Opinion / Columnist
Taking it into the streets: a new hope for Zimbabwe
25 Aug 2016 at 07:31hrs | Views
The nation at cross-roads. - Photo by Daily Mail UK
It is sad that the junta in Zimbabwe has normalized kleptocracy, they have normalized capitalism, they have normalized corruption, they have normalized stealing and using excessive force against the voters.
The revolutionary essence of the historic mass stay-away by the working class of 1999 had a corollary ideology which auto-pilot and reformed the legal, political, social and economic landscape of Zimbabwe. The working class flexed its muscle towards the capital elites in the government and this had policy ramifications.
All the tell-tell signs of a failing government were in place and the Zanu Pf government turned not just a blind eye, but a deaf ear as well. Such added insult to injury to the people and as a result there was a revolt by the working class and this paved way for more robust use of associational power by the working class.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) was at the forefront and organized the working class on a struggle for national democratization. The government of the day led by a demagogue, I mean the self-styled-commander-in-chief, the-know-it-all, the-I-will-die-in-power Robert Mugabe was never moved. Robert Mugabe opportunistically took over the reins and served his own personal interests.
Despite having a ten-million-dollar mansion in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale, Robert Mugabe's preferred place of permanent residency has always been three rows just behind the cock-pit, and has always used Zimbabwe as a refreshing touch-base stop-over.
There was a demand for a democratic participation by the working class and ZCTU didn't disappoint. What happened to the working class of 1999? Where did we go wrong as the working class? What happened to class struggle?
It has become unavoidable to unpack this question in luminosity of the current wave of the social movement. This nevertheless can't be done without taking an upper-cut jab at Robert Mugabe and junta. The rigging-prone president of Zimbabwe is always topically ill-informed on the current internal affairs and his ludicrous preposterous claims to ‘sort out' those who are taking part in peaceful demonstrations shows the dearth of political and social responsibility from the ruling elites towards the citizens.
The ZCTU was the voice of the majority which stood against the capitalist elites in Zanu Pf masquerading as the government which cared for its own. The workers union mobilized all in sundry including the organized labour and became the voice of the worker. Amid drastic global economic changes on the citizens, there was an optimism of grace from the working class struggle. The ZCTU fought for the deepening of democracy. Such fight would have a ripple effect in the bread and butter issues.
Not only has the political turf developed into additional complexities, but by all imaginable democratic and social credit ZCTU's role has become wooly.
The role of the ZCTU in organizing workers and regain the working class power has been hampered by a lot of factors. First and foremost the industries have all shut down and everyone is self employed hence and calls for a mass stay away or any sort of protest has a ripple effect on the self-employed small businesses owners.
In addition to this, the civil servants are never paid, and if they do, it's on a three-month-arrear basis. It is never easy to mobilize as their participation has been categorically been linked to insubordination and is tantamount to a crime of treason by the state. A day before any strike action, threats, promises and blackmails fly from all spheres of the junta, but most importantly the use of excessive force by the state has acted against all forms of democratic mass action.
The complex factor in the Zimbabwean situation is the politicization of the labour movement. The left joined the political fray just after the mass stay away and that led to the evolution of the nation's biggest opposition party, the Movement for a Democratic Change with a prefix T led by the labour stalwart Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T). This floor crossing by the labour into the political fraternity has its merits and demerits in volatile democracies. Such debate will be a story for another day.
The Left Wing has been pushing for a change for almost two decades, but unfortunately there are two lefts, the MDC-T and ZCTU. The relationship between ZCTU and MDC-T is blurred as both have not been pulling towards one direction. This fragmentation is delaying the inevitable. There is a need of a united front.
What also has delayed freedom for the workers and a tuen around of fortunes for Zimbabwe is the sour relationship of labour and the state. The gaffe-prone Robert Mugabe has degrees in violence and never hesitates to use excessive force on citizens manifesting their democratic right to celebrate the social and economic meltdown. There is nothing to write home about Zimbabwe as far as fiscal policies are concerned. The nation is in reverse gear.
