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January 7, 2010
Zimbabwean political parties must be more people oriented
I just do not believe that people of the world believe that what is happening in Zimbabwe is the normal way Africans do things.
Events that continue to unfold in Zimbabwe are also tragically fascinating to us, Zimbabweans, as well, for we really do not know how to categorise them.
Hardly ever has the world community shown so much irresponsibility as to leave a murderous government to kill and plunder as it pleases.
I do not believe that the people of the world think that all the exaggerated scurrying around in Zimbabwe means anything; I do not think anyone believes anything will come out of all the attention Zimbabwe is getting.
If anything, as has already been proven, this unnecessary attention is encouraging Zimbabwean leaders to go in a completely different and disastrous direction.
I believe people around the world now see that African leaders have a death wish, not for themselves, but for those they rule and govern.
Zimbabwe has shown the world how African leaders, easily band together to protect evil and, actually, ignore genocides in the making.
Africans have suffered under successive conflicts, from Nigeria’s Biafra to Uganda, Rwanda, Lesotho, Sudan’s Darfur, the Caprivi, DR Congo, and, needless to say, to Zimbabwe.
African leaders have been so effective in polarizing and splitting up Africa so much that, today, even when we stare evil and murderous leaders in the face, we can no longer tell for certain who is right and who is wrong where all these unnecessary deadly conflicts occur.
And this excludes many other conflicts which should be the concern of African governments but which, surprisingly, were protected by African leaders who, in the end, covered it all up.
What is going on in Swaziland? Malawi? Somalia?
Almost every country in Africa needs to be ironed out yet the wrinkles keep coming from Africans themselves.
Now we wonder what African Union really means. Is it unity against the people or is it unity of the African people?
Zimbabwe continues to suffer under self-inflicted burdens, wounds and neglect, as if it has no owners or children of its own.
Zimbabwe is an orphan nation full of orphans, full of children who no longer trust anyone or possess any sense of belonging.
We are orphans because we don’t have any leader.
Zimbabweans, at home and abroad, are forced to say things are better, when they are not.
Our problem was born about thirty years ago.
The world, for its own purposes, is forcing us to accept abnormal existences and consider them as normal.
Is it because the world is jealous of us or is it because they are right in giving tacit assistance and morale to those who are abusing a country of peace loving people?
Because of one Robert Mugabe, millions of Zimbabwe’s sons and daughters watch helplessly as their country continues to lie prostrate although a lot of activity goes on around it, especially around Mugabe himself, a man who continues to cause the deaths of many of our citizens but also the death of our nation.
Instead of censuring Mugabe, the world is fascinated but the evil exuded by this notorious murderer, just in the same way that Hitler continues to be a fascinating study and platform of hate.
Humanity, it appears, is fascinated with evil; look at how much undue attention is paid to Satan, a figure who represents all that God is not about.
Zimbabwe appears to be the only country run by educated men and women who have found it easy to drop any sense of enlightenment and civility only to gang up on a nation that has contributed so much manpower, let alone products, to the world.
Our nation, once a comforter, today hardly has any comforters but is being torn apart by both locals and foreigners.
Our nation is a classic example of a country mercilessly cannibalized by its own children as those “in positions of authority” continue to haggle over matters more beneficial to themselves and their jobs than to the nation.
Successive leaders of the peaceful Zimbabwean people continue to show appalling insensitivity to our people and yet there was once a time when we winced as one of our own was having a tooth pulled out.
Today we have been coaxed to sink so low as not to bother even about the death of a single compatriot. Even when hundreds die, our leaders hardly care and only react because outsiders are marveling at how dehumanized we have become.
Thirty years of independence have taught us that the unnecessary killing of one citizen is acceptable. Mugabe introduced the word “genocide” into the Zimbabwean lexicon. He taught us that if you want the world to ignore you, commit genocide because if an African president kills one or two innocent political opponents, the world will take notice.
Here comes 2010 and I scan the horizons to see any possible change in our direction and I am blinded by the sight of the same cantankerous argumentative “key figures” trotting around Zimbabwe and the world as if all was normal in our country.
I get no comfort from all the political parties in Zimbabwe today because they now all appear to be reading and singing from the same text whose author we do not know.
I would have hoped that our politicians learned something from at least the past year alone.
There certainly is a curse on Zimbabwean politicians. They persistently continue to show an unyielding desire for mediocrity.
Fatal mediocrity.
Their lack of focus,
Their inability to identify priorities and stick to them,
Their belief that they know better than party supporters,
And their abhorrence of their own constitutions are indications of the fabled bull in a China shop.
Our African children have no role model on the political scene and, considering how low Africa has sunk, even the persona of the likes of the much praised Nelson Mandela can hardly point us in the right direction.
Our politicians in Zimbabwe display their stupidity, malice and ineptitude on the international scene and do it with such vigor as if they were running the lap of victory in a stadium.
Recent reports about the goings on in a hoped for revived ZAPU party are a shame to say the least.
Not that I, you or even the participants in this charade believe that something called ZAPU is offering anything close to an alternative.
We just have big names being wasted.
