By Wilbert Mukori- Dear Leonard Koni
“Zimbabwe is a like a soldier marking time and not going anywhere,” you wrote in a local publication.
“Our government has been so dysfunctional for a very long time, but the majority of the people feel in the air the winds of change blowing in from all four corners of the country.”
You are right, Zimbabwe has indeed been “marking time (40 years to be precise) and not going anywhere”!
“Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” said the great Physicist Albert Einstein.
We have been participating in rigged elections for 40 years, 40 bloody years, and every time we have expected a different result, expected Zanu PF to lose. If that does not speak volumes of the insanity in our country then nothing else will!
The tragedy about insanity is the insane rarely ever have the intellectual sober moment to comprehend their serious mental limitations, especially when years of making the same foolish mistakes has become the norm.
It is common for the insane can even consider themselves wiser than King Solomon! “Hupenzi inyama yengakava!” (The insane are stubbornly insane!) as one would say in Shona.
“This is the right time for people who have suffered under the leadership of this regime to rally behind enterprising politician Jacob Ngarivhume who has set the pace and taken it upon himself to lead the struggle,” you argued.
“The joining of Nelson Chamisa of MDC-Alliance, Dr Noah Manyika from Build Zimbabwe and Nkosana Moyo of APA to join the masses is a welcome move.”
These four gentlemen, you are arguing the nation to rally behind, are quintessential examples of the “insane being stubbornly insane”! Nelson Chamisa and his MDC colleagues stubbornly refused to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections during the 2008 to 2013 GNU.
The four named gentlemen plus hundreds of other opposition candidates, there were 23 presidential candidates alone, participated in the July 2018 elections although it was clear Zanu PF was rigging the elections. By participation gave credibility to the flawed electoral process which in turn gave some modicum of legitimacy to the vote rigging Zanu PF regime.
“We want political reforms and these reforms must have people’s consultation. We want credible elections in this country. We don’t want a repeat of the past,” announced Nelson Chamisa in his hour-long e-rally.
“So, there are no 2023 elections without reforms. We have the capacity to say there are no elections, and they will not be held because we are the people. We want elections with comprehensive electoral and political reforms.”
Chamisa was just saying that to fool people into believing the penny has finally dropped, he now fully appreciates the futility of participating in these flawed and illegal elections. He has made similar undertakings in the past only to discard them. He will do so again.
Ever since the embarrassment of having to share power with MDC during the 2008 GNU, Zanu PF leaders have learned they can continue rigging the elections as long as the party allows the opposition to win a few gravy train seat. The opposition’s participation has been the façade that Zimbabwe is a healthy multiparty democracy and therefore does not need another GNU.
Just before the 2023 elections, Zanu PF will probably amend the constitution to create Leader of Opposition and Shadow cabinet; the holders will be entitled to ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc., etc. Just to spice up the opposition bait! Zanu PF knows it does not need to implement even one reform to be guaranteed of the opposition’s full house participation in the 2023 elections. Chamisa will join in the scramble for the gravy train scraps.
“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” was Chamisa’s feeble excuse for participating in the 2018 elections. Rest assured he will come up with yet another feeble excuse for participating in the 2023 elections with no reforms!
“The people are ready from 31st July 2020 to occupy the streets in all major cities and towns. Workers are planning to stop work except hospitals. Diaspora must also play a role and occupy embassies,” you argued.
“Let the 31st of July 2020 be the start of a journey and mark the beginning of peace and prosperity to progressive Zimbabweans. Together we can.”
A rousing clarion call indeed but all to no purpose. One look at what you want the nation to join the street protests for; shows this is just another exercise in futility!
“The current government lacks the inclusiveness of other progressive ideas. It does not even attempt to engage the opposition and always suspect it as the greatest impediment to its policies.”
In November 2017 Zimbabweans were on the street celebrating the removal one dictator but only to replace him with another dictator. Now you want to remove this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship but only to replace it with the equally corrupt and incompetent MDC regime. The same MDC leaders whose breath-taking incompetence costed the nation many golden opportunities to end the dictatorship. Of course, this is just marking time and going nowhere. How anyone can view that as making progress, beggars belief!