via Bulawayo24 NEWS | The best reply to Mugabe from Dabengwa by Ryton Dzimiri 23 December 2013
Comrade Dabengwa must just compile a bullet point based set of changes that Mugabe must implement before expecting genuine unity to take effect.
Here is how the letter should read;
Dear Mr President,
As you clearly know that our liberation struggle was a National initiative driven by the masses in 1956. I wish to remind you about the expectations of the people who started the liberation struggle and their aspirations. I wish to point out line by line the deviations that the temptation of power has taken over against the original objectives of our struggle.
Mr President Sir, in 1957, the people of Zimbabwe did not have a problem about the colour of the then Prime minister’s skin, his language or his payslip against theirs. The problem with the Rhodesian Prime Minister of 1957 was that he had become so big to fit into the poor hut of a poor African widow to see what was inside it for food.
The Rhodesian Prime minister of 1957 fell into temptation of believing that since he had food on his table, so was an old lady in Zvimba or Khezi. The failure to picture the gnashing of teeth of the general public by the Rhodesian Government caused the masses to revolt and hence the liberation struggle. Rhodesian Prime Ministers received poor-man’s complaints as terrorism, disobedience, racial hate and all manufactured models which made a well looked after Prime Minister feel clean.
I wish to point out to you Mr President that the Prime Ministers of Rhodesia in 1957 relied on the information they got from those who are paid to deliver only good news to the Prime minister. With that kind of management in place, the Prime ministers mis-diagnosed the Nation they were leading. The general populace of Zimbabwe who happened to be system-marginalised blacks then created solutions where they would appoint a Prime minister of their choice who would correctly diagnose National problems without the aid of close assistants who are paid to deliver only good news to the Prime Minister.
In 1957, the people of Zimbabwe agreed to pave way to create a new people oriented Prime minister who knows the suffering of African widows in Zvimba as well as Kezi and address them head on. The Prime Minister who was there at that moment only went into houses of White people living in White areas and successfully addressed White problems and totally marginalised Blacks.
In 1957, Zimbabweans believed that a black man who hails from a poor African family would NEVER LEAD OUR COUNTRY ON THE BASIS OF ANY KIND OF MARGINALISATION. It is for this reason why in 1959, Zimbabweans in general voted for Joshua Nkomo to lead them into liberating our poor from traces of marginalisation.
The masses expected Joshua Nkomo to rule Rhodesia making sure that no one deserved to starve while others export wealth and invest overseas.
The 1959 black aspirations were that a black Rhodesian leader would not favour between a Kalanga or a Ndau but create a fair field where all had equal opportunity. In 1959, if the White Rhodesian Prime minister of British descent had treated all Rhodesians equally without tribal or racial favour, the people would not have revolted.
The people of Zimbabwe need transparent fair leadership where everyone of every tribe and race within the borders of this country is allowed to unleash their potential profitably and equitably.
These were the original values and aspirations of the meaning of freedom that Zimbabweans took arms to achieve.
I wish to energise your memory Mr President of your own personal aspirations in 1961 when you joined active politics. You felt marginalised; you were not allowed to ascend to certain levels of opportunity according to your natural potential because of the skin colour. I also wish to convey the bad news into your ears that the same feeling of marginalisation is felt in most parts of this Nation which you lead but in a differently formatted and new model.
The people in Mutare and Bulawayo think more infrastructural developments have been done in the Harare Zvimba areas in the past 33 years than has been done in their localities. The people of Lupane think the current margins of tribe make it impossible for Zimbabwe to elect a President who hails from their area. They feel that the same marginalisation boundary lines harnessed by the White marginalising Government of 1957 has transformed into tribe margins. Race margins and Colonialism are now a story of the past in Zimbabwe.
In 1957, it was translated as terrorism to suggest that Whites imposed themselves as superior in Rhodesia. In 2013, it is translated as tribalism and regionalism to suggest that the Zezuru impose themselves as superior in Zimbabwe. Surely in 1957, no one ever dreamt that the issue of tribe would be a marginalising factor within Blacks in a liberated Zimbabwe.
During my term as a Minister in your Government Mr President, I aspired to influence areas within my jurisdiction to deliver equality within our masses. I aspired to work with you to create a non-biased Nation where favour of any taste would be abolished. I aspired to produce results where our people as Zimbabweans would not feel that there is any form of unfair treatment and opportunity that anyone within our boarders felt marginalised. But the inherent nature of Zanu did not permit that sphere of thinking or correction.
The attention of problems of Companies closing in Bulawayo and Gweru because they can’t secure loansand there are no reliable water infrastructure contingencies is one example where artificial marginalisation shows face. The neglect factor where everything is done to encourage business viability and job opportunity in Harare and none in Bulawayo is not what Zimbabweans wanted in 1957.
