Opinion / Columnist
Mushohwe scapegoats US and Canada, whilst Charamba intimidates protestors
06 Sep 2016 at 14:36hrs | Views
Asked by a BBC reporter in 1979 whether he had any qualms about the use of violence on the Smith regime, Mugabe answered, "We have tried all manner of peaceful demonstrations, with the biggest being in Salisbury in which Sally took part. These have not been successful and hence the armed struggle. So for those who are saying the demonstrations must not be violent to be successful, we need to appreciate that the intention of civil disobedience may be peaceful but participants are forced to become violent through not inaction or action of their own, but by how authorities react. Zimbabweans had to resort to violence to free themselves from the shackles of Ian Smith".
The ministry of information was at it, full force, through the Zanu-PF controlled national television ZBC, to misinform the nation about the cause and the fallout of the recent protests. Dr Christopher Mushohwe tried pathetically, unable to face the camera though, to transfer the blame to US and Canada. Though the Minister of Information knows really that he is not addressing primary school kids but he chooses to address the whole nation as such, he chooses to be untruthful. These are the kind of people we are dealing with, who have totally no shame, with no integrity whatsoever. For a start, such Zanu-PF candidates are merely imposed on people by the exceedingly corrupt Zanu-PF government led electoral system. The expression on Dr Mushohwe's face, during the national address, gave the impression that he himself did not even truly believe the lie he was trying to expound. For a start Zimbabweans are limited as to the information they receive. US and Canada are not able to reach Zimbabweans as to excite them to demonstrate against Zanu-PF mis-governance or the resulting economic failure. On the other hand, and on a similar note, the permanent secretary of information, George Charamba, also RG Mugabe's spokesperson, chose to brand the suffering protestors as hooligans. He went further to say, urged by his interviewer, a very fat Ruben Barwe, that protestors have crossed the Rubicon, therefore need to be harshly dealt with. It is a harsh and an irresponsible utterance itself, suggesting serious consequences for the Rubicon crossers, in this case, the protestors. This particular syntax is usually used by bullies with means to punish, and is a favourite for tyrants in hope to intimidate opponents. Being a spokesperson for the president, these words are really from RG Mugabe's mouth himself. RG Mugabe has used immense force and ruthlessness to stay in power over Zimbabweans for over three decades. Giving leading questions as usual, to his boss, Barwe reminded Charamba of the planned protests, to which the latter clearly came out in the open, "let them try it and see what happens". Charamba went further to denigrate ANN7 news station, for holding a debate and commenting on the ongoing protests in Zimbabwe. Such free debates are alien to ZBC and Charamba, being in charge of the entity, is rightly placed to thwart any such free expression of negative sentiments on the national television. Many commentators have observed that the various state media, now in total control of Zanu-PF, have and are being used as tools and appendages of oppressing Zimbabweans. The shameless, visibly angry and confused Charamba admitted to having called ANN7 to complain, and after being rebuffed, says he later wrote a harsh letter to which he eventually got some cooperation. He himself and the state media he tightly controls are experts in rebuffing and ignoring Zimbabweans citizens' enquiries and complaints about his media coverages and biases, so it's good now he now knows how his medicine tastes. The age of misinformation is gone, so though Charamba and Mushohwe try to work overtime to misinform people, there are still very much now other avenues like social media that will convey content that Charamba represses and hides or even distorts through the Zanu-PF controlled state media. RG Mugabe may also beat up protestors on the streets, but still when these protestors get home and witness their hungry children crying, they would still return to the streets to face Mugabe's wrath and get injured or die fighting for their freedom and rights. Thanks to ANN7 people in the region now know what Mugabe is doing to the Zaimbabweans…
Zimbabweans have been denied of their rights by RG Mugabe and his system ever since independence. They have been denied of the right of freedom of expression, association, and the right to protest or petition. Zimbabweans have also been disenfranchised and were so unable to vote. Even if many wish to register to vote, the RG Mugabe regime has corruptly and systematically denied many people chance to register to vote. During the elections times the army and Zanu-PF youths go around the country intimidating the electorate to vote for the incumbent government. However the RG Mugabe regime has not been able to put in place an economic environment that maintains many people at work so much that unemployment is actually above 90% in the country. In fact the state of affairs in Zimbabwe is in chaos, no matter why people are on the streets demanding the resignation of a very old, underperforming, and arrogant president who refuse to be accountable to the electorate. These protestors are not out of their minds, they are reasonable people who understand the dynamics of Zimbabwean politics and the futility of going to the ballot where they are criminally disqualified. They are also different from Zanu-PF youths who demonstrate against logic. Zanu-PF demonstrate to praise a failing system. People of Zimbabwe are intelligent people and they don't need anyone to incite them to protest against or petition government. It is also within their constitutional latitude to protest. I for one expected such protestors to be escorted by police, just like the escort offered to Zanu-PF youths protestors, to avoid mishaps and disturbances to other activities. These protest should also be afforded unbiased state media coverage. However with RG Mugabe's spokesman tone, and the record of events of all other opposition protests in the past, such protests are dealt ruthlessly by the riot police. Even in situations where protestors intend to conduct peacefully protests, it is normally the police that initiates the violence. Opposition protests have never been tolerated by the Zanu-PF led government which always abhor and is afraid of rivalry.