ZAPU is still in tatters and before they even get their message across to the people, to the people, they have started to suspend each other even before anyone of the so-called leaders are voted for by their own party supporters.
It is very disturbing because it reminds me of the same maneuvers employed by the unelected party leaders like Arthur Mutambara, Welshman Ncube, Gibson Sibanda and others who destroyed their faction by suspending those among them who had been voted for by the people.
I am not amused by the numerous squabbles within Tsvangirai’s MDC and I am very mindful of the unsavory, self-serving shenanigans they are inflicting on their constitution.
We have seen it all before in ZANU-PF where a constitution was rewritten to protect not the people but the leadership.
Look what is happening in ZANU-PF today.
And is Simba Makoni so much lacking in direction that he too has to dabble in this type of politics?
Who, honestly, shall Zimbabweans turn to?
Has mediocrity been reserved for Zimbabwean politicians?
The heart of the matter is that Zimbabweans cannot continue putting their faith, hopes and trust in the hands of these same under-performers who do not seem to be in a hurry to bring long-lasting relief to the long suffering Zimbabweans.
Party leaders of all parties must, of necessity, revise their relationship with party supporters.
Party leaders have to change the way they pursue their goals and put people first.
We are aware that many parties get a lot of money just to be a political party, the emphasis should move from taking a party as a business and take a political party as a tool to unite people and bring about desired changes for the betterment of the people and the nation.
The political scene is cluttered with chancers, underachievers and greedy exploiters. It is the responsibility of party followers to give their parties the right type of leadership.
What do you say?
Send me your comment on tano@swradioafrica.com
The year 2010 has to bring some changes not only in the political fortunes of our country but in the leadership of its political parties.
We are tired of being used and it is time we demand that all the political parties play their rightful roles instead of jockeying for advantage only to enrich themselves.
It does not appear to me as is the current crop of leaders has a genuine interest in solving our problems; after all, there is a lot of money to be made in chaos.
I am Tanonoka Joseph Whande and that, unfortunately, my fellow Zimbabweans, is the way it is today, Thursday, January 7, 2010.
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See "Comments to Hotseat and Heart of the Matter programmes" from Wilbert
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Heart of Matter : December 24, 2009.
Hi Tanonoka
I just read your article and I agree with you. It is good to know that someone out there is willing to tell the MDC to "get up, stand up, open their eyes and see reality". It's sad to see that the MDC is going the same way as ZanuPF - lining their pockets and forgetting about the man on the ground. Trumped up charges, arrests, beatings, rape cases, murders, evictions, torture, harrassment, renewed land invasions - the list goes on. These horrendous acts continue on a daily basis - a year after the GNU! And, noone is brought to justice. What has the MDC achieved? If it were not for the diaspora how would most people get their hands on the US Dollar? How does that justify Tsvangirai asking the diaspora to return home? No job creations. You are so right Tano: MDC must live by its slogan - Chinja Maitiro! Zimbabwe needs change now starting with the GNU. The people of Zimbabwe have suffered enough!
Thank you for your informative article. I look forward to reading more of your articles and I hope that you will take the time to respond to me.
Happy New Year!
itai
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HAPPY NEW YEAR TANO !!
Dear Tano,
Just to let you know that you are not forgotten.
As I listen to “heart of the matter” in stereo, I thought I would drop you a few lines.
Firstly Happy New Year to you and your family! May this year be the one!!
I had to chuckle when you mentioned Welshman Ncube as being happy with the current situation. Spot on my friend.
I firmly believe that every word you utter, as I listen, is 100% correct and so well articulated.
I believe that the only way to bring change is for civil society to lift the anti and apply pressure on all the political parties. Sadly the entire society of Zimbabwe has been broken up into small partisan self interest groups too busy protecting self interest ahead of the national interest. The zanupf disease has become highly infectious.
I once had a dream that Morgan Tsvangirai, Lovemore Mahduku, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu wer leading a march from the front ahead of hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans in a peace march demanding freedom, democracy and justice. The numbers in my dream were so overwhelming that no army would ever have the capacity or nerve to stand in their path to liberty and justice. Sadly, the reality is that not one of these good people likes the other, even though they hardly know each other. In my view, this situation opitomises how zanufied our society has become – intolerance controls our thinking. If that one barrier could be removed and unity achived, zanupf would be history. I have spoken to these people in one way or another about my dream but they just don’t get it. The twains cannot meet. So I cannot fault your analysis under the circumstances. The MDC-T talks about change but it won’t change itself and keeps banging its collective head against the same old brick wall, doing the same old things, even though they have tried them before and failed time and time again. They are not alone, civic groups are no different. Dictatorships always survive as long as political and civic movements remain fragmented and disunited. In Zimbabwe, it’s a self inflicted dictatorship because of these pig headed attitudes towards each other. Even with this GNU, this dictatorship hasn’t gone away. It carries on doing whatever it wants whilst the MDC-T suffers from what appears to be a self imposed paralysis and an inability to speak out when needed. Nothing has changed.
My message to you is very simple. I want to thank you for all the good work you are doing for our country. Please keep it up, your country needs you more than ever before !!
Best wishes
Chris Garner
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