Opinion / Columnist
Devolution the only answer now
28 May 2016 at 16:07hrs | Views
One Tafara Shumba castigated advocates of devolution of power. He quoted the late John Nkomo who said "devolution is for idle minds". Taking these as wise words Tafara repeated them and then wrote a long message against devolution of power and even went to the extent of rejecting the Zimbabwean constitution since devolution is part of our constitution NOW.
There is another very famous quotation from the late Vice President John Nkomo from one of his closest friends. During Gukurahundi this friend asked him what they were doing to protect the civilians as they were just being butchered primitively by government armed men. The late John Nkomo replied "it is not good manners to talk while you are eating because you have to chew and swallow in the same mouth at the same time. As you eat you could be throwing out some food……" These were honest words and this is equally true with this Tafara Shumba. Devolution will disturb him as politics of patronage has enabled him and many others to loot and murder hiding behind praises for their leader. For years Tafara and his likes have greedily amassed wealth through state sponsored theft because all power is vested on one individual whom they just need to praise in order to do whatever they like. Obviously in a devolved society blind loyalty to an individual will not reward much. He is at the table feasting like the late John Nkomo. Devolution might deprive him of the endless feasts like the birthday cakes that cost millions of dollars every February.
One funny characteristic of Mugabe's supporters is their old fashioned belief that English proficiency or eloquence is a mark of intelligence or sound thinking. They tend to hoodwink people by using some researched expressions to put a very simple fact. This is an attempt to hide the hypocrisy in their communication.
Such expressions like "the government is seized with" and other ridiculous ones are meant to make the reader believe that there is some sense yet his words are not different from "pasi na Dabengwa, pasina Mujuru pasi neMDC". This is the demon that makes this person reject the democratic voice of millions of Zimbabweans who voted for Devolution of power in their Constitution. He dedicates a lot of space in criticising it and justifies the dictatorial tendency of Mugabe who rejects it too. He does not care about the constitution. A constitution for him is the food and riches that he has looted.
Tafara Shumba went on to chronicle what he describes as "government priorities". He thinks that people do not know one very clear priority of Zanupf and Mugabe which is to remain in power no matter what it takes. An opportunity to distribute food to the starving masses will enable them to sell their party cards as without a Zanupf card one will not get food from a Zanupf government. This is priority to Tafara Shumba no matter how brutal and primitive it is.
Tafara Shumba farther claimed that devolution is against national unity. For him national unity is to get people from Mount Darwin or Murehwa to sweep government offices in Tsholotsho, Dete, Esogodini or to award a Harare company to dig trenches in Luveve to uplift the soccer stadium. It is to send an all Shona speaking parliamentary team to Victoria Falls for some information gathering on human rights violations. For him national unity is tribal subjugation, tribal dominance and state sponsored cultural repression of smaller or minority tribes.
Devolution is from the devil for this man as it is against the imposition of a Plumtree man to be in charge of the diamond rich Marange region on behalf of Mugabe. It is against the looting of the Hwange Mine coal by a man from Chibvu who is selling it to the Chinese just fattening his pocket as long as he shouts "Gushungo". Devolution seeks to empower the local people to manage their God given natural resources although, of course through their Central government sharing it with their fellow Zimbabweans. It is the rapacious members of the society that benefit from Mugabe's control of virtually everything and this Tafara Shumba is one of them.
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Mkhululi Zulu can be contacted at mkhululiszu333@gmail.com
There is another very famous quotation from the late Vice President John Nkomo from one of his closest friends. During Gukurahundi this friend asked him what they were doing to protect the civilians as they were just being butchered primitively by government armed men. The late John Nkomo replied "it is not good manners to talk while you are eating because you have to chew and swallow in the same mouth at the same time. As you eat you could be throwing out some food……" These were honest words and this is equally true with this Tafara Shumba. Devolution will disturb him as politics of patronage has enabled him and many others to loot and murder hiding behind praises for their leader. For years Tafara and his likes have greedily amassed wealth through state sponsored theft because all power is vested on one individual whom they just need to praise in order to do whatever they like. Obviously in a devolved society blind loyalty to an individual will not reward much. He is at the table feasting like the late John Nkomo. Devolution might deprive him of the endless feasts like the birthday cakes that cost millions of dollars every February.
One funny characteristic of Mugabe's supporters is their old fashioned belief that English proficiency or eloquence is a mark of intelligence or sound thinking. They tend to hoodwink people by using some researched expressions to put a very simple fact. This is an attempt to hide the hypocrisy in their communication.
Such expressions like "the government is seized with" and other ridiculous ones are meant to make the reader believe that there is some sense yet his words are not different from "pasi na Dabengwa, pasina Mujuru pasi neMDC". This is the demon that makes this person reject the democratic voice of millions of Zimbabweans who voted for Devolution of power in their Constitution. He dedicates a lot of space in criticising it and justifies the dictatorial tendency of Mugabe who rejects it too. He does not care about the constitution. A constitution for him is the food and riches that he has looted.
Tafara Shumba went on to chronicle what he describes as "government priorities". He thinks that people do not know one very clear priority of Zanupf and Mugabe which is to remain in power no matter what it takes. An opportunity to distribute food to the starving masses will enable them to sell their party cards as without a Zanupf card one will not get food from a Zanupf government. This is priority to Tafara Shumba no matter how brutal and primitive it is.
Tafara Shumba farther claimed that devolution is against national unity. For him national unity is to get people from Mount Darwin or Murehwa to sweep government offices in Tsholotsho, Dete, Esogodini or to award a Harare company to dig trenches in Luveve to uplift the soccer stadium. It is to send an all Shona speaking parliamentary team to Victoria Falls for some information gathering on human rights violations. For him national unity is tribal subjugation, tribal dominance and state sponsored cultural repression of smaller or minority tribes.
Devolution is from the devil for this man as it is against the imposition of a Plumtree man to be in charge of the diamond rich Marange region on behalf of Mugabe. It is against the looting of the Hwange Mine coal by a man from Chibvu who is selling it to the Chinese just fattening his pocket as long as he shouts "Gushungo". Devolution seeks to empower the local people to manage their God given natural resources although, of course through their Central government sharing it with their fellow Zimbabweans. It is the rapacious members of the society that benefit from Mugabe's control of virtually everything and this Tafara Shumba is one of them.
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Mkhululi Zulu can be contacted at mkhululiszu333@gmail.com
Source - Mkhululi Zulu
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