Is it time to “Rediscover Zimbabwe”?

By Andrew Manyevere

By all means Zimbabwe needs resuscitating from the shackles of poor governance. Zimbabwe need political revival so that transparency is neither a preserve of political parties’ hierarchies nor that of the Government of the day; but a national interest asset. The need for transparency has ranked neck to neck with that of freedom in Zimbabwe as well as in many other developing nations in the world. The greatest setback to Zimbabwe rediscovery process is the failure to make changes to the political playground. A further setback is found in the apparent disregard of people wishes through incessant electoral rigging supported on the diplomatic level by cheating of such activities and concealing of the same by the supervision of African Union that baptizes these unfair practices as credible, free and relatively fair.

The fact that irrespective of Zanu vote rigging, irrespective of Zanu government still beating Zimbabweans for voting the way they did, irrespective of a ’new’ land invasion again under Zanu leadership encouragement simmering in the country and already taking place; that the MDC holds her ground to calling for an accountable behaviour on Zanu, is a tribute that hope for resuscitating good governance in Zimbabwe is something still on the cards. Hope cannot be given up. But much more needs to be done, both at home and abroad, for a massive influence to echo change on the rediscovery of Zimbabwe potential and capacity to improve lives in Africa and in the world.

A colleague John Berry has written a compelling article on the need to rediscover Zimbabwe using foreign exchange income statistics as only one avenue among many, on how important tourism was to Zimbabwe economic success story of yesterday. And indeed with an average income of above 200 million US dollars annually from 1997 through 1999, the evidence of contribution made by tourism cannot be denied at all. What is at stack is, has and will remain the question on good governance and the dismal failure to uplift simple tenets of rule of law by Zanu government.

This argument should not be confused with the hopeful statement that MDC government or that of any opposition government, has always helped improve prospects of good governance. In the case of Zimbabwe we argue that it will only be so if a world supervised election is made possible, which we further content that a world supervised election cannot be held for as long as Mugabe and his Zanu cohorts believe:

1. That the 1970s’ armed struggle was a tribute due to Zanu party alone, discounting the ordinary people who fought for the cause-freedom- than for the cult veneration of one party Zanu/Zapu either then in the battle fields or now as a Zanu-PF failing government it has become. Zanu totally failed to grow the economy, to csustain employment, to keep home grown peace and the forgiving of political opponents. People still fret at the discomfort of running away from their homes at night from Zanu hooligans. It is unfortunate that fear does not make it possible for openness in this reality that makes life a night mare in Zimbabwe today.
2. That people’s freedom to talk on Mugabe’s name and criticise him personally and openly as well as criticise his party, is not a choice at all and is not allowed under the current laws-AIPA & POSA
3. That the richer in Zanu can do everything including to kill game and sell the ivory as well as pretend that they are closing up on game poachers publicly, will leave poaching status quo the same for many years to come. It is one thing painting a glorious but false international image on rule of law when law is not applied evenly to all in the country. MDC supporters spend more than two years in jail and they are released as though it is a favour when it is a result of police politicization that makes them ignore due diligence in investigations prior to victimization that goes on unsupervised in the country today.
4. That minerals are a preserve of China and Zanu soldiers, Zanu top hierarchy personnel and their cronies. The case where President Mugabe blames a Masimirembwa for stealing $ 6millions from a Ghana Business man in minerals is a typical case of the iceberg where the hierarchy tries and cover themselves against overt corruption carried by their cohorts. The rot is big and far spread. To seek victimization will not solve the big spreading of corruption by ministers.
5. That strong opposition is a work of the western powers to overthrow Mugabe, idolizes Mugabe as a hero which he has since ceased to be and creates in his uneducated cohorts and the public an impression that Mugabe is loved. On the contrary these views are created from those who benefit more from the corruption by staging cases of ‘our dear Robert Mugabe’ in public while they are privately rewarded.
6. That bribery of all who hunger for political power should be the way to silent contenders. That allegation of corruption being carried on from the western nations or opposition political parties should be dismissed as western propaganda, ignored and never investigated is an order is and can almost be confirmed as a norm to avoiding accountability.

In other words, all good inputs by any well-meaning contributor will go to waste blamed as western ploy to overthrow the “revolutionary government.” Political organizing runs on slogans that denigrate opposition as a sellout organization, a term that is very much derogatory, diminutive and so despiteful that it only fits to classify a social outfit in the community.

It is difficult therefore for the local government to defend mismanagement of conservation.

While preserving our national heritage in terms of fauna and flora should not necessarily be defended by international media, just as the abuse of people by its own government should not be the work of outside media to defend; who could do it if government does not care? Does Zanu government care about the lives of her people? On face value yes, but the truth is Minister Mutasa would not have said that Zanu can do better eliminating all who oppose it and leave only those who agree with her. History bears evidence that Mugabe addressing rallies prides himself of having a degree in violence and that he would use his own feast to beat Morgan or the late MDC Vice president, Gibson Sibanda. This evidence proves that a leopard cannot change its colours or else it will be in denial. Can such a leopard be trusted with a goat overnight? Can such a government be trusted with governance of people without abuse?

