By Briggs Bomba | Some have questioned whether Zimbabweans have any reason to celebrate the fall of President Robert Mugabe, and sentiments are divided over the meaning of this change to the struggle for democracy and their aspirations for a better future.
I argue that Zimbabweans have every reason to celebrate Mugabe’s fall but that the bigger task is to use this opportunity to organize with more vigor for a more democratic and just Zimbabwe.
Further, I assert that Mugabe’s fall creates a new cultural climate of which Zimbabweans must take advantage to launch a new era of invigorated civic organizing and citizen agency in the country.
While this new cultural climate may be imperceptible to an observer removed from the scene, the change in the atmosphere for civic organizing in the country is palpable. It is marked, among other things, by the facts:
- That Zimbabweans have for the first time in 37 years experienced that change is possible;
- That the people’s will, as expressed in the slogan “Mugabe must go!”, was finally affirmed; and
- Furthermore, the fact that Zimbabweans of all races, all generations, all social classes and all political affiliations had the unique unifying experience of speaking in one voice in the country’s biggest-ever mass action.
Coming from this experience, the people’s mood is upbeat and there is a more earnest conversation than before about people’s dreams and aspirations and the substance of the change that people want.
One Reply to “Mugabe’s Fall, Ordinary Citizens Can Now Reclaim The Country | OPINION”
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@ Briggs Bomba
There is a world of difference between seeing what is there and seeing what you wish to see. You are seeing the latter and are desperately trying to convince yourself it is the reality.
“I argue that Zimbabweans have every reason to celebrate Mugabe’s fall but that the bigger task is to use this opportunity to organize with more vigour for a more democratic and just Zimbabwe,” you say.
“Further, I assert that Mugabe’s fall creates a new cultural climate of which Zimbabweans must take advantage to launch a new era of invigorated civic organizing and citizen agency in the country.”
You admit that the “bigger task” was making sure there is democratic reforms. In other words, getting Mugabe to go was the smaller task. I would argue that the 18 November 2017 march to demand Mugabe to go has been greeted by many as a monumental achievement and greeting of the Army as liberation heroes was heart felt. The coup plotters have lapped it all up and they have gone to town about how this being a “new era of democratic dispensation, etc.”
So, whether you care to admit it or not it is irrelevant, what has happened is many Zimbabweans saw the resigned of Mugabe not as small achievement with more to come but as the big achievement. President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies are burning the midnight oil to convince the masses it was the greatest achievement the nation ever wanted.
The truth is whatever head of steam the nation had built for demanding democratic change is was wasted on getting Mugabe to go. It is going to take nany Zimbabweans months if not years, some people are already arguing to give Mnangagwa a chance to prove himself, for people to realise they were short changed. They should have concentrated on getting democratic reforms implemented and thus dismantle the dictatorship. After all no dictator will survive without the dictatorship, he or she will be a fish out of water. We failed to drain the swamp because we were excited we got the big dictator and a few others around him but left many others to take their place.
“While this new cultural climate may be imperceptible to an observer removed from the scene, the change in the atmosphere for civic organizing in the country is palpable,” you continued
What are you talking about? It was none other than grouping of the country’s Church and civic society organisation who wrote to President Mnangagwa asking him to form a government of national unity. Of course, that was a foolish call because if the last GNU supervised by SADC failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years what hope is there that a Zanu PF one would do any better!
We have had many golden opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship but wasted them because we failed to keep our eyes on the ball. We have made the same mistake again and again because some people did not see the folly of being distracted. Taking our eyes off the dictatorship to concentrate on Mugabe was a foolish thing to do and the very least we can do is admit and learn from that.