Opinion / Columnist
Join demos, 'cowards sin by silence' - village idiots sin by ignorance, they know not destination
15 Aug 2019 at 10:50hrs | Views
Man is a creature of reason, our superior brain should be our greatest strength but, like everything else, in the wrong hands a blessing is a curse.
"In 1918, Eller Wheeler Wilcox the great American author once said "to sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of many". Subsequently, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for public demonstrations which shall commence on Friday the 16th of August 2019," wrote Erasmus Pongo in Bulawayo24.
"This comes after a long series of threats from the MDC leadership since their loss in the 2018 disputed Elections. In their recent press briefing, they have described their " Free Zimbabwe March" as a continuous protest whose success or failure is under the onus of its administrative arm."
Pongo is a "Political Analyst and International HR Consultant_ (Travel, Talent and Employment Service)," by his own admission. He thinks he is a political analyst when all he is a pretentious greenhorn and a dangerous one at that. Where the analyst would offer reason and bring clarity his only contribution is to muddy the waters!
Pongo tells us "there shall be huge turn-out" at MDC's Free Zimbabwe demos for the following reasons;
"The MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has extended his hand to the uniformed forces as witnessed in his Defence Forces speech. He has psychologically roped in the families, relatives and friends of approximately 85,000 members of the uniformed forces in Zimbabwe. He said that the March would represent the men in uniform since their occupation prohibits them from protests. More-so, the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) General Philip V. Sibanda has also assured the nation that the military will not interfere with the socio-political affairs in Zimbabwe. Nelson Chamisa's outreach to the uniformed forces can play a major role in increasing the turn-up of protesters on the 16th of August 2019."
The first part is just a piece of speculative nonsense, no one is going to join the demo "to represent the men and women in uniform"! As for Commander's assurance that the army will not interfere one has only to ask where was he in August 2018 and January this year when the Army did interfere and what he has done about it?
Commander Sibanda is as much part of this Zanu PF dictatorship as VP Chiwenga and Mnangagwa; his commitment to "Operation restore legacy", the code name of the November 2017, is as unshakeable as that of the others.
Indeed, it is this naïve belief by MDC leaders that they can easily divide the Zanu PF cabal that encouraged them to forget implementing the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Tsvangirai and company thought MDC had won the hearts and minds of those behind the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut the party will win the 2013 elections without bothering to implement reforms.
"The MDC has made efforts to engage Christians through a socio-psychological campaign witnessed by a series of prayer calls, fasting and social media devotion. Beyond doubt, this move cannot be underestimated as the majority of the citizens gave heed to Chamisa's devotion calls," Pongo continued.
Frankly any thinking Zimbabweans out there found Chamisa's religious posturing blasphemous and insulting.
Chamisa is using these demos to pressure Mnangagwa to a National Transition Authority (NTA) and appoint Chamisa and a few other MDC leaders into cabinet. This NTA is just a watered-down variation of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The GNU failed to implement even one democratic reform and the NTA will not do any better.
The people of Zimbabwe are desperate for a solution that will get the democratic reforms implemented and guarantee free, fair and credible elections. This NTA is not going to do any better and hence the reason people should not support these MDC demos.
Zanu PF rigged last year's elections, the regime is illegitimate and people should be demanding that the regime steps down to allow the appointment of a independent and competent administration to be entrusted with implementing the reforms. The NTA is just a waste of time and opportunity.
If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power till 2023, on its own or in the NTA, the party will see to it that no reforms are implemented and will rig that year's elections. This is the last thing we want and it is down-right foolish join these MDC demos in support of something that undermines one's interests.
"God is in it!" Chamisa has often signed off in his tweets. Well God is certainly not in these demos that only seek to secure Chamisa and other MDC leaders seats on the gravy train and to perpetuate Zanu PF's rule. No Zimbabwean with half a working brain should be in these ill-advised demos either!
In November 2017 Zimbabweans came out in the hundreds of thousands in support of the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe. The people were tricked into believing the coup would end the Zanu PF dictatorship with catchy phrases like "New dispensation, Second Republic, etc." The had a very rude awakening when Mnangagwa and company blatantly rigged the elections 8 months after the coup.
Frankly, the coup plotters tricked no one; it was as clear as day that the coup was an internal Zanu PF factional war in which there would be new faces in the leadership but the dictatorship itself was to remain untouched. It was the people themselves saw change where there was none. Some people never learn!
Many people will join these MDC demos because they want the reforms implemented and free, fair and credible elections. They know, or should know by now, that the NTA will never delivery that. They choose to delude themselves!
"To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of many", said Eller Wheeler Wilcox. Eller Wheeler Wilcox did not mean one should join every protest regardless how foolish its objective happened to be. Zimbabweans are certainly not cowards for they have participated in many down-right foolish protests, elections, etc., etc. hence the reason the nation is up to her eyes in s***t!
One should never underestimate the stubborn resolve of a village idiot to make a complete ass of himself and those naive enough to follow him blindly especially when the idiot armed with regurgitated and misunderstood ideology and theology.
