. This is the problem with leaders who steal elections; they don't work to improve the lives of the people on whom they imposed themselves on. When people know you don't have a clue on how to solve their economic and other national problems, they don't elect you, it's simple as that. But in 2018 Zanu-PF leadership arm twisted the nation and subdued every arm of government to steal the election, but chinozivikanwa, hapana.
This means that our social contract is dead because the present Zanu-PF government is weak and has failed to secure Zimbabweans natural rights or satisfy the best interests of (our well-being), Zimbabweans can withdraw their obligation to obey, they also can change the leadership through elections or other means including, when necessary, violence. But we do not need the situation to escalate to this height. Peaceful protests will achieve the desired government change.
----------Zanda Shumba
zekishumba@gmail.com,
St Johns, Bag 113, Nyazura,
Zimbabwe
+263776630178
A panic stricken government has already come out guns blazing labelling the promised peaceful protests violent well before they occur. Zanu-PF youths who are suffering just like anybody else, have promised to derail the protests. Protests are provided for in the constitution, and thwarting protests is like muting the people, closing the mouth of God according to ED.
Opposition, Civic Groups, et al should soon lead peaceful protest to inspire Mnangagwa to resign. This consortium should show leadership and resolve in leading the people in their demand that Mnangagwa must step down and new elections take place. The situation is now unbearable and Zimbabweans with no option are ready to protest. Preferably a Transitional Authority should then be formed, this implements reforms including and especially electoral reforms and make sure that ZEC is independent from control of Zanu-PF and any incumbent government. Media reforms are also critical and we could be expecting debates on national media, "kuti zvizipe". Up to now state media has shown open polarisation in it reporting. A single political party beliefs, propaganda and events were the only one covered by the state media. The previous MDC congress was a no show for ZBC TV and Radio. People can clearly see the state capture by Zanu-PF. Yet the government of Mnangagwa is at pains to prove that the election playfield was and is fair. Nobody in their right minds is going to believe that.
At the same time the international community should intensify restrictive measures, effect travel bans and also freeze assets for human rights offenders in Zimbabwe. The government of Mnangagwa should accept it as a basic truth that without democracy and the checks and balances that come with it together with the rule of the law, the economy will not improve. People are afraid to invest in an economy where the government is above the law and disregard the constitution.
People are frustrated and ready to go into the streets to exercise their democratic and constitutional right of freedom to protest and petition government to improve the economy or to resign altogether. The government of Mnangagwa has lost control of the economy and all arms of government expect possible the army and the dreaded CIO. The economy has failed. We cannot be led to believe that the same people who were in government since 1980 can bring a change.
The opposition should make sure that protests are peaceful, nonviolent. People are allowed to protest peacefully. Once the opposition ensures that protests are peaceful, they will be successful as more people who are initially afraid will join in. Everyone I have met and talked to is complaining and is ready to join protests. We have come to a dangerous point where people are saying, "hapana kusiri kufa". Intelligence should have relayed this long back to the powers that be that the peoplego of Zimbabwe no longer want the government of ED Mngangwa. The government should let people speak and the government should listen and obey.
The cunning leadership is already in the bid to silence the people's protest by trying to pit Zanu-PF youths against the protestors. This is the only way the protest can become violent and afford the murderous crocodile reason to kill more people or declare state of emergence. So this is the most critical issue when organising and conducting the protests. Opposition should not forget that they are dealing with very cunning people. But anyone who will ferry the Zanu-PF youths by buses to fight against the peaceful protestors will be liable for the deaths and destruction that may result. The Zanu-PF youths must not stop those who want to carry out peaceful protests. Zanu-PF can protest at different avenues or on different days. They should not fight those peacefully expressing their grievances within the confines and provision of the Supreme Law of The Land. Zimbabweans should not be intimidated by the Zanu-PF cowards who only employ violence to silence suffering masses. I say this because ZANU-PF national youth political commissariat Godfrey Tsenengamu told members of the opposition MDC that the ruling party's youth league is ready to meet them at the streets if they want to engage in protests. Statements like this have been heard by the rest of the country and the world at large by those who are concerned and are paying attention to how the Zimbabwe situation is playing out, and they Tsenengamu's words are on record. Youths should work to promote and safeguard the future of the fellow youths and not act to promote and protect those who are actually destroying that future. It comes as a shock one hand how Zanu-PF youths want to muzzle the voice of fellow Zimbabweans who would be peacefully expressing disgruntlement on how their affairs are very badly being misran. On the other hand we expect youth leaders to understand the simple and very clear lawful provisions of the constitution with regard to peaceful protest and petition. If the Zanu-PF youths are in doubt, we expect Zanu-PF leadership to educate them on the legality of peaceful protest. Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF leadership must understand that they cannot keep using violence to maintain the party's grip on power despite an awfully performing economy. Zanu-PF should not also keep misusing undereducated and misguided youths for its devious ends. The traditional chiefs should also play a role in teaching these youths to desist from seeing violence as the only means to achieve political cooperation. Youths have meted untold violence to political opponents under the helm of Robert Mugabe and this pattern of coerce is intensifying under the dictatorship rule of Ed Mnangagwa.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has threatened to uses Section 59 of the constitution to rally his supporters in engaging in protests that will inspire President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign, triggering an early election to an early election under the watch of a neutral Transitional Authority.