Mr President, I am willing, with the mandate of the people, to re-join your Government if you change the way your Government is currently formatted. I will be willing to join your Government if you allow the abolishment of party politics and create a ten year National Rotational Composite Government which will unite Zimbabweans and induce National pride.
It is my proposal that you invite Welshman Ncube, Simba Makoni, Morgan Tsvangirai, Paul Siwela and myself to sit down and reconstruct a new composite Government where the traces of segregation are impossible.
I will be willing to join a composite Government which will begin its task by apologising for all political disturbances that happened in our country since 1894. I will be willing to join a composite Government where ministers of all tribe and colour are 100% mandated to create change without favour .
I will be willing to join a composite Government where leaders of different tribe are rotated for ten years without election starting with Welshman Ncube. Followed by Simba Makoni after a year, then Morgan Tsvangirai, Dumiso Dabengwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Paul Siwela, Reketai Semwayo, Priscilla Misihairambwi, Tendai Biti and lastly Emiliar Mukarakatirwa.
After this composite ten year cycle, we then would start party elections asking the Nation to choose a party they feel has the best model of uniting our country into a composite Nation.
Mr President, I like to end by pointing one by one bullet points that are a poisonous result of the current governance model.
(1) Old women from Matebeleland travel 400 Km to Harare to apply IDs and have to speak in Shona to get them.
(2) The Police in Bulawayo speak in Shona to Ndebele citizens which can’t happen for Ndebele Police to speak in Ndebele to Zvimba villagers.
(3) There are no incentives to revive industry and water problems in Gweru and Bulawayo
(4) There is no chance this current Nation can produce a Shangani President in current thinking.
(5) People get food handout by criteria of party affiliation.
(6) Some segments of this Nation’s children can’t get University education.
(7)Our Police are still as brutal as Rhodesian Police and have no respect for the Nation.
(8) Bank loans are inaccessible to the general public.
(9) Most Zanu members have allocated disproportionate wealth to themselves while the general public are now worse than they were in 1957
(10) Our Nation exports more refugees than commodities since 1980.
(11) There is anger about the failure to apologise formally for irreversible Gukurahundi
(12) Our country needs to resettle the Zimbabwean White Community on proportionate land generally equal to blacks and allow them equitable opportunity free from revenge of the past.
(13) We need to create a credible anti-corruption unit which has no political limit
(14) No one should starve in Zimbabwe.
(15) Let’s put back this country to its original 1957 aspirations and fulfil them.
(16) Be the one to call upon this revolution Mr President and enjoy the benefits of corrections.
COMMENTS
Well said Comrade Dabengwa.
Fat chance from Mugarbage!
Well there is always hope, never give up!
Mr writer , you have missed a point , don’t put your words into Debengwa’s month , no need to take us back to 1957 , remember we had been united during the chimurenga war and the slogan was( LETS FIGHT AGAINST THE COMMON ENERMY AND RESOLVE OUR OWN DISPUTES AFTERWARDS ) , the common enermy was Ian Smith with his regime and we own the battle .The problem started after we gained our independence , the isuue of your thoughts must stick to why Debengwa pulled out from the unity accord which was signed in 1987 , Mr Writer Debengwa can respond better than your dreams of mixing these goats ,cats , horses ,rats etc to rotate and leading the country , how on earth can that happen .
ZANU PF must only deliver the needed services to the entire people of Zimbabwe , we need to see the good fruits of our liberation struggle .
Calling Welshman , Simba , Tsvangirai ,etc rotating after ten years , starting with Welshman , followed by Simba ,etc its all rubish , that will not be the will of the Zimbabweans , the leaders must be voted for by the people not this football team of your dreams , Dabengwa is not so stupid to say that to Mugabe instead he must advise Mugabe to retire and line it up with him that only two terms are enough for a sitting president, thats it .
@Washington , well said comrade Dabengwa —- he never said that , these are words from a day dreamer , read it again .
I like this. I like this a lot. You must push for this one! yes!
“I will be willing to join a composite Government where leaders of different tribe are rotated for ten years without election starting with Welshman Ncube. Followed by Simba Makoni after a year, then Morgan Tsvangirai, Dumiso Dabengwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Paul Siwela, Reketai Semwayo, Priscilla Misihairambwi, Tendai Biti and lastly Emiliar Mukarakatirwa” In a democratic world there is nothing wrong in airing your views Mr. Dabengwa. In any case some of the points you raised are so striking, but l have my reservations on the aspect of a non elected composite government. Instead l would advocate for a free and fair election if it means UN Security council, AU security organ and other international bodies are called in to supervise the voter’s registration and the poll itself. In such a process a governement of people, for the people chosen by the people will emerge and move us forward not the current poverty which is more than the 1957 as alluded to by Mr. Dabengwa in his article.
