By Rawlings Magede
Tribute to Cont Mhlanga
Cont Mhlanga is retired today, having left Amakhosi theatre, a company he founded in 1982.Yes 1982.Today this great icon is now based in his rural home of Lupane, retired yet continuing to offer inspiration to upcoming actors in theatre and drama. The dream of churning out actors who would put Zimbabweans on the international map, still lives to this day. Recently I had an opportunity to spend a day with this great icon in Lupane having paid a courtesy visit to learn from this great icon, lessons of what it takes to run and achieve such a seemingly impossible dream. When I quizzed him on why he chose to retire, his answer, soft but yet firm was that he felt he needed to give way to new ideas and new blood. Today the villagers in Lupane have a legend right in their background, a legend who groomed many established artists and actors who continue to fly the Zimbabwean flag high in different corners of the world. What amazed me when I was talking to Cont, is his desire to see artists self-sustainable beyond Amakhosi. Today, one of Zimbabwe’s decorated artist, Cont mingles with villagers, having fought a good fight and defied odds. Cont Mhlanga, a true Zimbabwean legend, who contributed immensely to the development of arts and theatre, a legend whose feat and determination is worth emulating. True legend, great respect.
Wither #Thisflag?
Zimbabwe has been experiencing a series of protests in the past few months against all sorts of vices such as cronyism, corruption and the general economic collapse. While this is commendable in as much as pushing government to account and be more transparent, the debate that currently tops on social media is the one of Pastor Evan, who invented #Thisflag movement. While critics have swiftly moved to brand the cleric a fraud, or fake, what is uncontestable is that his message resonated with what many were experiencing at the time. While this article is not dedicated to defend Mawarire, but it think what such critics miss is the notion that the struggle should not be personalized. Mawarire just like all of us, is a citizens who played his part and what is left is for us to play our parts aswell.The momentum that was gained during Mawarire’s campaign has fast faded away. Rather the fever has caught those especially in the diaspora who are using the social media to register their displeasure of the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe. While we have witnessed a few demonstrations over the last months, what is lacking is an organic and well-structured movement that glorifies overzealous individuals as champions. What is lacking are selfless individuals who will not be so much interested in “recording” the struggle to share on social media where their false acts of bravado and macho man like expeditions allow them to get a handful of likes and good comments. This is what is killing the momentum. While some try to use social media to wage a revolution, they remain unsuccessful. What is needed is an organic movement that puts on itself a citizen responsibility of making or bringing change. Added to this there have been changes that have taken place over the years. My question today is what is the reference and guiding document or charter that measures, reviews and evaluates our struggle from time to time? I will not waste effort to talk about NERA for obvious reasons. At times I wonder, how history will judge us after all the madness currently going abruptly comes to an end.
The two faces of ZANU PF factionalism
It’s beyond any shadow of doubt that factionalism continues to hinder economic growth and cripple efforts to combat corruption. The current turmoil in ZANU PF continues to unfold even in public glare. On one end, the two factions within ZANU PF continue to use anything at their disposal to make desperate points or continue to tear each other apart. The recent ZIMDEF scandal being the height of where factions can go in their bid to gain an upper hand. What is important to note is that those “high sounding nothing” scandals only serve services and lubricates factional politics. Nothing more. The debate on how Jonathan Moyo abused the Zimdef funds is now fading away. Money was misappropriated and that is just that. Such a case goes on to confirm the notion that has always been held that President Mugabe’s soft stance towards corruption have spurred his cronies to aim at breaking records of corruption.
Enter the greedy lot!
The news that war veterans are demanding US$500,000 made sad reading. Why this group of people thinks that Zimbabwe owes them and therefore should be held at ransom still baffles my mind. After the fallout of Christopher Mutsvangwa and his subsequent expulsion from ZANU PF, there has been increasing tensions between them and their patron, President Mugabe. In complete defiance of their patron, the war veterans severed their ties from ZANU PF. During this period, they have also made demands and offered “ultimatums” that include demands for payment of school fees for their children. The recent demand for the 500k highlights their latest outrageous demands. This is the group that was heavily rewarded with farms and ZW$50,000 gratuities in 1997.Their approach has somewhat been cunning, whenever they have made outrageous demands, President Mugabe has made a flurry of flamboyant promises to them, some of them so fantastical and unnecessary that many have wondered why President would wrap and trap himself in such unsustainable obligations. Just last week he donated cars to them. The government is currently saddled by a burden of paying salaries of civil servants while there is little or no production in the economy. The war veterans seem to have an upper hand because they are needed to mobilize and campaign for ZANU PF ahead of any election. This, they have done with zeal over the years with 2008 being their height of their brutality especially in the run up to the June presidential elections.ZANU PF on one hand has to deal with the fights within factions that seem not to be slowing down while on the other hand the constant menace and threat of the war veterans continues to haunt it and cause serious divisions.
The Mistake of 2013
While some people can give credit to ZANU PF for crafting a “catchy” electoral message in the form of its indigenization manifesto in the 2013 Presidential elections, it is the same propaganda that has returned to haunt it a few years later. The “indigenize, empower and develop’ propaganda has created a multitude of vendors and total economy collapse. Elections are about promises, but ZANU PF got caught up in its own rhetoric and refused, against all economic indicators, to alter its pledges. As a result the party came to power preoccupied with managing expectations instead of the country. Still today, the outrageous promises of creating a million jobs continues to fuel and arm social movements with messaging that is relative. Yet Mugabe’s image as an avuncular and wise statesman has been undone by his blustery, self-righteous anger in office, as he has taken a law-and-order, take-no-prisoners approach to all problems – even those requiring tact and negotiating acumen. With Mugabe improvising aimlessly and looking confused and ill-prepared to tackle emerging promises, some supporters even within his party are now saying that it would have perhaps been better if he had never “won” the 2013 elections. Instead he has found a new home, a fortress to protect him from pressure from domestic pressures. This new home is the frequent and unnecessary visits to afar off foreign lands even to summits that seem ignoble and petty for a whole head of state. This however has enabled him to remain the philosopher and false custodian of political morality that his party still imagine him to be, a transcendental figure unmoored to and above the messy contestations of politics and the complicated art of governance that he has failed to master.
The centre has lost hold
In all this, the centre of power doesn’t appear moved, rather the President has utilized any opportunity he gets in his new “fortress” to pour vitriol on imperialists whom he accuses of trying to recolonize us. What he knows is that he has lost the script and knows that no sooner than later, factionalism will have the last laugh. All things good or bad come to an end. Time today has failed me to talk about Social movements in Zimbabwe where serious discord and petty individualism continues to slow “momentum”. Dear reader I will tackle this issue in my other instalment.God bless Africa, God bless Zimbabwe!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
The Death of Opposition Politics and activism in Zimbabwe
During South Africa’s struggle for independence particularly in the 1960s, there was a period that became to be known as the “Lull”. During this period resistance movements which comprised of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the African National Congress (ANC) had been smashed by the white government. Robert Simangaliso Sobukwe the leader of PAC together with Nelson Mandela (ANC) had been arrested among other nationalist and the momentum that had been gained towards independence was fast dying down.
With no vibrant leadership, the people found themselves in retrogressive mode and this helped strengthen the white government as it enacted several pieces of legislation that helped fuel the apartheid system. Although new political outfits in the form of the Liberal party were formed, they came short of consolidating the few gains that had been brought by the ANC or PAC.What I find interesting about South African political parties at the time was that in 1955 they founded the Freedom Charter which had a buy in from several races in South Africa. This Charter bore their aspirations and hopes for a new South Africa. The Charter became a reference document or rallying point for the independent movements. The Charter was a compass they used to chart and define the cause of their struggle. Today vibrant politicians such as Julius Malema continue to quote the Charter many years after it was written. My inclination is to write about Zimbabwe lest I drift and wonder away.
Enter the Mugabe and the democrats documentary.
One of the muted debates of our times relates to the new 2013 constitution. The processes that led to the constitution making process itself was shrouded in a lot of controversy. What many wanted was a new constitution which mistakenly, many thought including political leaders, was going to remove ZANU PF from power. They told us the Lancaster constitution didn’t have term limits and that is why Mugabe had overstayed.
