If ever there is one thing I ‘like’ about someone with a criminal and rogue character – who always seeks to deny and hide their waywardness and lawlessness – is that, they always, somehow, manage to eventually expose themselves for the whole world to see.
I believe that is what the term, “give a fool enough rope, and he will hang himself” means – and, the world is watching this same scenario playing out in broad daylight, as the Zimbabwe regime, and its ruling ZANU PF party (which has always been accused of violating every known, acceptable, and civilized tenet of democracy, justice, and human rights, yet viciously denying this as a mere neo-imperialist Western-sponsored ‘nefarious’ smear campaign – intended to effect an ‘illegal regime change’) prove, beyond every shred of reasonable doubt that, what everyone has been saying all along, was absolutely correct.
Ever since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980 – social justice activists, opposition politicians, independent media, and the general democracy-loving people, have been at pains trying to expose, and convince the international community, the tragic, brutal, and murderous gross abuses of the most fundamental principles of human rights and dignity, against the ordinary defenceless citizenry, at the hands of the power-hungry and blood-thirsty Zimbabwe regime.
We have attempted to bring to everyone’s attention, the immeasurable pain, suffering, and loss of life and limb, endured by the helpless people of Zimbabwe – in our desperate bid to force an end to this cruelty and barbarity by a government, that is supposed to actually take care of, and protect, its own population – only for the ruling elite (similar to the biblical Pharaoh) to unleash even more terror and brutality.
In the midst of all this, the Zimbabwe authorities have disingenuously attempted to portray themselves as the actual victims – being targeted by those harboring ill-intentions against the country’s independence, and the reclaiming of the country’s land and economy from the then white commercial farmers, which was then largely awarded to those in the corridors of power, and their hangers-on.
These denials, as well as the deception of a country under attack – most particularly, at the alleged instigation and sponsorship of predominantly Western countries, who have supposedly backed local opposition political parties, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), social and human rights defenders, the media, and anyone who dares criticise the regime’s cold-hearted, corrupt, and callous activities – have been characterized by the bastardization of the law, security forces, and other shady underhand tactics, under the pretext of fighting against an imagined asymmetrical warfare.
Anyone who has dared question the ruling junta’s anti-people and anti-social tendencies, has experienced the full unrestrained wrath of an intolerant, undemocratic, and paranoid group of people – whose only response to any dissent is not civilized dialogue, but rage, vitriol, and atrocities.
In spite of all this – the people of Zimbabwe have known one thing – “give a fool enough rope, and he will hang himself” – and, indeed, true to nature, the regime has eventually exposed itself, and proved to be the absolute truth, what they have been denying all these years – as they seek to force their brand of tyrannical misrule over their democratic neighbor South Africa.
The recent utterances and vitriolic spewing by the ruling ZANU PF party’s director of information and publicity Tafadzwa Mugwadi speaks volumes about the ruling establishment’s psych – as he verbally ravaged that country’s public broadcaster’s (South African Broadcasting Corporation – SABC) foreign correspondent Sophie Mokoena over her reports, which truthfully, fairly, and fearlessly questioned the Zimbabwe government’s uncaring, unloving, and inhumane policies towards the suffering population.
Notwithstanding Mugwadi’s vain and unacceptable attempts to muzzle this bold and principled lady’s journalistic stance – shrouded in the usual unbelievable accusations, and unsubstantiated ‘illegal regime change’ plots, ostensibly led by Western imperialists, and G40 (a rival ZANU PF faction, ousted during the November 2017 coup, that also toppled the late dictator Robert Gabriel Mugabe) – he unashamedly proceeded to throw some threats towards South Africa’s ruling ANC party, that, if they did not stifle media, and freedom of expression rights, which are held sacrosanct in that country, he would ‘publish a bombshell regarding the ANC trip to Zimbabwe’.
If such reckless utterances – which, sought to blackmail a fellow and ‘brotherly nationalist movement’, into joining in ZANU PF’s own checkered and oppressive misrule, of trampling upon every known and globally acceptable tenet of democracy, freedom, and human rights, whilst riding roughshod over the defenceless citizenry – did not finally expose to the world, the Zimbabwe regime’s true colonial-minded colours, then I do not know what will.
Who knows what could be next – possibly, blackmailing the South African government into decimating any opposition parties in their country (such as the Democratic Alliance, and Economic Freedom Fighters, who have been very critical of the Harare administration), in the same crooked fashion as the Zimbabwe regime has done the MDC.
Here is an opportunistic ruling elite, that has made a career of lying and deceiving the world about its sadistic and cruel character, now hanging itself in full view of this same world – as, people can finally have a front-row clear image of an establishment that survives by crushing, muzzling, and intimidating the media, and any other voices of the voiceless, who have been speaking for those silenced for decades, under a unrelenting dark cloud of pure evil.
From today, who will honestly not know what manner of ‘hell on earth’ the people of Zimbabwe have been suffering under, for the past four decades?
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263733399640 / +263715667700, or Calls Only: +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com
COMMENTS
Yes this is true and also neighbouring Zambia.