The level of intimidation to protestors and opposing views by the state is increasing daily. Recently the Minister of Defence, Sydney Sekeramai, Home affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo and their National Security Counterpart Kembo Mohadi, issued a joint statement on the only television in Zimbabwe, the state controlled ZBC, of zero tolerance to opposition protests, saying they will deal ruthlessly with those who wish to bring disturbances to national peace. Zanu-PF youths have also threatened to intervene and act against the protestors on behalf of the government to which Zimbabwe police authorities have granted them leave to do so saying Zimbabwean constitution allows for citizen arrests. This is a passport for Zanu-PF youths to go and rape, injure and massacre hungry and suffering protestors who are legitimately demanding to be heard and have their grievances addressed. Zanu-PF government has always manipulated, misinterpreted and acted again the Supreme Law of the land each time they want to act against the opposition. This is a very poor and wicked way of solving issues and exposes Zanu-PF and therefore RG Mugabe's insincerity and unwillingness resolve Zimbabwe's cores issues and problems.
It is such inconsistencies and exclusive advantages that guarantees Zanu-PF continued stranglehold on power. The Zanu-PF has and may continue to oppress people and ignore their pleas, but without addressing the problems giving rise to the protests, the protests will intensify or even take another form. Peace will not come by thwarting hungry masses protests, but by faithfully addressing these core issues. If Dr Christopher Mushohwe and his Zanu-PF government think it is the US and Canadian embassies inciting the rather peaceful people to protest against their senses, then it is easy for Zanu-PF government to just dismiss the duo's missions from the country, and with no one to incite them, Zimbabweans will not petition, and that way peace be achieved. In July 2016, USA ambassador to Zimbabwe, Harry Thomas and his French counterpart, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse, were also accused of engineering civil unrest disturbances that took place in Harare and Bulawayo with Minister Chombo alleging that state had gathered intelligence which showed involvement of Western embassies in all the disturbances. While the Zanu-PF led government may continue to find solace and perhaps excuse in these false and wild accusations, still the challenges triggering such protests remain and continue to escalate.
But if truly RG Mugabe is noble and heroic as his party get to pains to make us all to believe, then he should address the problem by stepping down, or allow for a very transparent and fair election and that way we will be able to choose a leader after our own hearts, submissive and accountable to Zimbabweans. Only then when there is increased engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, the situation will begin to improve and normalise. RG Mugabe should come out of denial and acknowledge and accept responsibility that he and his system are now a liability to Zimbabweans and are the greatest impediment in their paths to flourishing. The economic situation is worsening and the protestors' voices will grow only louder, and not fade and this is a writing on the wall. It is a natural process to protest and petition if the state of affairs in the nation is not well. The government instead should provide with escort and security for the protestors and the state media should not vilify and ridicule the real owners of state who are trying to freely and peacefully display their dissatisfaction with the way the dishonest government has for very long, mishandled their affairs.
--------------
Zanda Shumba
zekishumba@gmail.com,
St Johns, Bag 113, Nyazura,
Zimbabwe
+263776630178
The ministry of information was at it, full force, through the Zanu-PF controlled national television ZBC, to misinform the nation about the cause and the fallout of the recent protests. Dr Christopher Mushohwe tried pathetically, unable to face the camera though, to transfer the blame to US and Canada. Though the Minister of Information knows really that he is not addressing primary school kids but he chooses to address the whole nation as such, he chooses to be untruthful. These are the kind of people we are dealing with, who have totally no shame, with no integrity whatsoever. For a start, such Zanu-PF candidates are merely imposed on people by the exceedingly corrupt Zanu-PF government led electoral system. The expression on Dr Mushohwe's face, during the national address, gave the impression that he himself did not even truly believe the lie he was trying to expound. For a start Zimbabweans are limited as to the information they receive. US and Canada are not able to reach Zimbabweans as to excite them to demonstrate against Zanu-PF mis-governance or the resulting economic failure. On the other hand, and on a similar note, the permanent secretary of information, George Charamba, also RG Mugabe's spokesperson, chose to brand the suffering protestors as hooligans. He went further to say, urged by his interviewer, a very fat Ruben Barwe, that protestors have crossed the Rubicon, therefore need to be harshly dealt with. It is a harsh and an irresponsible utterance itself, suggesting serious consequences for the Rubicon crossers, in this case, the protestors. This particular syntax is usually used by bullies with means to punish, and is a favourite for tyrants in hope to intimidate opponents. Being a spokesperson for the president, these words are really from RG Mugabe's mouth himself. RG Mugabe has used immense force and ruthlessness to stay in power over Zimbabweans for over three decades. Giving leading questions as usual, to his boss, Barwe reminded Charamba of the planned protests, to which the latter clearly came out in the open, "let them try it and see what happens". Charamba went further to denigrate ANN7 news station, for holding a debate and commenting on the ongoing protests in Zimbabwe. Such free debates are alien