The documentary that some good Samaritans managed to record during the shameful constitution making process that was released last year made sad viewing. In it, you came face to face with two desperate co-chairs whose long-time friendship was tested time and again due to different political interests. In this documentary, you had two men desperate to get the job done away with of writing a constitution never mind the irregularities. Today all thanks to this good gesture to publish this revealing documentary, history will absolve and judge. This is a record that future generations will debate and remain on their restless lips.
Today we have a “good” constitution as they put it that cannot even help assist or protect its citizens who are being bombarded from every angle by a desperate government with all forms of abuse. In 2015 we all witnessed how many were dismissed from their jobs. If anything, the constitution actually shields and protects employers who in most cases are the same politicians who have hailed the new constitution as one of the best. The good constitution cannot even protect the exposed and vulnerable in society. Expecting a constitution written by politicians to defend the governed? Maybe in another life.
Of spent forces and disorganized movements
Ever since the 2013 elections which rendered many irrelevant in national politics and took the steam, zeal and passion, what we have seen that opposition parties lacked a fall back plan that would allow them to reorganise ourselves once again. The new constitution which they thought would midwife a raft of changes has thoroughly disappointed them. With over two thirds majority in Parliament, the real game changer lies in the hands of ZANU PF which seems to have power to do anything they want with the constitution.
One of the questions worth asking particularly in relation to the South African scenario is where our reference point in the quest for a free and just Zimbabwe lies. Of course opposition parties have tried with limited success to come up with documents in the form of the NERA’s but lack of buy-in from other stakeholders have rendered such initiatives futile. Now I hear there is a talk of a national convergence platform but all this is coming against a background where opposition politics lack a rallying point where they agree. For them this is a “lull” season where energy levels and strategies seem hard to come by.
The inclusive government divided opposition parties into many halves. While many thought that it was a dawn of a new era, those who didn’t get the chance to be part of it are busy playing the blame game. The momentum that was gained before the inclusive government has fast died down. Today you have many splinter outfits who have dared to launch an offensive but they continue to falter and fail with each passing day. What we have today is a disorganised movement where the battle of egos, personalities and academic qualifications seem to be taking precedence at the expense of real issues that need them, only them, to address.
Bon Voyage 2018
With a disorganised social movement, devoid of plan b, ZANU PF has managed to trivialise issues and divert their focus to the more puzzling responsibility of trying to interpret the threat posed by either G40 or Team Lacoste. In all this seeming madness, the media, which by design and function should be playing a watchdog role, is unfortunately caught up in the factionalism web puzzle. Daily, readers are being treated and fed with stories of how G40 or Team Lacoste is gaining ground though evidence of such hallucinations is hard to come by. Just like before ZANU PF, a master at diverting peoples’, attention has struck again. Remember the Baba Jukwa incident, who rose to national stardom overnight, whose hero status saw him being saluted at rallies. Against a falling memory, time has taken many prisoners.
In the final analysis, it’s imperative for opposition parties to reorganise themselves once again, if ever they dream of making a lasting impression. Better reorganise or go home!
The writer writes from Plumtree.The views expressed are his own.vamagede@gmail.com
Monday, November 30, 2015
Call to reintroduce National Youth Service sinister, premature
I enjoy reading Reason Wafawarova on Thursdays. While many find him partisan and reducible or too angry to give the reader any meaningful nuances or shifts, I have found an interesting transformation in his judgement and analysis of issues. This transformation if I may call it, however has been somewhat cautious in terms of not going too far in his criticism of the current ZANU PF government. His transformation has seen him denouncing corruption especially within government or lack of competencies which continue to manifest itself within some elements in government. For a writer who writes for the Herald, I think due credit especially on being objective must be given to him.
His latest instalment last Thursday titled, “A case for national youth service programme”, saw him make confidential revelations concerning the dreaded National Youth Service (NYS). He chronicles events from the NYS inception right up to its debacle in 2006.He passionately outlines that the NYS service was centred on three pillars-patriotism, unity and nationhood. When one relives the partisan conduct and incidents of violence by graduates from the NYS became, it becomes really difficult to be convinced that the NYS service was really centred on the three said pillars. If anything, the NYS became a ZANU PF dreaded militia responsible for campaigning on behalf of ZANU PF and crushing opposition descent in the country. I remember my uncle who was trained at Mushagashe Training centre, who narrated to me the indoctrination and cheap sloganeering that they were bombarded with during the training which brought out aggression and made them detested by the ordinary man.
The pillar of unity on which Wafawarova alleges to have been one of the founding pillars of the NYS, was only rhetorical as he himself even acknowledges that politicians diverted the programme for their selfish gains. The Border Gezi graduates as they are still known today, were used extensively particularly in the 2002 presidential elections. What even baffles my mind even today was the timing of the NYS.It was started immediately after the 2000 land reform, the referendum and amid a time of popularity by the MDC.All this raises suspicion of the NYS which was being led by politicians like Border Gezi during his stint as Minister of Youth, a staunch Mugabe loyalists. Honestly expecting Gezi, a Mugabe appointee, to implement a programme in a non-partisan manner, is akin to the old adage of not biting the hand that feeds you. This is a point that is rarely flagged when analysing the NYS programme. Unfortunately, against a failing human memory, events take advantage of time past to carve heroism out of the most gruesome deeds.
The NYS must be understood within that context where its success or reintroduction should be measured against its work that it carried out on the ground.Wafawarova doesn’t disagree that the programme was hijacked by politicians, but what he fails to do is to analyse that in the event of the reintroduction of programme, will it be implemented independently without abuse by politicians given that our politicians of the day tend to abuse literally anything as long it achieves their selfish ends.
What I somehow find amusing in Wafawarova article is his passionate plea to try and cleanse the NYS and blame it on politicians whom he says manipulated the programme. While in the article he chronicles acts of “bravery” that he carried out in trying to depoliticise the programme, it remains suspicious as to why he is making such disclosures now.Wafawarova as one of the people behind the programme, should even be answerable today concerning the acts of violence or partisan nature of the NYS graduates. Instead of trying to cry foul and trying to appeal for sympathy from the Ministry of Youths to have the programme reintroduced, he must rather devote his energies to try and unpack to us some of the controversies that still dog the NYS programme.
The call to have “to resell and repackage the NYS in a non-partisan way” not only reveals his desire to have a continuation of abuse of the programme but someone who is bent on having a perpetuation of the abuse of such a programme. In addition, given that the call is being made by someone domiciled in Australia even makes the whole issue a big joke. The fact that Minister Zhuwao is against or has ignored Wafawarova overtures is very revealing in modern day Zimbabwe where factionalism particularly within ZANU PF, might even have serious implications on the implementation of the programme.
For now Wafawarova must continue churning out more revealing articles concerning how they administered the NYS and start a discussion which will allow, citizens to evaluate the misdeeds of some of the graduates from the NYS.
In the final analysis, Wafawarova must however be credited for sparking such a debate concerning the NYS service since it already has a bad image especially when it comes to its conduct during election times. This debate is necessary in modern Zimbabwe where prevalence of peace has implications on development.
Rawlings Magede is a rural political enthusiast based in Nkayi, Matebeleland North Province vamagede@gmail.com
His latest instalment last Thursday titled, “A case for national youth service programme”, saw him make confidential revelations concerning the dreaded National Youth Service (NYS). He chronicles events from the NYS inception right up to its debacle in 2006.He passionately outlines that the NYS service was centred on three pillars-patriotism, unity and nationhood. When one relives the partisan conduct and incidents of violence by graduates from the NYS became, it becomes really difficult to be convinced that the NYS service was really centred on the three said pillars. If anything, the NYS became a ZANU PF dreaded militia responsible for campaigning on behalf of ZANU PF and crushing opposition descent in the country. I remember my uncle who was trained at Mushagashe Training centre, who narrated to me the indoctrination and cheap sloganeering that they were bombarded with during the training which brought out aggression and made them detested by the ordinary man.