Our Traditional Chiefs are involuntarily complicit to the Zanu-PF destruction of the economy, social life and environment. Chiefs are witness to the problems facing the nation and how Zanu-PF is totally and unilaterally liable. Chiefs have thoughtlessly supported Zanu-PF government destructive economic policies without questioning. Chiefs have been content with the gifts they received and with only their own bellies full; they turned their back on their suffering subjects. They kept accepting gifts until they completely became blind to the suffering of their subjects. With all due respect, this was selfish on part of our chiefs. Chiefs should lose sleep when it comes to the welfare of their people. The Christians' God offered his own life when his people were in danger. But our chiefs took shelter when people were in danger and pretended not to be seeing. Chiefs should be truthful and dignified and be always ready to defend their people. The chiefs should lead us in fostering integrity and wisdom.
It is now that chiefs have to come back to their senses and utter sense and not be blindly partisan, but be on the side of the truth and people, their people. Chiefs have seen government neglect hospitals to close, have seen people hungry and poor, they have also heard about rampant looting and corruption in government, they have also seen government shoot people down in broad daylight, and they have seen the government fail dismally but chose to remain quiet. Where do they think all this is going? Will they wait until late or total collapse before they can rebuke. Now there is no investment, unemployment is high, no money in the banks, there is no fuel in the country, there is no water in every city and town, people are living well below the poverty datum line, there is no electricity because of massive load shedding, the list is endless. Yet our revered leaders remain mum, just how bad does it have to get before they start complaining. Only one chief, Ndiweni the brave one, has complained so far. Will other the traditional chiefs continue to only think and be content with their own welfare and not the welfare of the nation. Traditional Chiefs have been fingered out in frog marching their subjects to polling stations and making sure their people vote for Zanu-PF. This is the lowest our traditional chiefs have sunk, just for gifts.
On the other hand Government officials also must know when to quit. Britain has had a high turnover of prime ministers. For Zimbabwe just to have a second president, it had to be a coup. Previous British leaders did not wait for situation to turn sour or unmanageable before they could throw in towels. They never kept telling their people to be resilient The situation in Zimbabwe no longer need resilience, only heads should roll, particularly the one at the top. People are allowed to protest and heads are also allowed to resign if they fail. They can't keep trying policies that failed before over and over. They must also not give people false hope whilst they continue to bleed the dying economy. Resiliency feeds from prospect and that we all pulling in the same direction. The government of Zimbabwe cannot tell Zimbabweans to be resilient in abject poverty whilst government officials themselves are living in opulence. People like Dubiso Dabengwa and Chief Ndiweni have noble ideas. They simply refused to be selfish enjoy corrupted benefits at the expense of other people's suffering. Zimbabwe will be on the path to recovery if more chiefs take courage and speak out.
When God saw that Saul was disobedient to his directives, he sent Samuel to anoint a young boy called David to be the new king, whilst Saul was still alive. From herding sheep, David was king from the day he was anointed. He fought the battles of the Israel kingdom young as he was, and he was successful. Meanwhile the Spirit of God had left Saul, who got filled with jealousy and bitterness. All his remaining life, Saul was chasing after David wanting to kill him but God kept foiling his attempts. David had no intentions of killing Saul. He only fought and defended the kingdom and its people when there was need. But Saul now having been deserted by Yahweh was just groping in darkness, making one mistake after another one, still refusing to listen to God, not knowing he was no longer king. Maybe Emmerson and his government could read between the lines and listen to the people's voice, which Mnangagwa himself said is the voice of God. Mnangagwa's government is no longer furthering and has failed to serve the interest of the people of Zimbabwe. This is the problem with leaders who steal elections; they don't work to improve the lives of the people on whom they imposed themselves on. When people know you don't have a clue on how to solve their economic and other national problems, they don't elect you, it's simple as that. But in 2018 Zanu-PF leadership arm twisted the nation and subdued every arm of government to steal the election, but chinozivikanwa, hapana.
This means that our social contract is dead because the present Zanu-PF government is weak and has failed to secure Zimbabweans natural rights or satisfy the best interests of (our well-being), Zimbabweans can withdraw their obligation to obey, they also can change the leadership through elections or other means including, when necessary, violence. But we do not need the situation to escalate to this height. Peaceful protests will achieve the desired government change.
----------Zanda Shumba
zekishumba@gmail.com,
St Johns, Bag 113, Nyazura,
Zimbabwe
+263776630178
Source - Zanda Shumba
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.