to ZBC and Charamba, being in charge of the entity, is rightly placed to thwart any such free expression of negative sentiments on the national television. Many commentators have observed that the various state media, now in total control of Zanu-PF, have and are being used as tools and appendages of oppressing Zimbabweans. The shameless, visibly angry and confused Charamba admitted to having called ANN7 to complain, and after being rebuffed, says he later wrote a harsh letter to which he eventually got some cooperation. He himself and the state media he tightly controls are experts in rebuffing and ignoring Zimbabweans citizens' enquiries and complaints about his media coverages and biases, so it's good now he now knows how his medicine tastes. The age of misinformation is gone, so though Charamba and Mushohwe try to work overtime to misinform people, there are still very much now other avenues like social media that will convey content that Charamba represses and hides or even distorts through the Zanu-PF controlled state media. RG Mugabe may also beat up protestors on the streets, but still when these protestors get home and witness their hungry children crying, they would still return to the streets to face Mugabe's wrath and get injured or die fighting for their freedom and rights. Thanks to ANN7 people in the region now know what Mugabe is doing to the Zaimbabweans…
Zimbabweans have been denied of their rights by RG Mugabe and his system ever since independence. They have been denied of the right of freedom of expression, association, and the right to protest or petition. Zimbabweans have also been disenfranchised and were so unable to vote. Even if many wish to register to vote, the RG Mugabe regime has corruptly and systematically denied many people chance to register to vote. During the elections times the army and Zanu-PF youths go around the country intimidating the electorate to vote for the incumbent government. However the RG Mugabe regime has not been able to put in place an economic environment that maintains many people at work so much that unemployment is actually above 90% in the country. In fact the state of affairs in Zimbabwe is in chaos, no matter why people are on the streets demanding the resignation of a very old, underperforming, and arrogant president who refuse to be accountable to the electorate. These protestors are not out of their minds, they are reasonable people who understand the dynamics of Zimbabwean politics and the futility of going to the ballot where they are criminally disqualified. They are also different from Zanu-PF youths who demonstrate against logic. Zanu-PF demonstrate to praise a failing system. People of Zimbabwe are intelligent people and they don't need anyone to incite them to protest against or petition government. It is also within their constitutional latitude to protest. I for one expected such protestors to be escorted by police, just like the escort offered to Zanu-PF youths protestors, to avoid mishaps and disturbances to other activities. These protest should also be afforded unbiased state media coverage. However with RG Mugabe's spokesman tone, and the record of events of all other opposition protests in the past, such protests are dealt ruthlessly by the riot police. Even in situations where protestors intend to conduct peacefully protests, it is normally the police that initiates the violence. Opposition protests have never been tolerated by the Zanu-PF led government which always abhor and is afraid of rivalry.
The level of intimidation to protestors and opposing views by the state is increasing daily. Recently the Minister of Defence, Sydney Sekeramai, Home affairs Minister, Ignatious Chombo and their National Security Counterpart Kembo Mohadi, issued a joint statement on the only television in Zimbabwe, the state controlled ZBC, of zero tolerance to opposition protests, saying they will deal ruthlessly with those who wish to bring disturbances to national peace. Zanu-PF youths have also threatened to intervene and act against the protestors on behalf of the government to which Zimbabwe police authorities have granted them leave to do so saying Zimbabwean constitution allows for citizen arrests. This is a passport for Zanu-PF youths to go and rape, injure and massacre hungry and suffering protestors who are legitimately demanding to be heard and have their grievances addressed. Zanu-PF government has always manipulated, misinterpreted and acted again the Supreme Law of the land each time they want to act against the opposition. This is a very poor and wicked way of solving issues and exposes Zanu-PF and therefore RG Mugabe's insincerity and unwillingness resolve Zimbabwe's cores issues and problems.
But if truly RG Mugabe is noble and heroic as his party get to pains to make us all to believe, then he should address the problem by stepping down, or allow for a very transparent and fair election and that way we will be able to choose a leader after our own hearts, submissive and accountable to Zimbabweans. Only then when there is increased engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, the situation will begin to improve and normalise. RG Mugabe should come out of denial and acknowledge and accept responsibility that he and his system are now a liability to Zimbabweans and are the greatest impediment in their paths to flourishing. The economic situation is worsening and the protestors' voices will grow only louder, and not fade and this is a writing on the wall. It is a natural process to protest and petition if the state of affairs in the nation is not well. The government instead should provide with escort and security for the protestors and the state media should not vilify and ridicule the real owners of state who are trying to freely and peacefully display their dissatisfaction with the way the dishonest government has for very long, mishandled their affairs.
--------------
Zanda Shumba
zekishumba@gmail.com,
St Johns, Bag 113, Nyazura,
Zimbabwe
+263776630178
Source - Zanda Shumba
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