The pillar of unity on which Wafawarova alleges to have been one of the founding pillars of the NYS, was only rhetorical as he himself even acknowledges that politicians diverted the programme for their selfish gains. The Border Gezi graduates as they are still known today, were used extensively particularly in the 2002 presidential elections. What even baffles my mind even today was the timing of the NYS.It was started immediately after the 2000 land reform, the referendum and amid a time of popularity by the MDC.All this raises suspicion of the NYS which was being led by politicians like Border Gezi during his stint as Minister of Youth, a staunch Mugabe loyalists. Honestly expecting Gezi, a Mugabe appointee, to implement a programme in a non-partisan manner, is akin to the old adage of not biting the hand that feeds you. This is a point that is rarely flagged when analysing the NYS programme. Unfortunately, against a failing human memory, events take advantage of time past to carve heroism out of the most gruesome deeds.
The NYS must be understood within that context where its success or reintroduction should be measured against its work that it carried out on the ground.Wafawarova doesn’t disagree that the programme was hijacked by politicians, but what he fails to do is to analyse that in the event of the reintroduction of programme, will it be implemented independently without abuse by politicians given that our politicians of the day tend to abuse literally anything as long it achieves their selfish ends.
What I somehow find amusing in Wafawarova article is his passionate plea to try and cleanse the NYS and blame it on politicians whom he says manipulated the programme. While in the article he chronicles acts of “bravery” that he carried out in trying to depoliticise the programme, it remains suspicious as to why he is making such disclosures now.Wafawarova as one of the people behind the programme, should even be answerable today concerning the acts of violence or partisan nature of the NYS graduates. Instead of trying to cry foul and trying to appeal for sympathy from the Ministry of Youths to have the programme reintroduced, he must rather devote his energies to try and unpack to us some of the controversies that still dog the NYS programme.
The call to have “to resell and repackage the NYS in a non-partisan way” not only reveals his desire to have a continuation of abuse of the programme but someone who is bent on having a perpetuation of the abuse of such a programme. In addition, given that the call is being made by someone domiciled in Australia even makes the whole issue a big joke. The fact that Minister Zhuwao is against or has ignored Wafawarova overtures is very revealing in modern day Zimbabwe where factionalism particularly within ZANU PF, might even have serious implications on the implementation of the programme.
For now Wafawarova must continue churning out more revealing articles concerning how they administered the NYS and start a discussion which will allow, citizens to evaluate the misdeeds of some of the graduates from the NYS.
In the final analysis, Wafawarova must however be credited for sparking such a debate concerning the NYS service since it already has a bad image especially when it comes to its conduct during election times. This debate is necessary in modern Zimbabwe where prevalence of peace has implications on development.
Rawlings Magede is a rural political enthusiast based in Nkayi, Matebeleland North Province vamagede@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
ZIMBABWE AND THE POLITICS OF THE PURSE
When extremism is unjustifiable
It started as a loosely coordinated group under one, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, a fiery scholar resident in Maiduguri, the largest city of Bono state in North-eastern Nigeria. The first open challenge to government authority in this area was by a tiny group of people who withdrew from the urban landscape of Maiduguri to rural Kanama in the Yunusari local government area of Yobe State in north-eastern Nigeria in December 2003. They referred to themselves as the “Nigerian Taleban”.
Their choice of rural Kanama as camp was made with an eye for military details. This site was carefully chosen for its remoteness and defensibility. The Kanama camp was forested and ensconced between two bodies of water near the Nigeria–Niger border. Trenches were dug and camouflaged across the only two access roads from Kanama and the exit road to Niger Republic, and sandbags were used to reinforce the defences. The militants then launched attacks on police stations and government buildings and generally wreaked havoc on the Yunusari, Tarmuwa, Borsari, Geidam, and Damaturu local government areas of Yobe State between 21 December 2003 and 1 January 2004.This marked the beginning of this group terrorist activity which later became known as Boko Harram.
The name Boko Haram is Hausa translation which means Western education forbidden, when it started as a small group, even the Nigerian government never envisaged that this small group was going to transform into one of the most notorious, detested and feared terrorist groups today.
There is no argument as to the threat posed by Boko Harram and today it remains a prickle to African governments who continue to govern in fear of the unknown. Neighbouring Cameroon considered too sympathetic to Boko Haram, has not done much to close down the operations of Boko Harram which operates freely without going through strict security measures and interceptions. Actually Boko Harram moves freely between the Nigerian and Cameroonian boarder, undisturbed.
This terrorist group has actually surpassed the vision of its founder Yusuf, who according to many would never had justified Boko Harram recent terrorist activities. Rather as a way of venting its discontent, it has caused mayhem, the most extreme being the kidnapping of Chibok girls which caused world outcry as government officials wailed and pleaded on national television for the immediate release of the girls.
Whatever their cause, terrorism remains an evil way of settling matters. Taking matters into their own hands as a way of fighting such a war cannot be justified. The news that Nigeria has surpassed South Africa as the biggest economy is no cause for celebration as the new Nigerian government led by President Buhari has more pressing problems at home rather than celebrate statistics that are under constant threat by the risk caused by terrorism. What remains true is that Nigeria has potential and has gone through serious corruption episodes that continue to threaten its status as having the biggest economies in Africa. According to recent data from the World Bank, the Nigerian economy grew from $453 billion to $264 billion.
Of multipartism and madness
The recent weeks have been full of drama full swing on the Zimbabwean political landscape. Against a failing memory, the new political entrants have been paraded before an unsuspecting electorate which by way of hindsight, the media underestimates its ability to discern points of deception. Of course the media must be credited for its quest to vamp up its diminishing sales and take advantage of time past to carve heroism out of the most mundane of deeds. While the new constitution provides for political rights where every citizen can exercise their democratic right to form a political party, what is misleading is that whoever proposed having multiple political parties as a means to dislodge ZANU PF might have prescribed wrong medicine.
While manifestos have been speedily written under the cover of darkness so as to “appear” alive and busy, our eyes have read them in order to BUILD our understanding and have HOPE for tomorrow. The propensity to revel in past glory (if any) poses a bigger threat to society especially when the parties involved never govern come election time. The very weakness of these political parties is lack of organic support and come election time in 2018, this advantage would have come uninvited for ZANU PF.
While some people have even publicly declare their affiliations to parties that are yet to see the light of day, the furore that the multiplicity of the parties has generated is very misleading. Others have even gone to dangerous levels of calling Mujuru a game changer within the political matrix. What lacks in some of these misleading debates is the ability to discern points of weakness. What even surprises me is that the parties involved barely have power or influence at all.
The controversy that surrounds some of these so-called leaders of these parties leaves a lot of “buts” rather than “why’s” on our restless lips. You eat for 35 years, seamless, restless non-stop until one day grief and disaster visits you. You recant the self-described misdeeds all those years, then mobilise a tear or two to show remorse. Unbeknown to these people, in politics, just like AIDS, the curer for regret is hard to come by and it still to be discovered and developed. Saying sorry will not make the electorate change their perception about you. Ask Makoni and Dabengwa.
It’s cold out there!
During the President’s wrong speech in Parliament, ZANU PF parliamentarians ululated and celebrated as their leader read the wrong speech. A lot of questions emerge over such display of madness. Why full grown man would celebrate a stale speech just reveals that Parliament has just been reduced to a place of zombies, who lack reasoning and judgement.
When you have legislators such as Chinotimba with their misplaced and blacked out judgement of the wrong speech, then it just proves the sorry state of our politics. The attitude that was displayed by the ZANU PF legislators clearly reveal that to them, Zimbabwean politics is no longer about making sense but endorsing and supporting even what seems irrational .Our politics is now also about appearing foolish so that when you plunder and “eat” it becomes justifiable.ZANU PF will ensure at all costs that even if we go to elections with the economy having breathed its last, victory has to come at all costs. What they are more concerned about is winning at all costs and that they are already guaranteed in the form of a very loyal ZEC which has proved in the past that it’s the real game changer and not some powerless individuals that the media is affording acres of space in their publications.
Bon Voyage 2018!
While the excitement and fever of having new political entrants who, many believe will pose a challenge to ZANU PF grips many, what remains true is that the chances of a single minority party dislodging ZANU PF are slim, if any.
That is the biggest tale with so long a shadow possibly one casting itself far afield into year 2018, the year of decision.
