Zimbabwe deserves better

"The danger to Zimbabwe is not Robert Mugabe, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of a Mugabe presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgement to a depraved electorate, willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr Mugabe who is a mere symptom of what ails Zimbabwe. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. Zimbabwe can survive a Robert Mugabe who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their President." This quote came from Ken Peters, Professor of Economics in the Czech Republic.

The above statement is hard to swallow. It puts patriotic Zimbabweans into a defence mode. One immediately feels insulted by this statement as it seems to suggest all Zimbabweans are fools for keeping Robert Gabriel Mugabe on power for so long. However, on closer examination two key issues strike me. The first is that this reference to a nation of fools is directed to those who actively vote and/or passively support President Mugabe and his Zanu pf. These are the multitude of fools who have voted for this evil regime time and time again. This is despite the ruling chaos which seems to worsen with each Mugabe victory. This is the first group that is being g referred to above. That group of crazy and staunch supporters actively campaigning for Mugabe and his party and having the unbridled folly of actually casting a vote in his favour. Imagine! Then there are those who passively prop up this regime by their inaction. They do not vote for Mugabe and his henchmen but they do nothing about it. Absolutely nothing! They do not speak out. They do not campaign against his failing rule. They do not ‘do politics' for one reason or the other. They, too, belong to the multitude of fools who have kept a man unfit to lead a nation in power, allowing him to be the president of a country like Zimbabwe for nearly 40 years.

Then there is the other half of a sensible multitude doing everything in their power to dislodge this evil regime. They consistently vote against the regime but when the votes are counted they are usually in the losing camp. Sometimes they win, like MDC-T in 2008, but are still declared losers on a technicality. As Lenin once suggested that the power does not lie in the voters but in those who count the votes. " Its not the people who vote that count, it's the people who count the votes…" he stated.

This is truer in Zimbabwe than anywhere else in the world. In Zimbabwe you can vote till the cows come home but the desired result is unlikely to come from the ballot box. Not under the current conditions as it is impossible to entrust Mugabe and Zanu pf to run free and fair elections. This lot cannot be trusted to conduct an elective Burial Society AGM, let alone council and national elections. Professor Ken Peters is wrong to label all Zimbabweans as a nation of fools who vote for their Prince of Fools and willingly hand Mugabe the keys to our democratic institutions. Unless the well-meaning Professor really means that Zimbabweans should have found a solution to this obstacle that prevents them regaining their hard won independence. In that case he may be right in labelling all of us as culpable in keeping Mugabe in the throne. There must be other options of dealing with a dangerous, rogue and stubborn regime like Mugabe and Co.

Zimbabweans are now a laughing stock the world over. The economy is on its last legs. The people are broken and desperate. All this because of President Mugabe. Everything sacrificed at the Zanu pf alter and nothing in return for such blind loyalty masquerading as patriotism. Mugabe must go. Zanu pf must go. Especially Mugabe as he needs to be kicked out of office. He must not be allowed to die in office as this sends the wrong message to his gang of robbers and murderers. Time is running out as he may drop dead any moment due to failing health and advanced age. If he is kicked out, the next leader may get the message that we are not, after all, a nation of fools. Zimbabweans deserve better than what this current and clueless government can ever offer.

Nobukhosi is an MDC-T activist writing in her personal capacity. She can be contacted at nobukhosimoyo.nm@gmail.com