The House that Zimbabweans Build

via The House that Zimbabweans Build May 27, 2014 at 9:42pm By Nkululeko Tapuwa Zvenyika

If the carrion that is ZANU PF, exemplified by its leader, continues to decompose in public without anyone taking urgent steps to quarantine the rot, the contagion will continue to spread and ossify, and will almost be impossible to eradicate. We, Zimbabweans, have for a very long time deluded ourselves into thinking that because corruption is as politically ubiquitous as national governments, we should therefore accept and sometimes ignore it as an integral part of politics. It is not.  We, the People, have continued with our naïve trust and hope that politicians will come with a solution to the problems that they, themselves, created and are benefitting from.  They won’t and can’t.

The fumes of the war and the resultant “liberation” from the Smith regime intoxicated us. The hangover manifested itself in a generation of euphoric national delusion and selective blindness. A hands-off approach to apparent poor governance infected our national psyche. Our timid response if not paralysis to what has been glaringly open to us watered the fecundity of corruption and corruption thrived.

We have always known that Mugabe and gang are extremely corrupt but we have accommodated them and in many circles even condoned the corruption. “Who would not do the same if given the chance?” was the most common rhetorical response to the scandals of the 80s and early 90s. But as incredible as the response sounds today, it betrays the general attitude that pervaded Zimbabwe then. We fooled ourselves and failed to realize that corruption starts as a very tiny seed, but quickly geminates. Like the Japanese kudzu it spreads, takes over, and kills all other life in its path, because like any other plant, it also needs sunlight. So, Obert Mpofu, Ignatius Chombo, Cuthbert Dube, Happison Muchechetere, Tazzen Mandizvidza, Phillip Chiyangwa and every and obvious unmentionables within ZANU PF’s who is who need money to survive and outshine each other. Resultantly, they manufacture avenues of power and open corridors of political and social influence to corruptly feed their insatiable greed.  Thus, from the post office to the birth and death registry, and from the town halls and city halls to ministers and cabinet members the beast must be fed. Unfortunately, We, the People quietly witness the feeding frenzy with continued timid response. Meanwhile the plunder continues.

The fact that the tip of the iceberg was exposed, courtesy of Cuthbert Dube, will not in any way stop the wheels of corruption from spinning.  The exposure was a mockery. A dare to test us, assess and see what we can do. They found scapegoats and blamed everything and everyone other than the real culprits. Jonathan Moyo and his leader started the ball rolling. Now SILENCE about the corruption that they “unearthed” dominates the political air waves. In fact they will continue to feed with gusto, because they know they are untouchable and not a single Zimbabwean will bring them to account. But it is We, the People, who give them that mindset and the power and the opportunity to do as they please and run the country as their family business.  We even celebrate our dear leader’s academic exploits.

Outside, the very old man, Moyo and Chombo are good examples of how We ought not allow the wool of academic charade pulled over us. Academic pursuit must be encouraged, but should never be used to blind us. Corruption is powerful. Both these “accomplished academics” were ordinary lecturers- perhaps on reflection CIO plants- but the two University of Zimbabwe emeriti manage to perfect the definition of hypocrisy, and prostituted themselves to the demands of political tyranny for personal glory, never mind the dictates and expectations of their former professional life, and yet we still listen to them and allow Chombo to dictate to our corrupt local governments to run the rural, town and city councils as he pleases. It’s on us whether we like to think it as such or not.

Legitimately one may ask, “Who among us is capable and responsible for taking the suggested ‘urgent steps to quarantine the [ZANU PF] rot?’”. The answer is very simple. It is We the People. We are all responsible and very capable of taking those urgent steps.  Let us reflect a little and see how and why.

After 34 years in power, we are now all or we should all be aware, of how ZANU PF can unashamedly take credit for good weather. But of great significance is how they have hijacked and appropriated all the credit for “liberating us from the British.” To begin with they did not liberate us from the British, but the war of liberation was fought against Ian Smith. Most importantly, in the history of the world, no guerilla warfare has ever been won or can be won, without the support and/or participation of the masses, and no dictatorship can survive if people refuse to be used. ZANU PF knows that. That is why for the past 34 years it has firmly planted its fortunes on the pedestal of misinformation, propaganda, intimidation, division and disinvests us of our potential. Fortunately, we are no longer politically or intellectually bankrupt. Three decades of poor governance, corrupt practices, brutality and policies devoid of any positive returns is enough.

Listen to the deafening silence coming from the recently exposed Cuthbert, Mandiwanzira and other scandals. Nothing is going to change unless We, the People, reclaim our power back.

Our power lies in the critical need and willingness to unite and refuse to be used by these vultures. Refuse to do their dirty work. Without collaboration from some of us, Mugabe and his cronies or any politician for that matter, can never be powerful enough to abuse us, to lie to us, to enrich himself/herself at our expense and to take us as his/her subjects. All of us must refuse to be used, refuse to violate the rights of our fellow citizens and respect self by taking the golden rule, “do unto others that you wish to be done unto you”, seriously and see how easy it is to take the necessary steps to rid ourselves of this rot.

It’s not wishful thinking. It’s the only avenue to liberty, prosperity and justice for all. WE CAN DO IT. WE SHOULD DO IT. AND WE WILL DO IT, only the time is now.

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