By Peter Goredema
We congratulate the members and supporters of ZANU PF on their successful and peaceful metaphorical decapitation of their longstanding dysfunctional head and its malfunctioning inner circle. Is ZANU PF still ZANU PF now poised to emerge stronger and more autocratic in the national euphoria of this week’s momentous events? Will the new dispensation emerging from these events be true to all the principles of justice, freedom and the dignity of the human person for the benefit of all and sundry in Zimbabwe? Will the powers that be be devoid of the tribalism, nepotism, avarice, self-aggrandisement, mismanagement and corruption through which ZANU PF has hitherto condemned our beloved Zimbabwe to record levels of poverty, unemployment, under-investment, inflation, and corruption?
At a rally in the 60’s we heard the late Doctor Joshua Nkomo, Father of Zimbabwe, declare: “Poor people can progress from poverty to prosperity and power provided they are prepared to pay the price for the prize”. Vox populi vox Dei is an ancient maxim of government which means the voice of the people is the voice of God. It is incumbent upon ZANU PF’s new dispensation to listen to the silent voiceless majority of Zimbabwe in their simple request for medicines in our hospitals, industry in our cities, clean water in our pipes and cash in our banks. The scheduled presidential elections of 2018 are one opportunity for the people to exercise their democratic choice.
Proverbially, the strength of a chain is the strength of its weakest link. Likewise the success or failure of Zimbabwe depends on more factors than the top-heavy cosmetic rearrangement of musical chairs in ZANU PF. We cry for integrity among our police, so that no private driver or public transporter ever needs to carry extra cash to bribe those manning an unnecessary road block mounted for the sole purpose of fund-raising. We need compassionate officers who do not extort bribes from widows who are eking out a living by vending tomatoes to support orphans whom the government is neglecting.
However, at the end of the day it is pointless removing the head from the beast if the ZANU PF hydra that we have come to know and suffer under is still functioning. We can only pray and hope that authentically new politicians emerge, with real care and love for Zimbabwe and her people. It is also incumbent upon the rest of us, the least of us, the grass-roots, to mutually improve our lot by heeding the Bible message: whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them. Human rights must also be actively pursued and practised by us the povo to each other, otherwise our subjugation by the ZANU PF hydra will be prolonged and exacerbated by our own self-inflicted dog-eat dog culture.
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