VICTORY IN THE WILDERNESS: AN EPISTLE TO THE PEOPLE OF MASVINGO URBAN CONSTITUENCY

01 -09-2023

Dear Masvingo Urban Constituency

As I sit down on my chair, behind the wooden table with my face cupped by tired hands, I write to you the people of Masvingo Urban Constituency not so much in happiness nor not so much in sadness but anguish. I came to you to ask for your support during the campaign period and moment, all souls and hopes were engrained in the anticipation for a New Zimbabwe, a dream that most of you shared with me and resonated well as outlined in my Manifesto, which you all endorsed on the day of plebiscite.

Overwhelmingly, you expressed your choice by Voting for all the 7 Masvingo Urban Councillors. Overwhelmingly, you voted for me as your messenger to the August House of the 10th Parliament. Overwhelmingly , you voted for my president Adv Chamisa Nelson as your 4th President of the Republic Zimbabwe. This sealed the fate of Masvingo Urban decision, compounded by the loins and groins of a not so good environment and electoral cycle but a seasonal plebiscite in the name of democratic elections.

We set the PARALLEL TABULATION CENTRE for the Constituency after receiving intelligence of a manipulated poll ahead of us. We invited the students community and academics to mann our command centre, which was a hive of activity few days before poll, on the polling day and post polls. The Command Centre had all the manpower needed to defend the looming victory, Reaction Teams, Data Capturers, Information gurus, Roving Agents, and political demagogues not forgetting the caterers. The role of ward Chief election Agents and Councillors remained above par, there is always a God in heaven.

A Deployment was done with full training of equipped agents, robust background checks was done to all the Techno 1s who were trained towards the counting procedures and more importantly the need to stand on the Principle pillar against evil machinations by the regime to steal our victory using the weaker exit points by the regime. Ludicrous was the regime with its surrogates which after failing to bribe our agents had to turn polling stations into Zanu Pf Cell meeting points where voters were expected to register their names at the point of entry and marked names at the point of exit, this never happened during the history of our motherland but the regime stooped so low to bring it’s intimidation tactics in the CBD.

I remembered a table was code named Exit Poll Survey was stationed at Civic Centre polling station ward 9, another table was behind the polling station at Rujeko Admin ward 7, infact every polling station had such tables. Our reaction team deployed from the Command Centre had running battles the whole day clashing with the team at these polling stations. The worst move was when the table was moved from civic center to the Beitbridge Bridge Highway in the midst of the road, all this aimed at sending intimidation message to anyone who would vote for CCC, the effect was that some faint hearted members returned back home and refused to vote amid this callous acts by the regime.

I could feel my tears rolling down my cheeks, I felt for the ordinary Citizen in Bvukururu, Mukwirimba, Matsai, Chiremwaremwa, Nyarumwe, Zengeya, Gedhe Maranganyika, Muvava, Manyuchi, Mushambanevhu, Chisheche, Mushayavanhu, Silverdale, Tongogara, Shindi, Mandambabwe, Peter Peregwe, Chavasikana, Mukazi, Matedzi, Chibwedziva, Matandamaviri and realised that this so called election was no an election but a process by the regime to rubber stamp their hegemonic agenda in the name of periodic election.

I felt the deep pain within me and asked myself the reason for participating in such a scam and shameful process predetermined by antics and perpetrators of previous heinous crimes. The whole country was turned into a war zone and the atmosphere could tell that this is not the Zimbabwe that Lookout Masuku wanted, this was not the Zimbabwe that led to the demise of Hebert Chitepo, could this be the Zimbabwe that Tungamirai fought for against Smith? Definitely, not. I do not want to recall the events of the day and this shameful election because even during the highest level of madness in Africa, no such paradigmatic disjuncture was ever done against the ethos and constitutional provisions by any country in the name of reclaiming power, not even Sudan nor Uganda in the madness of Museveni.

I did not win the election when the masses lost, I did not win the election when my people are crying, I did win when there is nothing to smile about , I did not win when we don’t have tallying results, it is not all about my personal Victory in the wilderness but the win for everyone. The mood in this country could have been telling that Zimbabwe has won, a deadlock is looming, the wilderness is ahead of us, dark cloud is upon us, but for the record there is no victory for Masvingo Urban Constituency without national victory. There is no victory for Martin Mureri without the victory of President Chamisa Nelson. I shall be guided by the ethos, resolutions, principles, and guidelines of the party as guided by the citizens who are the custodians of this revolutionary trajectory , a fundamental pillar of citizens driven initiative.

Your vote shall never be in vain, your support shall never be wasted, I shall remain indebted to you, my fellow compatriots as we receive the way forward and an unfolding conundrum of this nation, where we are going to stand tall and walk amongst a generation of my people on the highway to change.

This victory in the wilderness shall forever stand as sign post of a looming Canaan. Israelites wandered in the wilderness fir fourty years not because Canaan was too that far, the Pillar of fire and cloud determined their road map and pace of travel. We have wandered in the wilderness for so long, we have stayed in the plains for too long, I invite the people of our motherland to stand on the touch line as we wait for the unfolding events during the few coming weeks.

Signing off, I did not write this letter celebrating the befitting victory you gave us in Masvingo Urban Constituency, I did not write this letter in jubilation nor in the perchance of my stature as an MP Elect of Masvingo Urban Constituency, but a lone voice in the wilderness, the yesteryear defender of human rights, the voice of the dejected masses of our people, the voice of the downtrodden, the voice of the victims of political chicanery and machinations, that yesteryear voice shall get louder and louder now that it is bestowed with a mandate from you people of my motherland, I am writing to promise that I shall be with you, I will be amongst poor men and women in our streets , the thank you message shall come, the citizens caucuses shall come, the model of development we so wish in this Constituency shall be laid and tabled to you.

In turmoil and tenacity

Truly

Hon Adv Mureri Martin
Masvingo Urban Constituency