The working class has suffered and diminished a lot. The evolution of self-employed community has done more harm to the class struggle of the working class. The former working class has been relegated into a skilled precarious class that survives on less than a shilling per calendar month.
Amid food and accommodation shortages, it is incredible that the ruling party has the temerity to destroy houses that the working class built out of blood and sweat. What is shocking is that the trade unions and civic society has launched no legal challenge in the courts on, for and on behalf of those affected.
The voters are always at the mercy of Zanu Pf. The voters never negotiated such. There is no transparency and Zanu Pf. Robert Mugabe is now a frightened man leading a policyless party whose leadership has nothing to show to the electorate or its own membership. After spending three decades in the governing seat, the ruling party has enjoyed and pleasured itself through indulgence of the flesh and other luxuries and of course the spoils from the ‘missing' US$15 billion.
Against this backdrop and for the sake of perspective, if any doubting Thomas among us wants to understand why and how the working class is mobilizing, restructuring and organizing itself against the regime, they should read the writing on the wall. The citizens are in solidarity against Zanu Pf and its Robert Mugabe. The formula and the reasons why the citizens are revolting is an irreversible revolutionary momentum.
Labour is vital in regime change. Labour is vital in enforcing the basic working class rights. The working class is paramount in a struggle against violent and oppressive regimes. There is a need for a civil led political and labour intervention once more. It's one more push to go. The ZCTU is still relevant in Zimbabwe and there is a dire need to revive the struggle for the working class.
An injury to one, is an injury to all.
Free Zimbabwe.
#TAJAMUKA
#THISFLAG
#FREEZIMBABWE
Let the workers rise!
Advocate Ntate Moruti Chadya Tapiwa Diamond is a rooted cosmopolitan, a former student leader, a Trade Unionist, Legal Practitioner, a Lecturer, a Researcher, a Political Analyst-cum-Activist and is also the director of Information and Publicity in the South African Charter of the Morgan Tsvangirai led Movement for Democratic Change. Diamond is a man after God's heart like King David. He read law the University of KwaZulu Natal and is Researching towards an LLM. He concomitantly lives in the Natal Midlands and Gauteng. He can be contacted on 27 (0)84 566 2756 or email him at diamondtapiwa@gmail.com,or twitter @mantronieqscie. He writes in his own personal capacity.
The revolutionary essence of the historic mass stay-away by the working class of 1999 had a corollary ideology which auto-pilot and reformed the legal, political, social and economic landscape of Zimbabwe. The working class flexed its muscle towards the capital elites in the government and this had policy ramifications.
All the tell-tell signs of a failing government were in place and the Zanu Pf government turned not just a blind eye, but a deaf ear as well. Such added insult to injury to the people and as a result there was a revolt by the working class and this paved way for more robust use of associational power by the working class.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) was at the forefront and organized the working class on a struggle for national democratization. The government of the day led by a demagogue, I mean the self-styled-commander-in-chief, the-know-it-all, the-I-will-die-in-power Robert Mugabe was never moved. Robert Mugabe opportunistically took over the reins and served his own personal interests.
Despite having a ten-million-dollar mansion in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale, Robert Mugabe's preferred place of permanent residency has always been three rows just behind the cock-pit, and has always used Zimbabwe as a refreshing touch-base stop-over.
There was a demand for a democratic participation by the working class and ZCTU didn't disappoint. What happened to the working class of 1999? Where did we go wrong as the working class? What happened to class struggle?
It has become unavoidable to unpack this question in luminosity of the current wave of the social movement. This nevertheless can't be done without taking an upper-cut jab at Robert Mugabe and junta. The rigging-prone president of Zimbabwe is always topically ill-informed on the current internal affairs and his ludicrous preposterous claims to ‘sort out' those who are taking part in peaceful demonstrations shows the dearth of political and social responsibility from the ruling elites towards the citizens.
