Opinion / Columnist
Instead of focusing on crushing public dissent, a wise leader would have addressed their grievances
29 Mar 2025 at 09:37hrs | Views
Zimbabweans have shaken the foundations of power!
Over the past few weeks, the Zimbabwean government and the ruling ZANU-PF party have been gripped by panic.
Their energies have been channeled toward stifling the growing momentum behind calls for nationwide protests scheduled for the 31st of March.
These demonstrations, spearheaded by war veteran and former ZANU-PF Central Committee member Blessed Geza, are intended to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign.
The charges against the president are grave: a failure to improve the collapsing economy, a deepening of citizens' poverty, and a shocking indifference to rampant corruption.
Geza has not minced his words.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
He alleges that under Mnangagwa's leadership, corruption has flourished, and the plunder of national resources has become the order of the day.
This wealth, which ought to have been equitably distributed for the benefit of all Zimbabweans, is now concentrated in the hands of a few individuals aligned with political power.
These individuals, colloquially dubbed "Zvigananda", are typically connected to questionable multi-million-dollar public contracts.
Their sudden and suspicious accumulation of wealth stands in painful contrast to the destitution endured by the rest of the country.
While billions are looted from the nation through such underhanded dealings and the smuggling of precious minerals, the ordinary Zimbabwean wallows in poverty.
Hospitals lack even the most basic medicines.
Schools are crumbling.
Roads are impassable.
The cost of living has soared beyond reach.
Public infrastructure, once a source of pride, now resembles scenes from a post-war zone.
In such a context, it is neither surprising nor unjustified that Zimbabweans are angry - and that they are paying close attention to Geza's calls.
To be clear, few among the masses are under the illusion that Geza has had a democratic awakening.
Zimbabweans are not fools.
They know full well that Geza and his comrades are products of the same ZANU-PF that has misruled this country for over four decades.
They understand that this renewed activism is part of internal power struggles within the ruling party, particularly tensions over Mnangagwa's alleged desire to extend his presidency beyond constitutional limits - an ambition that clashes with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's presumed succession plans.
It is widely believed that Geza's campaign is being driven by factions aligned with Chiwenga.
Still, the people are so desperate for change, for relief, for salvation, that even those who represent past and current oppression become symbols of hope if they echo the people's frustrations.
In a political landscape where the opposition has been weakened or become ineffective, it is ironically this disillusioned ZANU-PF faction that is saying the words Zimbabweans have longed to hear and doing what they have yearned to see - fearlessly standing up to the regime.
This desperation is precisely why the government's response is all the more disheartening.
Instead of engaging with the grievances raised, President Mnangagwa has chosen the path of threats and intimidation.
He has resorted to vilifying those calling for protests, branding them "chameleon-like", "disloyal", "malcontents", and "mischief makers".
His Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe, has publicly warned citizens that any participation in the protests will be met with the full wrath of the state.
ZANU-PF youth leaders, loyal to Mnangagwa, have pledged to defend the president "at all costs" - a thinly veiled threat of counter-violence.
There are even media reports suggesting the president is mulling the declaration of a state of emergency to crush the planned demonstrations.
What is most striking in all of this is the regime's complete silence on the root causes behind these protests.
Nowhere has there been any serious attempt to address the very issues that have driven ordinary Zimbabweans to the brink - particularly the scourge of corruption and the rise of the so-called "Zvigananda".
Why is the president not confronting this issue head-on?
Why not use this moment to at least appear responsive, even if merely for political optics?
Why not establish a commission of inquiry into the looting of public funds, even if only symbolic, to signal that the government is listening?
This is not without precedent.
When Mnangagwa first assumed office in 2017, he launched a campaign to recover funds that had been externalized by companies and individuals.
In a widely publicized address, he held up a paper he claimed contained names of culprits and promised stern action.
Though nothing substantial came from that investigation, it portrayed him as a leader willing to confront economic crimes.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) was granted more powers and resources - though again, no high-level convictions followed.
In stark contrast, today the regime is not even pretending to care.
There is no acknowledgment of the pain and suffering endured by citizens.
Instead, the government has fallen back on its default position: repression.
The carrot has been discarded altogether; only the stick remains.
Even the sudden announcement of "empowerment funds" for war veterans and youths - clearly an attempt to buy loyalty - rings hollow when the broader issues of accountability, transparency, and equitable governance remain unaddressed.
This is the behavior of an arrogant and heartless regime.
A leadership truly concerned with its people would at the very least seek to understand their grievances.
It would open channels of dialogue.
It would communicate a willingness to change.
Instead, Zimbabweans are treated as enemies.
Their pain is dismissed as mischief.
Their cries are met with boots and batons.
This moment lays bare the true nature of the Mnangagwa administration.
The people are not citizens in the eyes of the ruling elite - they are obstacles to power.
If millions must be crushed to preserve the interests of a few, so be it.
This is a regime that would rather rule over the ashes of a broken nation than relinquish power or respond to the will of the people.
To those in power, we are not Zimbabweans deserving of dignity and prosperity.
We are pests to be exterminated.
"Malcontents" who must be silenced.
But no matter how many threats are made, no matter how many police officers are deployed, no amount of force can erase the truth: Zimbabweans are suffering, and they have every right to demand better.
A wise leader would have taken this moment to reflect. To ask: Why are the people so angry? What have we done wrong? What can we do differently?
Instead, we are led by those who see dissent not as an opportunity for growth, but as a crime to be punished.
This failure of leadership is why Zimbabwe remains trapped in a cycle of repression and poverty.
