via https://www.facebook.com/notes/zimbabwe-situation/mugabes-inauguration-speech-is-like-a-deserted-and-empty-anti-hill/369133593188985 By Andrew Manyevere
Traditionally anti-hills are a source of food to both people and creatures like snakes etc. Anti-hills normally house bees, ants (which are delicacy for many on the continent) and sometimes even rabbits. As such anti-hills are sanctuaries for live and therefore important in terms of soil and land structures. But a deserted anti-hill looks bushy because there are no activities and it hides only snails, lizards and chameleons. Inevitably these are harmless animals who only look threatening when approached but cannot cause harm beyond simple bits.
If a black mamba was seen entering into an anti-hill, the place is not frequented by humans because a mamba, of all snakes, bits and you have only four minutes to live if not attended to. The speed of a mamba on an anti-hill can be mysteriously fast and could use different holes and strike you from behind.
In 1980 people looked up to Mugabe like an anti-hill. He promised all sorts of riches and indeed the hope for self-emancipation and freedom. Both fear of who Mugabe was and respect for his temerity in ‘leading the armed struggle’ made many want to see him, more out of curiosity than love. The stigma never left him. Rural elders know Mugabe as very ruthless, always putting on niceness as a sign of public show to paint an impression he is nice. Yet Mugabe rarely puts on a relaxed face, but is always putting on a salutary, look suspicious and rarely peaceful.
If you saw him outside the country, in the late 1970s, he was always tensed; more of disciplinarian, and always wanting to be heard to carry the order of the day than to compromise.
Looking at Mugabe from both historical and futuristic perspective, his speech composition has never changed. His speeches are more of so-called revolutionary similitudes than realities of management and execution, which he had little experience in. It must be confessed that his 2013 inauguration speech would, in 1980 scored high in populace. In 2013 it can only echo assurance sentiments to surrogates and cohorts who know that without him and his protection, gone are corruption days and so is their corrupt acquired wealthy. There is nothing new or freshly linked to past experience at all.
He spoke of history where people who cannot see his way, are enemies of the revolution and puppets of the west. Yet his own life experience bears true contradictions of his professed revolutionary life style. He loves everything western except when it asks him to be humane and give chance to others in terms of power rotation. His conception of government is only with him in power and discounts anyone else not even one from the Zanu hierarchy.
He does not have one choice in Zanu who can replace him in the party. Yet Zanu survives for as long as he Mugabe is alive. For fifty years of political innuendoes and tribal acrimony Mr.Mugabe stayed at the helm of party shrinkage and saw very little growth. If anything Mugabe succeeded in killing the sense of succession and democracy by steeping on any one who raised his head above him, in his party or in opposition political parties.
He ultimately become an anti-hill deserted and empty but which still has bushy surrounding and appears as though snakes, bees and ants reside in. Age has made him vulnerable bringing awareness that he has to leave this world sooner than later. Because he has children he would like to leave a good impression, which is difficult to reach given the public opinion he has accrued from his ugly deeds, except for those who owe him homage for becoming rich under his watch and protection.
His demeanor and approach to things remain the same-if we cannot get it through negotiation invoke force of violence and we have it. He would like to shift blame in order to come out clean. As he sought to become clean, the 2013 elections showed more of a bad history on him than an honesty father who is full of love. He has little regards of friends when survival is at stake, this way he has subdued open criticism among African states who harbour similar sentiments.
His speech referred very loosely to events, time and nothing specific to show evidence of learning from the past. It has indicted his dictatorial mood or else shown how Zanu itself is decaying generally. Unfortunately Mugabe does not take kindly to any type of criticism and therefore those well intentioned will soon face what faced many who left Zanu without much choice ahead of them.