This is not to say other opposing political parties could be better or are better, but to suggest that political growth in Zimbabwe has been stunted mainly through use of violence as a silencing tool that scares reasoning out of the ordinary person. For someone from elsewhere than Zimbabwe, it will be easier say than done to suggest that Zimbabweans must forget the differences behind them and begin building the future. There has never been major differences, I submit, other than the imaginary preached by those who have robbed the nation and are afraid that their loot will be nakedly exposed if change comes to fruition.

Unfortunately, the poor’s behaviour to the rich is like of people taking drugs. They have, by addiction, to rely even on drugs (the rich) that poison their lives away gradually. Their reasoning to fight oppression away, short term to the poor, would appear as if it is committing suicide.  The rigors required to train anyone out of drug abuse typically should help indicate the length process people have to understand the elaborate educational process it requires to have anyone oppressed and poor accept, and let alone, participate in passive resistance as a means to ending oppressive ways.

History has to teach us that Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu had conditioned orphanage children’s minds into believing he was the only father they had and so they would protect him with their lives. Without Ceausescu, the Romanian orphanage children believed life would be horrible and would therefore use everything in their power to preserve Ceausescu’s life. It is not difficult to see this concept running strong in Zanu, because they believe in Mugabe and neither in the people nor do they have faith in national interest. No doubt tourism that today Zanu under plays by sheer acts of poor governance, is a result of losing vision on the national interest and priorities. Indeed personal glory of individuals that are in Zanu has taken precedence over matters of national interest. Even though they host the international tourism after 31 July 2013 rigged elections, their actions, in my opinion, are far from their day to day chores of duty. It is painful to know that leaders talk only in public but never follow with action. History teaches us that behaviours driven on greedy and avarice are die hard.

Is it difficult to focus on national interest and rediscover Zimbabwe? Not at all, except as we culture the spirit of primitive tradition of chieftainship, in leadership, without fully taking account of the traditional rituals relevant to this requirement. For as long as we condone corruption because of being beneficiaries, as Africa has clearly shown on Zimbabwe  on the 31 July 2013 election case, Africa will have to accept her share in the pillage of revolution when she matures and to accept, as well, responsibilities over blood shade. The pain caused to silent masses of Africa from seeking freedom will not go on forever. There is no guarantee that the status quo will rule for many years in the face of a brewing genocidal tendency brought about by the blatant disregard of the masses cry over oppression exercised upon them by the self-appointed dictators on the continent.

Dialectical materialism will have to be reversed if no revolution does not envelope the continent in the next ten years given the open disregard of the masses requests by self-appointed dictators across Africa. If the African Union (AU) was able to separate bad governance from good, there would be a chance of change being gradual on the continent. People are running out of patience as more signals from the AU democratic electoral and human rights supervisory machineries mark the demise to grooming real democracy on the continent.

Africa, will take long to shift from its military hardware purchasing stance that support to maintain dictatorship in power than considering the need for the life and survival of conservation in the flora and fauna of the land. The strong budget to defend fauna and flora on the continent will come from a generation that will have fought against dictatorship as a system and not as a West against the East creature of ideology. One would have assumed that the art of looking after creation arises from the respect of the stewardship concept assigned to Adam originally in the Garden of Eden. It turns out this is a simplistic view of perceiving man and his new fortunes in leadership.

If black Zimbabwean leadership respected the conservation of life generally, our country would be able to yield much to the benefit of all of us without marginalizing one another into subject of abject poverty. We have much to offer the world provided we are organized on simple requirements of self-respect, respect of the constitution and respect of good governance including rule of law. Given our new era after April 1980, the performance has run short of good report except that we have leveled blame on any mistakes as coming from western nations and on the recent sanctions on individuals who were considered detrimental to sustenance and upkeep of rule of law. Truth be told, without complete departure from the trial and era methods Zanu employed in the last thirty four years, which among others included stolen freedom from the masses, corrupt allocation of services on the basis of one being a Zanu card holding member; no success economically could be envisaged in Zimbabwe.

We have all it takes for the economy to take off. We have educated, skilled and experienced personnel abroad and at home to take the new challenge. Given that good governance is put in place, with good financial support, the resources in the country would easily salvage us from the negative trade patterns to a respectful balance of payments on foreign exchange. This would take us back to the bread basket world classification on the continent. All Zimbabweans need to consider is the best way to come out of this impasse burying the hatchet on poor governance, rule of law and resurrecting the respect of human life and rights. Zimbabweans have to adopt an open polite reasoning approach that leaves room to accept disagreement than resort to an insulter-gesture match. Our extremes is what we see in Mugabe who punishes people for every bad word uttered on him despite that he is a national leader. We have more strength of good and positives than of negatives. As we numerate these tributes of who we are, we should maintain our humour which is the basis of our intelligence. Our intelligence is not found in making others miserable and Zanu needs stop that or else it is an outcast system imposed by fear to answer and be accountable.

Our personality that embodies long suffering coupled with humour need not be mistaken for weakness. The greedy though that beclouds choices is a fact of economic survival which Zanu has exploited distorting our person and character. Let us all help in rediscovering what made Zimbabwe the bread basket of Africa. We need take off dictatorship from our vocabulary and reverse mental distortion caused by Zanu.in defining our person and character as violent and dictatorial. We all matter in this exercise. The decision is by collective consensus, the leadership though is based on brilliance of tactics to maneuver those who connive against common sense.