Rawlings Magede writes in his own capacity. He can be contacted on vamagede@gmail.com
It started as a loosely coordinated group under one, Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, a fiery scholar resident in Maiduguri, the largest city of Bono state in North-eastern Nigeria. The first open challenge to government authority in this area was by a tiny group of people who withdrew from the urban landscape of Maiduguri to rural Kanama in the Yunusari local government area of Yobe State in north-eastern Nigeria in December 2003. They referred to themselves as the “Nigerian Taleban”.
Their choice of rural Kanama as camp was made with an eye for military details. This site was carefully chosen for its remoteness and defensibility. The Kanama camp was forested and ensconced between two bodies of water near the Nigeria–Niger border. Trenches were dug and camouflaged across the only two access roads from Kanama and the exit road to Niger Republic, and sandbags were used to reinforce the defences. The militants then launched attacks on police stations and government buildings and generally wreaked havoc on the Yunusari, Tarmuwa, Borsari, Geidam, and Damaturu local government areas of Yobe State between 21 December 2003 and 1 January 2004.This marked the beginning of this group terrorist activity which later became known as Boko Harram.
The name Boko Haram is Hausa translation which means Western education forbidden, when it started as a small group, even the Nigerian government never envisaged that this small group was going to transform into one of the most notorious, detested and feared terrorist groups today.
There is no argument as to the threat posed by Boko Harram and today it remains a prickle to African governments who continue to govern in fear of the unknown. Neighbouring Cameroon considered too sympathetic to Boko Haram, has not done much to close down the operations of Boko Harram which operates freely without going through strict security measures and interceptions. Actually Boko Harram moves freely between the Nigerian and Cameroonian boarder, undisturbed.
This terrorist group has actually surpassed the vision of its founder Yusuf, who according to many would never had justified Boko Harram recent terrorist activities. Rather as a way of venting its discontent, it has caused mayhem, the most extreme being the kidnapping of Chibok girls which caused world outcry as government officials wailed and pleaded on national television for the immediate release of the girls.
Whatever their cause, terrorism remains an evil way of settling matters. Taking matters into their own hands as a way of fighting such a war cannot be justified. The news that Nigeria has surpassed South Africa as the biggest economy is no cause for celebration as the new Nigerian government led by President Buhari has more pressing problems at home rather than celebrate statistics that are under constant threat by the risk caused by terrorism. What remains true is that Nigeria has potential and has gone through serious corruption episodes that continue to threaten its status as having the biggest economies in Africa. According to recent data from the World Bank, the Nigerian economy grew from $453 billion to $264 billion.
Of multipartism and madness
The recent weeks have been full of drama full swing on the Zimbabwean political landscape. Against a failing memory, the new political entrants have been paraded before an unsuspecting electorate which by way of hindsight, the media underestimates its ability to discern points of deception. Of course the media must be credited for its quest to vamp up its diminishing sales and take advantage of time past to carve heroism out of the most mundane of deeds. While the new constitution provides for political rights where every citizen can exercise their democratic right to form a political party, what is misleading is that whoever proposed having multiple political parties as a means to dislodge ZANU PF might have prescribed wrong medicine.
While manifestos have been speedily written under the cover of darkness so as to “appear” alive and busy, our eyes have read them in order to BUILD our understanding and have HOPE for tomorrow. The propensity to revel in past glory (if any) poses a bigger threat to society especially when the parties involved never govern come election time. The very weakness of these political parties is lack of organic support and come election time in 2018, this advantage would have come uninvited for ZANU PF.
While some people have even publicly declare their affiliations to parties that are yet to see the light of day, the furore that the multiplicity of the parties has generated is very misleading. Others have even gone to dangerous levels of calling Mujuru a game changer within the political matrix. What lacks in some of these misleading debates is the ability to discern points of weakness. What even surprises me is that the parties involved barely have power or influence at all.
The controversy that surrounds some of these so-called leaders of these parties leaves a lot of “buts” rather than “why’s” on our restless lips. You eat for 35 years, seamless, restless non-stop until one day grief and disaster visits you. You recant the self-described misdeeds all those years, then mobilise a tear or two to show remorse. Unbeknown to these people, in politics, just like AIDS, the curer for regret is hard to come by and it still to be discovered and developed. Saying sorry will not make the electorate change their perception about you. Ask Makoni and Dabengwa.
It’s cold out there!
During the President’s wrong speech in Parliament, ZANU PF parliamentarians ululated and celebrated as their leader read the wrong speech. A lot of questions emerge over such display of madness. Why full grown man would celebrate a stale speech just reveals that Parliament has just been reduced to a place of zombies, who lack reasoning and judgement.
When you have legislators such as Chinotimba with their misplaced and blacked out judgement of the wrong speech, then it just proves the sorry state of our politics. The attitude that was displayed by the ZANU PF legislators clearly reveal that to them, Zimbabwean politics is no longer about making sense but endorsing and supporting even what seems irrational .Our politics is now also about appearing foolish so that when you plunder and “eat” it becomes justifiable.ZANU PF will ensure at all costs that even if we go to elections with the economy having breathed its last, victory has to come at all costs. What they are more concerned about is winning at all costs and that they are already guaranteed in the form of a very loyal ZEC which has proved in the past that it’s the real game changer and not some powerless individuals that the media is affording acres of space in their publications.
Bon Voyage 2018!
While the excitement and fever of having new political entrants who, many believe will pose a challenge to ZANU PF grips many, what remains true is that the chances of a single minority party dislodging ZANU PF are slim, if any.
That is the biggest tale with so long a shadow possibly one casting itself far afield into year 2018, the year of decision.
Rawlings Magede writes in his own capacity. He can be contacted on vamagede@gmail.com
Friday, August 7, 2015
HEROES DAY: A BETRAYAL OF WHAT TRUE HEROES STOOD FOR!
When Traitors celebrate
Lieutenant General Joseph Arthur Ankrah led the coup against Kwame Nkrumah in early 1966 while he was away in Vietnam attending a Peace Initiative in Vietnam which sought to end the war between America and Northern Vietnam. Nkrumah’s crime they said was of making the African people politically conscious about their resources among other things. His book that he had published in 1965, Neo Colonialism, The last stage of Imperialism”, had caused a lot of hype and debate especially in Western governments. His vision was to have an African society that utilised its resources and enjoyed equality.
Nkrumah survived several assassination attempts on his life; the last being the one attempted in 1964.This coup attempt brought a lot of raft changes in his administration. He fired several army generals whom he didn’t trust anymore and he formed a new regiment known as the Presidential Regimental Guard which had the sole mandate of ensuring his own security. In 1966 after the successful coup, he sought exile in Guinea and while there, he wrote several books which explained his ideals and vision for Africa. Back home his supporters were beaten and tortured in streets. According to the Editor of the Ghanaian Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, the coup was one of the worst moments in the history of the entire African continent.
While the “victors” celebrated such victory, those who knew what Nkrumah stood for, could only watch in anguish as Africa had taken a turn in the worst direction. Today we remember Nkrumah as a Pan Africanist whose ideologies and vision helped shape Africa. His ideals have also been twisted by successive African leaders who have wrongly used his ideals to justify and perpetuate dictatorship governments.
Today we are in the same Africa where the little progress made so far in the actualisation of Nkrumah’s vision cannot be a feat or an achievement. It’s an Africa that has Xenophobia in the South while in West Africa; Boko Haram has destroyed and shaken the very same foundations of a peaceful and tolerant Africa which are essential for development. Regional groupings such as SADC and African Union seem to have shifted from the founding principles that gave birth to Africa. Coup attempts still take place in Africa but these regional groupings have been left exposed and questioned over their capacity to take Africa forward. Diseases.Diseases and poverty has become a norm in Africa. Year after year during Africa day commemorations, we set unrealistic targets that lack follow up and will from African governments hence the underdevelopment.
Today, 43 years after the death of Nkrumah, Africa still grapples with primitive practices such as doctoring constitutions to remain in power, rule of law, rampant corruption, and killings. What a pathetic tribute to heroes such as Nkrumah who envisaged a prosperous Africa which had capable leaders who would advance Africa’s cause and agenda on the international scene. It’s sad.