There was a welfare system in place in Southern Rhodesia in the 1950’s, I believe. I recall as a young LDO another LDO told to check out an old, widowed lady in Chibi South who had locked herself in her hut, and was waiting to die there as she had no more resources.
On finding this to be true, she was given a bag of mielies by the government each month until she died. She was able to sell part of them and use the money to buy other necessities.
On people believing one race to be superior to another, it was believed to be true by a vast number of folk. I remember being puzzled by an article in “The Reader’s Digest” in the 1950’s (I think 1958) comparing the intelligence of the races. The black African was way down the list, and if I remember it correctly the Indian and or Chinese were the “most intelligent”. Maybe someone can research that. Given that information, folk handled the situation the way that I did. the hated Paternalism. It was very puzzling for this young man, as there were so many bright Africans around him. One noted the “experts”. Glad to say, the whole theory has been discredited, and men such as Strive Masiyiwa (sp?) and so many others are living proof of it.
@ALL READERS , @Washington and @Goodlife , i am expecting you to read with more understanding before you jump into commenting , read the article again , Dabengwa never wrote this , he neither said the words , these are the words from Ryton Dzimiri he feels Dabengwa should have responded that way to Mugabe , the heading is confusing you , better understand the contents of the heading .Did you even pass your O’LEVELS –U symboles- 0%
MR DABENGWA YOU HAVE RAISED VERY RELEVANT ISSUES ABOUT THE POINTS OF MISGOVERNANCE IN ZIMBABWE. ALL WELL SAID EXCEPT THAT YOU DID NOT EMPHASISE THE ABSENCE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF LAW AND PREVALENCE OF JUNGLE LAW IN THE COUNTRY. ALL OF US WISH TO GO AS FAR WAY AS WE CAN FROM THE POST 1980 GOVERNMENT WHICH MAKES SMITH LOOK LIKE MOTHER THERESA. WE HAVE KNOWN NOTHING EXCEPT SUFFERING. HOWEVER THE 10 YEAR CYCLE MODEL IS NOT ONLY DANGEROUS, BUT TOTALLY UNDEMOCRATIC FOR MANY REASONS. I WOULD SUGGEST FREE AND FAIR ELECTION WHERE ALL NATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO OBSERVE ELECTIONS NOT PARTISAN AFRICAN UNION MISCREANTS WHO LINE THEIR POCKETS WITH BRIBES AND TALK OF “FREE AND PEACEFUL, BUT NOT CREDIBLE ELECTIONS”. NOW WE JUST WISH AWAY ALL THE BAD THINGS. THE NDEBELE AND SHONA ARE EQUAL IN ZIMBABWE AND ALL SHOULD GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO RULE. THIS ANIMAL FARM IS A FARCE. LETS SEE THE EVIDENCE IN THE ROAD TO 2018. ITS A PITY FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE TALONS OF THE APOCALYPSE.
A good suggestion, however the list of potential Presidents is a non-starter.. U N supervised free and fair elections and the points mentioned in this letter be incorporated in the constitution via a free and fair referendum..
Could the widow be starving because the late husband’s relatives had stripped her of everything of value?
What a brilliant idea. The major problem we have had is identification of genuine leaders . Leaders who care for the nationals ,not for self aggrandisement. Some are just leaders of convenience .
Whilst the writer has some valid points that will improve governance in Zimbabwe, he is obviously trying to undermine democratic elections by handing power to unelected Paul Siwela no other reason that him being a Ndebele. The writer is hiding behind anti-Mugabe politics to create a defacto federal state, in the guise of appeasing the anti-Shona like-minded.
The writer should call for UN- supervised elections where the likes of Paul Siwela can participate.
This pseudo Dabengwa guy is trying to bypass democracry by calling for tribal government, where leadership criteria is measured by tribal origin. Just look at his list of leaders, in simple is calling for another GNU, this time he wants ZAPU-minded leaders at the forefront.
Why not call for fresh elections. Among his grievances are Shona people having to speak their language when in Matebeleland, the alleged Matebeleland marginalisation. How can such grievances be righted by bypassing free and fair elections ? Loaded on his list of leaders are political nonenties who never were elected in their political dreams.
Having gone through the all the comments i feel obliged t add just a few thoughts about the whole issue,first of all i think Zimbabweans should mature with time,somethings will change some will not it is time for citizens of zim to respect each other regardless of tribe,region,there are a lot of other tribes that resides in Bulawayo or gweru if i may say so how does it help to marginalize these cities,it is up to all of us to stand as a country to correct the wrongs that happen in another city otherwise this grumbling won’t take us anywhere.