Still, I would rather be called a coward for staying away from the MDC demos than be the village idiot who did but only to once again help perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship, this time, under the guise of NTA!
"In 1918, Eller Wheeler Wilcox the great American author once said "to sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of many". Subsequently, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for public demonstrations which shall commence on Friday the 16th of August 2019," wrote Erasmus Pongo in Bulawayo24.
"This comes after a long series of threats from the MDC leadership since their loss in the 2018 disputed Elections. In their recent press briefing, they have described their " Free Zimbabwe March" as a continuous protest whose success or failure is under the onus of its administrative arm."
Pongo is a "Political Analyst and International HR Consultant_ (Travel, Talent and Employment Service)," by his own admission. He thinks he is a political analyst when all he is a pretentious greenhorn and a dangerous one at that. Where the analyst would offer reason and bring clarity his only contribution is to muddy the waters!
Pongo tells us "there shall be huge turn-out" at MDC's Free Zimbabwe demos for the following reasons;
"The MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has extended his hand to the uniformed forces as witnessed in his Defence Forces speech. He has psychologically roped in the families, relatives and friends of approximately 85,000 members of the uniformed forces in Zimbabwe. He said that the March would represent the men in uniform since their occupation prohibits them from protests. More-so, the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) General Philip V. Sibanda has also assured the nation that the military will not interfere with the socio-political affairs in Zimbabwe. Nelson Chamisa's outreach to the uniformed forces can play a major role in increasing the turn-up of protesters on the 16th of August 2019."
The first part is just a piece of speculative nonsense, no one is going to join the demo "to represent the men and women in uniform"! As for Commander's assurance that the army will not interfere one has only to ask where was he in August 2018 and January this year when the Army did interfere and what he has done about it?
Commander Sibanda is as much part of this Zanu PF dictatorship as VP Chiwenga and Mnangagwa; his commitment to "Operation restore legacy", the code name of the November 2017, is as unshakeable as that of the others.
Indeed, it is this naïve belief by MDC leaders that they can easily divide the Zanu PF cabal that encouraged them to forget implementing the democratic reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Tsvangirai and company thought MDC had won the hearts and minds of those behind the Zanu PF vote rigging juggernaut the party will win the 2013 elections without bothering to implement reforms.
"The MDC has made efforts to engage Christians through a socio-psychological campaign witnessed by a series of prayer calls, fasting and social media devotion. Beyond doubt, this move cannot be underestimated as the majority of the citizens gave heed to Chamisa's devotion calls," Pongo continued.
Frankly any thinking Zimbabweans out there found Chamisa's religious posturing blasphemous and insulting.
Chamisa is using these demos to pressure Mnangagwa to a National Transition Authority (NTA) and appoint Chamisa and a few other MDC leaders into cabinet. This NTA is just a watered-down variation of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. The GNU failed to implement even one democratic reform and the NTA will not do any better.
The people of Zimbabwe are desperate for a solution that will get the democratic reforms implemented and guarantee free, fair and credible elections. This NTA is not going to do any better and hence the reason people should not support these MDC demos.
Zanu PF rigged last year's elections, the regime is illegitimate and people should be demanding that the regime steps down to allow the appointment of a independent and competent administration to be entrusted with implementing the reforms. The NTA is just a waste of time and opportunity.
If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power till 2023, on its own or in the NTA, the party will see to it that no reforms are implemented and will rig that year's elections. This is the last thing we want and it is down-right foolish join these MDC demos in support of something that undermines one's interests.
"God is in it!" Chamisa has often signed off in his tweets. Well God is certainly not in these demos that only seek to secure Chamisa and other MDC leaders seats on the gravy train and to perpetuate Zanu PF's rule. No Zimbabwean with half a working brain should be in these ill-advised demos either!
In November 2017 Zimbabweans came out in the hundreds of thousands in support of the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe. The people were tricked into believing the coup would end the Zanu PF dictatorship with catchy phrases like "New dispensation, Second Republic, etc." The had a very rude awakening when Mnangagwa and company blatantly rigged the elections 8 months after the coup.
Frankly, the coup plotters tricked no one; it was as clear as day that the coup was an internal Zanu PF factional war in which there would be new faces in the leadership but the dictatorship itself was to remain untouched. It was the people themselves saw change where there was none. Some people never learn!
Many people will join these MDC demos because they want the reforms implemented and free, fair and credible elections. They know, or should know by now, that the NTA will never delivery that. They choose to delude themselves!
"To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of many", said Eller Wheeler Wilcox. Eller Wheeler Wilcox did not mean one should join every protest regardless how foolish its objective happened to be. Zimbabweans are certainly not cowards for they have participated in many down-right foolish protests, elections, etc., etc. hence the reason the nation is up to her eyes in s***t!
Still, I would rather be called a coward for staying away from the MDC demos than be the village idiot who did but only to once again help perpetuate the Zanu PF dictatorship, this time, under the guise of NTA!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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