The Propensity to revel in past glory
Monday the 10th of August is Heroes day. It’s a day when the country celebrates the sacrifice given by gallant sons of Zimbabwe when they took up arms to dislodge colonial government. It’s also a time when history lessons of bravado and “macho-man” like adventures will be given to all who care to listen. It’s a also a time when the public media together with all its affiliates take breaks and interjections in between programmes to share the history of fallen cadres who liberated this country. Befitting tribute indeed!
Heroes’ day offers an opportunity to acknowledge the selfless sacrifice by our brothers and sisters in ensuring that we attain independence. The living and independent today still acknowledge the effort by fallen heroes. Some of us have even gone a step further by having portraits of our fallen heroes in our houses. To me they are a symbol of joy and success.
However while we can revel in the success of enjoying our hard fought independence, I think that much justice haven’t been devoted to ensure that what these slain heroes stood for is realised. Today the government continued to skirt with rehearsed precision on issues of the gains of heroes’ day. Year in and year out, the same history lessons are told to everyone who cares to listen. What should be the starting point should be an introspection of how far we have gone as a country in ensuring that the whole package that comes with independence is realised. Independence was supposed to herald economic growth, free health and education among others. But alas, in all this hopus copus, our leaders portray independence as a mere day to remember the dead but not evaluating if the same independence has also brought positives to the living.
What also lacks during heroes commemorations is the underlying and collective debate of what a new Zimbabwe should herald. Our national leaders tend to twist and hide this reality from us. The propensity to live in the past poses a bigger danger to society where the living fail to understand the real meaning of independence. Independence should never be about narrating horrific incidents meant to coerce and trick people into believing that independence is an unattainable feat but it should be about shaping national discourse on what the living should do to develop and take the country forwad.The Future! Why doesn’t the government take an introspection of how far it has gone in achieving the vision of slain heroes? Surely these heroes had a vision for Zimbabwe which regrettably is parallel to what is obtaining.
All African countries to say the least have gone through radical transformations and some have made economic strides since they got independence. For Zimbabwe, the once bread basket of Southern Africa ,is now fallen to become a basket case for Africa ,needing annual grain imports from countries such as Zambia whom we never thought would assist us in times of need.
Populist policies have been developed which have delivered nothing. Thousands if not millions are now vendors who have been rendered jobless by insane policies that have defeated the same sacrifice of our slain heroes. Everything has virtually collapsed! Everyday people wake up to saddening news about retrenchments that have seen the elite dismissing workers willy-nilly after the Supreme Court ruling.
The Centre cannot hold!
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold, as William Butler Yeats would put it in his poem, The Second Coming. Heroes’ day also offers an opportunity to also reflect on the new heroes who have been born since independence. These ones are resilient and have endured and withstood the effects of the harsh economic environment for the past 15 years or so.
Zimbabwe, once considered as a bastion of progress and developmental darling, has taken a nose dive plunge. Its collapse has seen the elites making rich pickings from the poor and vulnerable. Corruption which has become the most reliable friend of our government continues to ravage and thrive undisturbed.
The recent Supreme Court ruling has advantaged employers and this has seen the remaining and “viable” companies retrenching thousands at alarming rates. A careful analysis of who these “employers” are reveals that the majority of them are actually politicians. While President Mugabe has distanced himself from the job cuts and made a last minute plea to halt the job cuts, the damage is already done. Many today have been rendered jobless and the courts are not even a viable option since they are the ones that triggered the madness.
DIASPORIANS ARE HEROES TOO!
According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe statistics, in 2012, total remittances from the diaspora amounted to US$2, 1 billion while in 2013 they totalled US$1, 8 billion. The amount could be higher given that a substantial amount of diaspora remittances continued to be transmitted through informal channels.
This means that Diasporians have a key role to play in economic revival. Besides being forced to leave their motherland due to varying reasons which include economic collapse, Diasporians have even started developmental projects back home. They also send money for the upkeep of their families back home. Surely some have been doing this for over 15 years now and for them the hope of a new Zimbabwe spurs them on. The hope to come back and contribute to nation building remains a cry and dream that remains there no matter what.
For sure they are also our heroes of our time who have had to put up in foreign lands where a lot of risks exist but the desire to feed families drives them on. As the nation celebrate Heroes day, I personally salute all Zimbabweans abroad who have continued to support those back home and have remained resolute in supporting their families who are suffering under the scourge of unemployment. Although they are denied the right to vote, they have contributed greatly to nation building. They remain key stakeholders who are key to economic revival. Salute!
Vendors, our new local heroes
In my final analysis I wouldn’t have done justice without mentioning this very important grouping that has defied all odds and developed survival tactics that allow them to see the next day. These people are the new heroes in Zimbabwe, they sell wares all across Zimbabwe from which they fend for their families, educate their children and give children shelter.
Of course this grouping of survivors has suffered at the hands of Municipal authorities and politicians but their “die-hard” nature leverages them. With running battles with our corrupt officials, they continue to strive under harsh and trying conditions. They remain a very resilient grouping whose feats and exploits deserve recognition. Long live VENDORS!
In this battle of survival where the ordinary worker always wakes up to uncertainty and insecurity over their job, for sure Heroes day is an opportunity to reflect and commend ourselves for resilience and endurance. It’s a time to also project our hopes and aspirations towards the future, a future where our leaders can be able to account and use resources to further and champion the causes of citizens. Happy heroes’ holiday!
Rawlings Magede is a writer based in Nkayi and he writes in his personal capacity.vamagede@gmail.com
Lieutenant General Joseph Arthur Ankrah led the coup against Kwame Nkrumah in early 1966 while he was away in Vietnam attending a Peace Initiative in Vietnam which sought to end the war between America and Northern Vietnam. Nkrumah’s crime they said was of making the African people politically conscious about their resources among other things. His book that he had published in 1965, Neo Colonialism, The last stage of Imperialism”, had caused a lot of hype and debate especially in Western governments. His vision was to have an African society that utilised its resources and enjoyed equality.
Nkrumah survived several assassination attempts on his life; the last being the one attempted in 1964.This coup attempt brought a lot of raft changes in his administration. He fired several army generals whom he didn’t trust anymore and he formed a new regiment known as the Presidential Regimental Guard which had the sole mandate of ensuring his own security. In 1966 after the successful coup, he sought exile in Guinea and while there, he wrote several books which explained his ideals and vision for Africa. Back home his supporters were beaten and tortured in streets. According to the Editor of the Ghanaian Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, the coup was one of the worst moments in the history of the entire African continent.
While the “victors” celebrated such victory, those who knew what Nkrumah stood for, could only watch in anguish as Africa had taken a turn in the worst direction. Today we remember Nkrumah as a Pan Africanist whose ideologies and vision helped shape Africa. His ideals have also been twisted by successive African leaders who have wrongly used his ideals to justify and perpetuate dictatorship governments.
Today we are in the same Africa where the little progress made so far in the actualisation of Nkrumah’s vision cannot be a feat or an achievement. It’s an Africa that has Xenophobia in the South while in West Africa; Boko Haram has destroyed and shaken the very same foundations of a peaceful and tolerant Africa which are essential for development. Regional groupings such as SADC and African Union seem to have shifted from the founding principles that gave birth to Africa. Coup attempts still take place in Africa but these regional groupings have been left exposed and questioned over their capacity to take Africa forward. Diseases.Diseases and poverty has become a norm in Africa. Year after year during Africa day commemorations, we set unrealistic targets that lack follow up and will from African governments hence the underdevelopment.
Today, 43 years after the death of Nkrumah, Africa still grapples with primitive practices such as doctoring constitutions to remain in power, rule of law, rampant corruption, and killings. What a pathetic tribute to heroes such as Nkrumah who envisaged a prosperous Africa which had capable leaders who would advance Africa’s cause and agenda on the international scene. It’s sad.
The Propensity to revel in past glory
Monday the 10th of August is Heroes day. It’s a day when the country celebrates the sacrifice given by gallant sons of Zimbabwe when they took up arms to dislodge colonial government. It’s also a time when history lessons of bravado and “macho-man” like adventures will be given to all who care to listen. It’s a also a time when the public media together with all its affiliates take breaks and interjections in between programmes to share the history of fallen cadres who liberated this country. Befitting tribute indeed!