Indigenisation in his speech turns up a farce to allow greedy and incompetent individuals to accumulate riches out of impunity, hooliganism and outright robbery of unarmed and unprotected citizens using race, tribe and social status as a way. No clear policy guidelines on how indigenization should be a process for empowering citizens and see obvious step by step of achievement. It is clouded in emotion and history poorly painted making both student and teacher look very foolish. We want to consider the content of indigenization than be fed on rhetoric’s of emotions and unbalanced history.
Much of Zanu poor governance and individual ministers’ individual incompetence are being blamed on sanctions. This is very unfortunate that we use pretexts than actual balance sheet of companies to show siphoned companies (undercapitalized) with consistent exiting skills pattern who Zanu, due to ignorance expect to be profitable and generate wealth. Many indigenization crops in the country will not run anything profitable without encroaching to some fraudulently staked reserves.
A company has to run itself if properly and financial geared, given a conducive political atmosphere and encouraging accountable climate. These issues are not dealt with in Mugabe speech. How do we get assurance that greedy will not overtake these guys and plunder companies newly established? Truth being told it is not in the skills set of Zanu leaders, after thirty three years of unaccountable management, to begin and attain credible managerial training and skills set now. There is no vision or guidance on how to overcome the past. If the past in poor governance modalities that sunk the country into bankruptcy are still envisaged as a revival for Zanu 2013 onwards no wonder people panic. Its’ not magic to have repeated failure. But we do not have to accommodate such failure, particularly after a naked robbery of an election.
The current foreign currency system cannot boost domestic consumption with the rural areas totally cut from all sectors monetary wise. Poverty is measured from poor levels gross domestic per capita on necessities of live coupled with security of people to access what they want without fear of abuse or unjustified harassment with no recourse to justice. Common people have no reach to courts when hooligans eat their chicken and rape their baby girls and wives at midnight. Is this what Mr. Mugabe refers to as African democracy. We cannot accept rationalization of Mr. Mugabe to abuse people under pretext of making everything African. I read this to say the poor shall be treated differently in African because they do not have money or economic power except Zanu empowers them. We do not want mimicry of empowerment but genuine empowerment based on our fundamental rights as citizens and not as items receiving favour for supporting a ruling party that steals election consistently.
The speech is empty and could not make any one change his mind or read serious tone of change in a man who ruled the country for thirty three years under semi military control. Zanu can neither create a climate conducive to investment by genuine investors who make things happen in the world nor attract her own citizens’ home today. Regrettably, the past is filled with empty promises, hate and marred with tribalism, favouritism which seeded and increased the levels of corruption.
This killed incentive to work along with Zanu for many citizens. God endowed mankind to live for a time period and to slow down towards end time. If Zimbabweans in Zanu think this is untrue, here we have to go again, watching failing history repeat. Sixty percent of Zanu are and have had thirty three years with Mugabe and cannot therefore see differences between bad and good governance.
Zimbabweans have to realize unless we rise to flexing our political muscles both inside and outside, blood shade shall be inevitable. A people oppressed for too long always have an end similar. Arab states today are an example. I find it regrettable that Zanu wants to think they are better always, since they have employed the military into mercenary activities around states run by dictators on the continent.
The insensitiveness has its price and people have sound warnings and are already rising in South Africa. At the rate African leadership installs and supports African dictatorship, changes shall be inevitably fatal and painful because the world is moving towards changing and improving leadership styles and not to bless forty years of a one man Empire Dom. We need note too that with each old regime overstaying in power has been personal aggrandizement of wealth and blind desire to stay on. The desire came from avarice which build corruption and blind ambition to stay on. Corruption is not eliminated by cutting it half way or it inevitably triggers a battle. Corruption could be overcome by total change of heart and mind to adopting genuine democratic process which have transparency as best mankind can show.
Empty anti-hills are often homes of crime. We have to prepare ourselves for what we might hate most or die from the trauma of being abused. Mugabe speech is an abuse from an 89 year old geriatric who recently made a mockery of elections. The answer is in us and the world watches us. I have faith in Zimbabweans.
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