By Farai Maguwu| If one wants to understand the sorry state of government workers they first need to understand how the ruling party officials treat their employees or service providers at their homes or private enterprises. Its inhuman, degrading and purely modern day slavery. I am even shocked they stand up to talk about the rights of black people on world platforms such as UNGA.
Today I just came across an old friend who had walked all the way from Chikanga to my hood where he intended to collect the money he is owed by a senior ZANU PF youth leader in Manicaland. My friend did plumbing work for this guy at his mine a while ago and charged USD 1800. He was paid $1000 and thereafter repeated efforts to get his balance were fruitless. The ZANU PF official went on to block him on his phone. When he tried to call him using his wife’s mobile the guy hung up the phone the moment he detected his voice. So today after walking 8-10 KM he was told he is not around.
He said a while ago he also did plumbing work for the ZANU PF youth leader’s neighbour who was an aspiring Member of Parliament in 2018. When he came to collect his money the guy asked him to walk with him to his car. Then as they sat in his car he said to him, ‘my maid told me that you attempted to rape her when you were working here.’ My friend said is this coming up now because I have come asking for payment for the work I did for you. The ZANU PF official went on ranting that rape is a serious offence and he first need to clear his name with the courts. My friend said how can he clear his name with the courts when nothing was reported to the Police in the first place. He then told him that he was going to the Police to report 2 cases : That he is being falsely accused of rape and that this guy was refusing to pay him for his plumbing services. He walked out of his car and started his long jny home on foot. The ZANU guy drove behind him, caught up with him and started shouting at him and threatening him from his car along the way. My friend ignored him.
Finally the ZANU guy softened and said ‘no, don’t go to the Police, let me give you your money’ and he promptly gave him his dues. Both ruling party officials are armed. I was told they sometimes physically assault people who come asking for their money after working for them. I have heard several stories of ZANU PF officials abusing workers at mines and farms – majority walking away empty handed after being threatened with death.
Two weeks ago I read some reports that businessman and banker Nyambira had lost 123 cattle allegedly poisoned by his security guard. Many were quick to attack the guard as evil. Whilst i felt sorry for the animals, I have delayed passing judgement on the guard. I am still asking myself questions on what could have driven him to such extremes. Possibly its non payment of wages, or earning insulting wages and threats of death if someone complains.
So here we are, senior politicians and supposedly leaders in society but with no moral values – rotten to the core. If all goes to plan, these are going to be tomorrow’s cabinet ministers, perhaps one of them Minister Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the other might be appointed Minister of Defence. How can such criminals, who must be in jail in the first place, improve the conditions of service for government employees if they can’t pay someone who has rendered them a service to make their own homes habitable? No great country can be built when we enslave each other like this. If slavery by Europeans on Africans was evil then slavery by Africans on Africans is double evil.
I believe a criminal will always be a criminal. Appointing a wicked person who has no empathy for others to positions of authority does NOT transform them into humane leaders. Even electing them in a free and fair election does not change them just because now they are holding honourable titles. They simple become elected criminals and will use their positions for self gratification. They remain dishonourable characters, evil, indifferent to human suffering and displeasing to God who require that all men be treated with dignity and utmost respect as we are all created after His image. This is why one Saul of Tarsus, thinking his cruelty was directed at men of a slightly different faith to his, as he journeyed on his way to inflict more harm on God’s people, was shocked when a bright and forceful light shone around him, forcing him to fall off his donkey and a voice called “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
What Zimbabwe needs are leaders who identify with the people’s suffering. Who feel and experience what the people are feeling and experiencing daily. Human civilisation has advanced in leaps and bounds as people in positions of authority deploy their energies towards alleviating and preventing human suffering. For that reason the United Nations was formed in 1948 and has set up various instruments to protect mankind from beastly men who regard no one but themselves.
The article was extracted from Farai Maguwu’s Facebook page