Heroes’ day offers an opportunity to acknowledge the selfless sacrifice by our brothers and sisters in ensuring that we attain independence. The living and independent today still acknowledge the effort by fallen heroes. Some of us have even gone a step further by having portraits of our fallen heroes in our houses. To me they are a symbol of joy and success.
However while we can revel in the success of enjoying our hard fought independence, I think that much justice haven’t been devoted to ensure that what these slain heroes stood for is realised. Today the government continued to skirt with rehearsed precision on issues of the gains of heroes’ day. Year in and year out, the same history lessons are told to everyone who cares to listen. What should be the starting point should be an introspection of how far we have gone as a country in ensuring that the whole package that comes with independence is realised. Independence was supposed to herald economic growth, free health and education among others. But alas, in all this hopus copus, our leaders portray independence as a mere day to remember the dead but not evaluating if the same independence has also brought positives to the living.
What also lacks during heroes commemorations is the underlying and collective debate of what a new Zimbabwe should herald. Our national leaders tend to twist and hide this reality from us. The propensity to live in the past poses a bigger danger to society where the living fail to understand the real meaning of independence. Independence should never be about narrating horrific incidents meant to coerce and trick people into believing that independence is an unattainable feat but it should be about shaping national discourse on what the living should do to develop and take the country forwad.The Future! Why doesn’t the government take an introspection of how far it has gone in achieving the vision of slain heroes? Surely these heroes had a vision for Zimbabwe which regrettably is parallel to what is obtaining.
All African countries to say the least have gone through radical transformations and some have made economic strides since they got independence. For Zimbabwe, the once bread basket of Southern Africa ,is now fallen to become a basket case for Africa ,needing annual grain imports from countries such as Zambia whom we never thought would assist us in times of need.
Populist policies have been developed which have delivered nothing. Thousands if not millions are now vendors who have been rendered jobless by insane policies that have defeated the same sacrifice of our slain heroes. Everything has virtually collapsed! Everyday people wake up to saddening news about retrenchments that have seen the elite dismissing workers willy-nilly after the Supreme Court ruling.
The Centre cannot hold!
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold, as William Butler Yeats would put it in his poem, The Second Coming. Heroes’ day also offers an opportunity to also reflect on the new heroes who have been born since independence. These ones are resilient and have endured and withstood the effects of the harsh economic environment for the past 15 years or so.
Zimbabwe, once considered as a bastion of progress and developmental darling, has taken a nose dive plunge. Its collapse has seen the elites making rich pickings from the poor and vulnerable. Corruption which has become the most reliable friend of our government continues to ravage and thrive undisturbed.
The recent Supreme Court ruling has advantaged employers and this has seen the remaining and “viable” companies retrenching thousands at alarming rates. A careful analysis of who these “employers” are reveals that the majority of them are actually politicians. While President Mugabe has distanced himself from the job cuts and made a last minute plea to halt the job cuts, the damage is already done. Many today have been rendered jobless and the courts are not even a viable option since they are the ones that triggered the madness.
DIASPORIANS ARE HEROES TOO!
According to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe statistics, in 2012, total remittances from the diaspora amounted to US$2, 1 billion while in 2013 they totalled US$1, 8 billion. The amount could be higher given that a substantial amount of diaspora remittances continued to be transmitted through informal channels.
This means that Diasporians have a key role to play in economic revival. Besides being forced to leave their motherland due to varying reasons which include economic collapse, Diasporians have even started developmental projects back home. They also send money for the upkeep of their families back home. Surely some have been doing this for over 15 years now and for them the hope of a new Zimbabwe spurs them on. The hope to come back and contribute to nation building remains a cry and dream that remains there no matter what.
For sure they are also our heroes of our time who have had to put up in foreign lands where a lot of risks exist but the desire to feed families drives them on. As the nation celebrate Heroes day, I personally salute all Zimbabweans abroad who have continued to support those back home and have remained resolute in supporting their families who are suffering under the scourge of unemployment. Although they are denied the right to vote, they have contributed greatly to nation building. They remain key stakeholders who are key to economic revival. Salute!
Vendors, our new local heroes
In my final analysis I wouldn’t have done justice without mentioning this very important grouping that has defied all odds and developed survival tactics that allow them to see the next day. These people are the new heroes in Zimbabwe, they sell wares all across Zimbabwe from which they fend for their families, educate their children and give children shelter.
Of course this grouping of survivors has suffered at the hands of Municipal authorities and politicians but their “die-hard” nature leverages them. With running battles with our corrupt officials, they continue to strive under harsh and trying conditions. They remain a very resilient grouping whose feats and exploits deserve recognition. Long live VENDORS!
In this battle of survival where the ordinary worker always wakes up to uncertainty and insecurity over their job, for sure Heroes day is an opportunity to reflect and commend ourselves for resilience and endurance. It’s a time to also project our hopes and aspirations towards the future, a future where our leaders can be able to account and use resources to further and champion the causes of citizens. Happy heroes’ holiday!
Rawlings Magede is a writer based in Nkayi and he writes in his personal capacity.vamagede@gmail.com
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Multipartism without a meaning: A prototype of Zimbabwean democracy
Lessons from Kenya
Kenya celebrated her 52 years of independence on 1 June 2015.I love Kenya specifically. It’s a weakness that I can’t shrug off. It’s a country that has gone through a lot of changes that has seen it reassert itself as a tourism destination and well-known internationally for its world-dominating long-distance runners, and more lately Oscar-winning actors like Lupita Nyong’o and the fact that US president Barack Obama’s father was Kenyan.
The country is full of “firsts” that make it a standout country that is littered with classical examples that other African countries can only yearn for. Kenya was the first testing ground of Ushahidi: Meaning “testimony” or “witness” in Swahili. Ushahidi was a website that was initially developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election fallout at the beginning of 2008. Combining social networking with Google maps, it rapidly collects data from the crowd and visualizes what happened, when and where. Now it is the mostly used crisis mapping platform in the world.
Also related to technology, Kenya was the first developing country to have an open government portal, the 22nd country globally. In July 2011, Kenya launched the Kenya Open Data Initiative, becoming the first sub-Saharan country to do so and second African country after Morocco, later followed by Tunisia and Ghana. This made key government data freely available to the public through a single online portal.
On one hand, you have a younger President in the form of Uhuru Kenyata who has reinvented himself and dusted himself from the perceived “bad boy” image that saw international critics fingering him of having had a hand in the violence that marred the December 2007 disputable elections. He was also the first sitting head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court.
His name Uhuru is a Swahili term for freedom and history has it that it was given to him in anticipation of Kenya’s freedom which came as early as 1963.In 2002, he ran as a presidential candidate and lost to former President Mwai Kibaki by a wide margin. This didn’t dissuade him but in the December 2007 presidential election, he smartly calculated his moves and backed Mwai Kibaki (the one he had lost to in 2002).After the disputed elections that midwifed the inclusive government, he became Prime Minister by April 2008 as part of the coalition government. Today, he is the President of Kenya and how he got there involved deliberate steps that saw him wrestle power and fortify his own political future.
His immense contribution during the inclusive government as Deputy Minister saw Kenya restoring stability and re-culturing and eliminating a culture of violence that had continued to dog Kenya after the disputed elections. Of course opposition parties in Kenya must also be given credit for putting the country first when they formed an inclusive government that paved way for a more peaceful election in 2013 which was won by Uhuru Kenyata. In a show of brotherhood and good citizenry, Raila Odinga played his part also in pleading to his supporters to cease fire and work towards the development of the country. It’s called putting country first regardless of differences.
Today Kenya has an energetic leader who is very interactive on several social networks where he regularly updates citizens on literally everything. They managed transition from the well-aged Kibaki and today critics of Kenyata have other issues against him which in some quarters are limited to other things outside good governance and accountability. Enough about Kenya.
A world where numbers matter…
I watched with keen interest political developments in the run up to the June 10 by elections as fly by night “thinktanks” of gloom and doom gave their abysmal prognoses of the effects of the MDC-T boycott. This is a debate that will continue with many seeking answers to the “what ifs” of what could have happened.
To a right thinking person what this meant was that victory had come uninvited for ZANU PF which guaranteed a clean sweep. The boycott as it was would midwife victory to ZANU PF which already controlled Parliament with more than two thirds majority! Numbers and more numbers!
