I am intrigued with the manner in which we, in Zimbabwe, love to always throw barbs at those who blindly support the ruling ZANU PF party, who appear to accept and celebrate the mediocrity and frivolity that the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa regime packages as “development” – even going as far as labeling them, “EDiots”, as a play on the president’s initials.
Tendai Ruben Mbofana
Well, for starters, I have never been a fan of insults, quarreling, or any form of conflict and violence – which is why I do not entangle myself in such trading in barbs (a tendency I find most repulsive, uncivilized, and counter-productive).
Even those in my own household know that I never lose my cool and temper, and will hardly be involved in any arguments or using of hurtful words against anyone else – but, rather appreciate the splendid gifts that our Creator, Jehovah God, blessed us with…those of intellectual discourse, love, kindness, and peace.
In fact, just a week or so ago, I remember asking my wife Tinta, when the last time was since we argued – and, neither of us could remember the year – since, we always seek to settle any issues in an amicable and loving manner.
As such, I find it rather distasteful and rather appalling for us Zimbabweans – as one family – to engage in hateful behavior, whereby spewing of toxic vitriol at those we are not in agreement with has become the norm – when, instead, we should embrace each other, and convince those we would want on our side, through intellectual persuasion, tolerance, and inclusivity.
Nonetheless, if we are to be brutally frank with ourselves – who are the real “EDiots” in Zimbabwe?
Are they those who fall for ZANU PF’s cheap politics and ridiculous “development and empowerment programs” – or, are we, who perceive the oppression, understand who exactly is responsible for the ruination of our once prosperous nation, and has turned our livelihoods into a hellish nightmare…yet, choose to cower in fear, as we fail to stand up for ourselves?
Are the ones who opt to celebrate the installation of boreholes in our urban areas, as the “new normal”, or vending and informal trading as the “new industries”, or “kukorokoza” as the new mining, better off than the rest of us – since, at least, they have openly surrendered their futures to fate, rather accepting that they will not do anything to force the change they want?
Yet, we (who act more knowledge and enlightened) simply elect to ridicule these projects, poke fun at Mnangangwa for officiating at “borehole opening ceremonies”, and complain over how our country has been destroyed – but, never willing to do anything tangible and meaningful in staI am intrigued with the manner in which we, in Zimbabwe, love to always throw barbs at those who blindly support the ruling ZANU PFnding up for ourselves.
As I have always alluded to on numerous occasions before – it is all well and good, ranting on social media, writing scathing media articles, or even expressing outrage in supermarket and ZUPCO queues – but, if we are not ready to courageously use our constitutionally-enshrined rights to openly challenge those who are behind our misery (no matter what brutality they throw at us), then we may as well learn to live at peace with our suffering and poverty.
At least, those being labelled “EDiots” have already faced the reality of their own cowardice, or even naivety – by going the acceptance of their fate route, and rather seeing how they can make lemonade out of the lemons handed them.
I am quite sure some amongst them do fully understand that, if Zimbabwe’s economy is no longer viable for companies to grow and create employment – common sense dictates that, even these “loyalists” so-called “empowerment projects” (which, are far weaker than big business) will, in all likelihood, also face the same, or worse, doom.
However, we who supposedly know better are sitting by, with arms folded, as we lamely watch the economy spin in an unending spiral into a dark bottomless pit.
Are we not the ones who are actually ridiculous idiots – when we watch elections being stolen, year after year, yet all we do is complain on social media, but do absolutely nothing about it?
Were the March 26, 2022 parliamentary and local government by-elections purportedly a “test run” for next year’s crucial harmonized elections – in which, we were expected to show how we would “safeguard and protect our votes”, and prevent rigging?
Yet, did we not learn of gross irregularities in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) shambolic voters’ roll – whereby, tens of thousands of voters were either questionably removed, or moved to other constituencies (without ever changing registered addresses, or a delimitation exercise having been carried out), or suspicious polling stations allegedly being set up in the middle of nowhere, or ruling party thugs attacking opposition supporters and even polling agents?
What did we do about it?
How exactly did we practice how we will “safeguard and protect” our votes come 2023 – besides, whining and whinging?
Thus, when Mnangangwa brags – as he repeated yesterday (May 28, 2022), while officiating at the borehole commissioning in Glen View, Harare – that ZANU PF will rule, and rule, and rule forever, whilst we barked, barked, and barked…would he be wrong?
Will Zimbabweans ever go beyond barking, in the face of the relentless political and economic onslaught at the hands of a corrupt, oppressive, and incompetent ruling elite – who have proven that they can loot the nation’s resources (the latest being the scandalous Pomona dumpsite deal) with reckless impunity?
I ask again – who, then, are the real “EDiots” in Zimbabwe?
Are we not the ones?
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, researcher, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
Are the real “EDiots” in Zimbabwe not we who know are being oppressed but choose not to stand up for ourselves?
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