The ZCTU was the voice of the majority which stood against the capitalist elites in Zanu Pf masquerading as the government which cared for its own. The workers union mobilized all in sundry including the organized labour and became the voice of the worker. Amid drastic global economic changes on the citizens, there was an optimism of grace from the working class struggle. The ZCTU fought for the deepening of democracy. Such fight would have a ripple effect in the bread and butter issues.
Not only has the political turf developed into additional complexities, but by all imaginable democratic and social credit ZCTU's role has become wooly.
The role of the ZCTU in organizing workers and regain the working class power has been hampered by a lot of factors. First and foremost the industries have all shut down and everyone is self employed hence and calls for a mass stay away or any sort of protest has a ripple effect on the self-employed small businesses owners.
In addition to this, the civil servants are never paid, and if they do, it's on a three-month-arrear basis. It is never easy to mobilize as their participation has been categorically been linked to insubordination and is tantamount to a crime of treason by the state. A day before any strike action, threats, promises and blackmails fly from all spheres of the junta, but most importantly the use of excessive force by the state has acted against all forms of democratic mass action.
The complex factor in the Zimbabwean situation is the politicization of the labour movement. The left joined the political fray just after the mass stay away and that led to the evolution of the nation's biggest opposition party, the Movement for a Democratic Change with a prefix T led by the labour stalwart Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T). This floor crossing by the labour into the political fraternity has its merits and demerits in volatile democracies. Such debate will be a story for another day.
What also has delayed freedom for the workers and a tuen around of fortunes for Zimbabwe is the sour relationship of labour and the state. The gaffe-prone Robert Mugabe has degrees in violence and never hesitates to use excessive force on citizens manifesting their democratic right to celebrate the social and economic meltdown. There is nothing to write home about Zimbabwe as far as fiscal policies are concerned. The nation is in reverse gear.
The working class has suffered and diminished a lot. The evolution of self-employed community has done more harm to the class struggle of the working class. The former working class has been relegated into a skilled precarious class that survives on less than a shilling per calendar month.
Amid food and accommodation shortages, it is incredible that the ruling party has the temerity to destroy houses that the working class built out of blood and sweat. What is shocking is that the trade unions and civic society has launched no legal challenge in the courts on, for and on behalf of those affected.
The voters are always at the mercy of Zanu Pf. The voters never negotiated such. There is no transparency and Zanu Pf. Robert Mugabe is now a frightened man leading a policyless party whose leadership has nothing to show to the electorate or its own membership. After spending three decades in the governing seat, the ruling party has enjoyed and pleasured itself through indulgence of the flesh and other luxuries and of course the spoils from the ‘missing' US$15 billion.
Against this backdrop and for the sake of perspective, if any doubting Thomas among us wants to understand why and how the working class is mobilizing, restructuring and organizing itself against the regime, they should read the writing on the wall. The citizens are in solidarity against Zanu Pf and its Robert Mugabe. The formula and the reasons why the citizens are revolting is an irreversible revolutionary momentum.
Labour is vital in regime change. Labour is vital in enforcing the basic working class rights. The working class is paramount in a struggle against violent and oppressive regimes. There is a need for a civil led political and labour intervention once more. It's one more push to go. The ZCTU is still relevant in Zimbabwe and there is a dire need to revive the struggle for the working class.
An injury to one, is an injury to all.
Free Zimbabwe.
#TAJAMUKA
#THISFLAG
#FREEZIMBABWE
Let the workers rise!
Advocate Ntate Moruti Chadya Tapiwa Diamond is a rooted cosmopolitan, a former student leader, a Trade Unionist, Legal Practitioner, a Lecturer, a Researcher, a Political Analyst-cum-Activist and is also the director of Information and Publicity in the South African Charter of the Morgan Tsvangirai led Movement for Democratic Change. Diamond is a man after God's heart like King David. He read law the University of KwaZulu Natal and is Researching towards an LLM. He concomitantly lives in the Natal Midlands and Gauteng. He can be contacted on 27 (0)84 566 2756 or email him at diamondtapiwa@gmail.com,or twitter @mantronieqscie. He writes in his own personal capacity.
Source - Advocate Ntate Moruti Chadya Tapiwa Diamond
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.