The problem with opposition politics is the problem of ever learning and never making amends. Every opposition party claims that it can displace ZANU PF without even answering the “how” part of things. Others claim they have numbers but when real opportunities to seize power present themselves, they falter and fail dismally. What a pity!
The inclusive government period is a case in point where opposition parties were supposed to strategize and reorganize themselves after ZANU PF had lost elections. The period of the inclusive government is littered with examples of how discord and lack of clarity among opposition parties gave ZANU PF breathing space to reorganize itself and outsmart them once for all.
I remember one specific meeting when former Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara was talking about the need for economic revival. One would mistake him for a ZANU PF Minister as he unpacked and recited the ZANU PF rhetoric on sanctions and what had caused economic meltdown. It left the audience shell shocked while ZANU PF MP’s and members present momentarily transfixed before withdrawing into guffaws of armpit laughter. With a negative fame culled from an illegitimate stay in the inclusive government after he was fired from MDC-W, he continued to masquerade as a Principal for his former party. Today, no one really knows where the learned Professor is but what’s true is that wherever he is, he is being tormented and haunted by memories of his dismal failure during his regrettable stint in the inclusive government.
Was not the inclusive government an opportunity to learn and strategies for the 2013 elections for the opposition parties that were in government? Numbers and coalitions are the real game changers in Zimbabwean politics today. The issue of egos get in the way every time the talk of a grand coalition is brought up. The country comes last to these opposition parties as they continue to seek “vain” glory of having singlehandedly displaced ZANU PF.Today, sad to say, this is the biggest tale which will remain on our restless lips, remain there and very hard to displace!
June 10 by elections: Hear Hear!
Let’s pretend that the talk of electoral “irregularities” was not there and talk about the chances of those who participated in the by elections winning a single seat. I know some would love to give the excuse that they were testing the ground and measuring their effectiveness but surely you cannot simply go for an election and not expect to win. I hate arguments that invoke a false group spirit, all in order to justify the unjustifiable.
I had the opportunity to visit Tsholotsho just a few days before the by election in the area. As I approached Tsholotsho, trees along roads had posters of Jonathan Moyo.Moyo. Moyo. Upon reaching Tsholotsho business Centre, it became worse. Apart from this, Moyo had his team called the G40 which was campaigning non-stop, door to door every day. They gave rice and several food stuffs. Some might call it vote buying or whatever but as I saw his team hit the ground, it proved that he was determined to win at all costs.
I say all this because I remember a certain friend of mine who was standing as an Independent candidate who had a budget of a paltry $50(before Eco cash deductions) who was vying for one these rural seats with such an amount. The writing on the wall was clear but this denial that people have that is not supported by an scientific evidence that is representative of the situation on the ground encouraged him till results day when he received a clobbering of his life time. Just because you have a few sympathizers and faceless characters on Facebook who are not even registered voters, should never fool you into doing the seemingly impossible.
Time has come to call a spade a spade. It is our skewed analysis of the power dynamics that have fueled ZANU PF to even go beyond their own expectations. We continue to criticize and label those who analyse objectively the future of opposition politics ZANU PF sympathizers or apologists or whatever term we see fit.
The chances of a single party doing the seemingly impossible task of displacing ZANU PF are minimal. They have their intact machinery in the form of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(ZEC), untouched, in place. The implication that is there is that all future elections will be skewed in the favour of ZANU PF.Look at how ZEC handled the issue that Guzah was not a registered voter. Is he not an MP today albeit the noise that pressure groups and the independent media made?
Then there is People Last or Money First
One question that keeps ringing louder each day about this cabal is what does the future holds for them. While we have only witnessed scathing attacks on ZANU PF by the 3 mates in ruin, Jabulani Sibanda, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo, there has been total silence from Joyce Mujuru. The only statement she issued out was to say she was sorry and her denying all charges that led to her dismissal. She did this with a sickening rhetoric that casts false hope that maybe, just maybe the political gods will smile at her again and be readmitted into the party she claims she “loves” so much.
While those who were linked with her have been dismissed, harangued and insulted especially through the public media, she has remained mum, basking in cold comfort that per adventure she would make a comeback.She has been quiet for long a time and there is never a day that she came out defending those people whose political careers were cut short because of the alleged link to her. While there is continued speculation that she intends to challenge Mugabe come 2018, will she gather enough grassroot support to mount a serious threat by then? Only time will tell. The years ahead will have many eyes.
Where to now?
The Zimbabwean scenario is not very unique from the rest of Africa. There are classical examples of countries in Africa where opposition parties formed coalitions to manage transitions but just like I have alluded to earlier, our opposition politics never entertain such thoughts. It’s all about egos, egos and more egos. It’s about who gets what or who brings what.
ZANU PF has benefitted greatly from this disorientation, discord and lack of organisation within opposition politics. That is why you have people like Transport Minister Obert Mpofu continuing to insist that he will install urban tollgates. He has empirical evidence that there will be no backclash.Today Chombo, though he has been moved to Home Affairs is a happy man after having left directed local authorities to introduce prepaid water meters which has received a handful of protests. And from that decision what do you get from opposition parties-useless, tired and empty threats to demonstrate against such a move. At least they must be given an aorta of credit for demonstrating on Facebook; at least none of the targeted audience gets the message! If they could boycott drinking water, I bet they would!
As the electoral bell continues to shift our gaze and focus towards judgement day (2018), exciting times await there.
Apo!
Rawlings Magede is a writer based in Nkayi and he writes in his personal capacity.
Kenya celebrated her 52 years of independence on 1 June 2015.I love Kenya specifically. It’s a weakness that I can’t shrug off. It’s a country that has gone through a lot of changes that has seen it reassert itself as a tourism destination and well-known internationally for its world-dominating long-distance runners, and more lately Oscar-winning actors like Lupita Nyong’o and the fact that US president Barack Obama’s father was Kenyan.
The country is full of “firsts” that make it a standout country that is littered with classical examples that other African countries can only yearn for. Kenya was the first testing ground of Ushahidi: Meaning “testimony” or “witness” in Swahili. Ushahidi was a website that was initially developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election fallout at the beginning of 2008. Combining social networking with Google maps, it rapidly collects data from the crowd and visualizes what happened, when and where. Now it is the mostly used crisis mapping platform in the world.
Also related to technology, Kenya was the first developing country to have an open government portal, the 22nd country globally. In July 2011, Kenya launched the Kenya Open Data Initiative, becoming the first sub-Saharan country to do so and second African country after Morocco, later followed by Tunisia and Ghana. This made key government data freely available to the public through a single online portal.
On one hand, you have a younger President in the form of Uhuru Kenyata who has reinvented himself and dusted himself from the perceived “bad boy” image that saw international critics fingering him of having had a hand in the violence that marred the December 2007 disputable elections. He was also the first sitting head of state to appear at the International Criminal Court.
His name Uhuru is a Swahili term for freedom and history has it that it was given to him in anticipation of Kenya’s freedom which came as early as 1963.In 2002, he ran as a presidential candidate and lost to former President Mwai Kibaki by a wide margin. This didn’t dissuade him but in the December 2007 presidential election, he smartly calculated his moves and backed Mwai Kibaki (the one he had lost to in 2002).After the disputed elections that midwifed the inclusive government, he became Prime Minister by April 2008 as part of the coalition government. Today, he is the President of Kenya and how he got there involved deliberate steps that saw him wrestle power and fortify his own political future.
His immense contribution during the inclusive government as Deputy Minister saw Kenya restoring stability and re-culturing and eliminating a culture of violence that had continued to dog Kenya after the disputed elections. Of course opposition parties in Kenya must also be given credit for putting the country first when they formed an inclusive government that paved way for a more peaceful election in 2013 which was won by Uhuru Kenyata. In a show of brotherhood and good citizenry, Raila Odinga played his part also in pleading to his supporters to cease fire and work towards the development of the country. It’s called putting country first regardless of differences.
Today Kenya has an energetic leader who is very interactive on several social networks where he regularly updates citizens on literally everything. They managed transition from the well-aged Kibaki and today critics of Kenyata have other issues against him which in some quarters are limited to other things outside good governance and accountability. Enough about Kenya.