There is still time for President Mnangagwa to change course.
But that would require humility, empathy, and a commitment to the people - qualities that, thus far, have been tragically absent.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Over the past few weeks, the Zimbabwean government and the ruling ZANU-PF party have been gripped by panic.
Their energies have been channeled toward stifling the growing momentum behind calls for nationwide protests scheduled for the 31st of March.
These demonstrations, spearheaded by war veteran and former ZANU-PF Central Committee member Blessed Geza, are intended to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to resign.
The charges against the president are grave: a failure to improve the collapsing economy, a deepening of citizens' poverty, and a shocking indifference to rampant corruption.
Geza has not minced his words.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
He alleges that under Mnangagwa's leadership, corruption has flourished, and the plunder of national resources has become the order of the day.
This wealth, which ought to have been equitably distributed for the benefit of all Zimbabweans, is now concentrated in the hands of a few individuals aligned with political power.
These individuals, colloquially dubbed "Zvigananda", are typically connected to questionable multi-million-dollar public contracts.
Their sudden and suspicious accumulation of wealth stands in painful contrast to the destitution endured by the rest of the country.
While billions are looted from the nation through such underhanded dealings and the smuggling of precious minerals, the ordinary Zimbabwean wallows in poverty.
Hospitals lack even the most basic medicines.
Schools are crumbling.
Roads are impassable.
The cost of living has soared beyond reach.
Public infrastructure, once a source of pride, now resembles scenes from a post-war zone.
In such a context, it is neither surprising nor unjustified that Zimbabweans are angry - and that they are paying close attention to Geza's calls.
To be clear, few among the masses are under the illusion that Geza has had a democratic awakening.
Zimbabweans are not fools.
They know full well that Geza and his comrades are products of the same ZANU-PF that has misruled this country for over four decades.
They understand that this renewed activism is part of internal power struggles within the ruling party, particularly tensions over Mnangagwa's alleged desire to extend his presidency beyond constitutional limits - an ambition that clashes with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga's presumed succession plans.
It is widely believed that Geza's campaign is being driven by factions aligned with Chiwenga.
Still, the people are so desperate for change, for relief, for salvation, that even those who represent past and current oppression become symbols of hope if they echo the people's frustrations.
In a political landscape where the opposition has been weakened or become ineffective, it is ironically this disillusioned ZANU-PF faction that is saying the words Zimbabweans have longed to hear and doing what they have yearned to see - fearlessly standing up to the regime.
This desperation is precisely why the government's response is all the more disheartening.
Instead of engaging with the grievances raised, President Mnangagwa has chosen the path of threats and intimidation.
He has resorted to vilifying those calling for protests, branding them "chameleon-like", "disloyal", "malcontents", and "mischief makers".
His Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe, has publicly warned citizens that any participation in the protests will be met with the full wrath of the state.
ZANU-PF youth leaders, loyal to Mnangagwa, have pledged to defend the president "at all costs" - a thinly veiled threat of counter-violence.
There are even media reports suggesting the president is mulling the declaration of a state of emergency to crush the planned demonstrations.
What is most striking in all of this is the regime's complete silence on the root causes behind these protests.
Nowhere has there been any serious attempt to address the very issues that have driven ordinary Zimbabweans to the brink - particularly the scourge of corruption and the rise of the so-called "Zvigananda".
Why not use this moment to at least appear responsive, even if merely for political optics?
Why not establish a commission of inquiry into the looting of public funds, even if only symbolic, to signal that the government is listening?
This is not without precedent.
When Mnangagwa first assumed office in 2017, he launched a campaign to recover funds that had been externalized by companies and individuals.
In a widely publicized address, he held up a paper he claimed contained names of culprits and promised stern action.
Though nothing substantial came from that investigation, it portrayed him as a leader willing to confront economic crimes.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) was granted more powers and resources - though again, no high-level convictions followed.
In stark contrast, today the regime is not even pretending to care.
There is no acknowledgment of the pain and suffering endured by citizens.
Instead, the government has fallen back on its default position: repression.
The carrot has been discarded altogether; only the stick remains.
Even the sudden announcement of "empowerment funds" for war veterans and youths - clearly an attempt to buy loyalty - rings hollow when the broader issues of accountability, transparency, and equitable governance remain unaddressed.
This is the behavior of an arrogant and heartless regime.
A leadership truly concerned with its people would at the very least seek to understand their grievances.
It would open channels of dialogue.
It would communicate a willingness to change.
Instead, Zimbabweans are treated as enemies.
Their pain is dismissed as mischief.
Their cries are met with boots and batons.
This moment lays bare the true nature of the Mnangagwa administration.
The people are not citizens in the eyes of the ruling elite - they are obstacles to power.
If millions must be crushed to preserve the interests of a few, so be it.
This is a regime that would rather rule over the ashes of a broken nation than relinquish power or respond to the will of the people.
To those in power, we are not Zimbabweans deserving of dignity and prosperity.
We are pests to be exterminated.
"Malcontents" who must be silenced.
But no matter how many threats are made, no matter how many police officers are deployed, no amount of force can erase the truth: Zimbabweans are suffering, and they have every right to demand better.
A wise leader would have taken this moment to reflect. To ask: Why are the people so angry? What have we done wrong? What can we do differently?
Instead, we are led by those who see dissent not as an opportunity for growth, but as a crime to be punished.
This failure of leadership is why Zimbabwe remains trapped in a cycle of repression and poverty.
There is still time for President Mnangagwa to change course.
But that would require humility, empathy, and a commitment to the people - qualities that, thus far, have been tragically absent.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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