A world where numbers matter…
I watched with keen interest political developments in the run up to the June 10 by elections as fly by night “thinktanks” of gloom and doom gave their abysmal prognoses of the effects of the MDC-T boycott. This is a debate that will continue with many seeking answers to the “what ifs” of what could have happened.
To a right thinking person what this meant was that victory had come uninvited for ZANU PF which guaranteed a clean sweep. The boycott as it was would midwife victory to ZANU PF which already controlled Parliament with more than two thirds majority! Numbers and more numbers!
The problem with opposition politics is the problem of ever learning and never making amends. Every opposition party claims that it can displace ZANU PF without even answering the “how” part of things. Others claim they have numbers but when real opportunities to seize power present themselves, they falter and fail dismally. What a pity!
The inclusive government period is a case in point where opposition parties were supposed to strategize and reorganize themselves after ZANU PF had lost elections. The period of the inclusive government is littered with examples of how discord and lack of clarity among opposition parties gave ZANU PF breathing space to reorganize itself and outsmart them once for all.
I remember one specific meeting when former Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara was talking about the need for economic revival. One would mistake him for a ZANU PF Minister as he unpacked and recited the ZANU PF rhetoric on sanctions and what had caused economic meltdown. It left the audience shell shocked while ZANU PF MP’s and members present momentarily transfixed before withdrawing into guffaws of armpit laughter. With a negative fame culled from an illegitimate stay in the inclusive government after he was fired from MDC-W, he continued to masquerade as a Principal for his former party. Today, no one really knows where the learned Professor is but what’s true is that wherever he is, he is being tormented and haunted by memories of his dismal failure during his regrettable stint in the inclusive government.
Was not the inclusive government an opportunity to learn and strategies for the 2013 elections for the opposition parties that were in government? Numbers and coalitions are the real game changers in Zimbabwean politics today. The issue of egos get in the way every time the talk of a grand coalition is brought up. The country comes last to these opposition parties as they continue to seek “vain” glory of having singlehandedly displaced ZANU PF.Today, sad to say, this is the biggest tale which will remain on our restless lips, remain there and very hard to displace!
June 10 by elections: Hear Hear!
Let’s pretend that the talk of electoral “irregularities” was not there and talk about the chances of those who participated in the by elections winning a single seat. I know some would love to give the excuse that they were testing the ground and measuring their effectiveness but surely you cannot simply go for an election and not expect to win. I hate arguments that invoke a false group spirit, all in order to justify the unjustifiable.
I had the opportunity to visit Tsholotsho just a few days before the by election in the area. As I approached Tsholotsho, trees along roads had posters of Jonathan Moyo.Moyo. Moyo. Upon reaching Tsholotsho business Centre, it became worse. Apart from this, Moyo had his team called the G40 which was campaigning non-stop, door to door every day. They gave rice and several food stuffs. Some might call it vote buying or whatever but as I saw his team hit the ground, it proved that he was determined to win at all costs.
I say all this because I remember a certain friend of mine who was standing as an Independent candidate who had a budget of a paltry $50(before Eco cash deductions) who was vying for one these rural seats with such an amount. The writing on the wall was clear but this denial that people have that is not supported by an scientific evidence that is representative of the situation on the ground encouraged him till results day when he received a clobbering of his life time. Just because you have a few sympathizers and faceless characters on Facebook who are not even registered voters, should never fool you into doing the seemingly impossible.
Time has come to call a spade a spade. It is our skewed analysis of the power dynamics that have fueled ZANU PF to even go beyond their own expectations. We continue to criticize and label those who analyse objectively the future of opposition politics ZANU PF sympathizers or apologists or whatever term we see fit.
The chances of a single party doing the seemingly impossible task of displacing ZANU PF are minimal. They have their intact machinery in the form of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(ZEC), untouched, in place. The implication that is there is that all future elections will be skewed in the favour of ZANU PF.Look at how ZEC handled the issue that Guzah was not a registered voter. Is he not an MP today albeit the noise that pressure groups and the independent media made?
Then there is People Last or Money First
One question that keeps ringing louder each day about this cabal is what does the future holds for them. While we have only witnessed scathing attacks on ZANU PF by the 3 mates in ruin, Jabulani Sibanda, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo, there has been total silence from Joyce Mujuru. The only statement she issued out was to say she was sorry and her denying all charges that led to her dismissal. She did this with a sickening rhetoric that casts false hope that maybe, just maybe the political gods will smile at her again and be readmitted into the party she claims she “loves” so much.
While those who were linked with her have been dismissed, harangued and insulted especially through the public media, she has remained mum, basking in cold comfort that per adventure she would make a comeback.She has been quiet for long a time and there is never a day that she came out defending those people whose political careers were cut short because of the alleged link to her. While there is continued speculation that she intends to challenge Mugabe come 2018, will she gather enough grassroot support to mount a serious threat by then? Only time will tell. The years ahead will have many eyes.
Where to now?
The Zimbabwean scenario is not very unique from the rest of Africa. There are classical examples of countries in Africa where opposition parties formed coalitions to manage transitions but just like I have alluded to earlier, our opposition politics never entertain such thoughts. It’s all about egos, egos and more egos. It’s about who gets what or who brings what.
ZANU PF has benefitted greatly from this disorientation, discord and lack of organisation within opposition politics. That is why you have people like Transport Minister Obert Mpofu continuing to insist that he will install urban tollgates. He has empirical evidence that there will be no backclash.Today Chombo, though he has been moved to Home Affairs is a happy man after having left directed local authorities to introduce prepaid water meters which has received a handful of protests. And from that decision what do you get from opposition parties-useless, tired and empty threats to demonstrate against such a move. At least they must be given an aorta of credit for demonstrating on Facebook; at least none of the targeted audience gets the message! If they could boycott drinking water, I bet they would!
As the electoral bell continues to shift our gaze and focus towards judgement day (2018), exciting times await there.
Apo!
Rawlings Magede is a writer based in Nkayi and he writes in his personal capacity.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
ZIM @35 SO FAR SO WORSE…
When there used to be real Leaders…
They killed him in cold blood, yes comrade Thomas Sankara.His only crime was that of being passionate about his own country, Burkina Faso- the land of upright people. His only crime committed to his murderers was his ideas for self-sufficiency among the Burkinabes.His close compatriot Blaise Compaore, with the aid and support of foreign powers betrayed him in 1987 and murdered him quietly and quickly buried him in a shallow grave. They killed him for his own ideas. Yes ideas that were going to transform Burkina Faso. His famous declaration “Our Homeland or death, we will win” fostered a culture of self-belief in the Burkinabe’s and still does today to the rest of us Africans.
During the October 2014 uprisings in Burkina Faso, when the populace felt short-changed by government’s failure to actualise what Sankara had promised them 27 years back, some Burkinabes’ thoughts turned to slain leader Thomas Sankara for inspiration. His belief that, while revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas proved to be true.
The man who overthrew Sankara,Blaise Compaore,had failed to actualise the vision of Sankara.All the 27 years that had gone by Burkinabes,were being short changed in their pursuit of what they believed in. Many of the protesters esteemed deeply the vision of Sankara, who had only reigned for a mere 4 years, which seemed to have impacted their livelihood in a tremendous way. While some would argue that Sankara ascended to presidency by means of a coup, what remains true is that he had undying affection and commitment for his country.
Although there is less poverty now than back then, a growing number of Burkinabés had, in recent years, started to feel that Sankara's nationalisation policies may have made the perpetually arid nation a more prosperous and self-reliant place than it is today.
According to one Burkinabe," Ishmael Kaboré, a 47-year-old lawyer in Ouagadougou, "At first, people felt the name Burkina Faso was odd, awkward and far from the modern and foreign names other countries were bearing in Africa. “But they realised after his death that Sankara wanted to give us a unique and special identity that tells our history and depicts our character”
Sankara was a determined pan-Africanist, whose foreign policies were largely centred on anti-imperialism. His government spurned foreign aid and tried to stamp out the influence of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in the country by adopting debt reduction policies and nationalising all land and mineral wealth.Self-sufficiency and land reform policies were designed to fight famine, a nationwide literacy campaign was launched, and families were ordered to have their children vaccinated.
What a rich history for a real Pan-Africanist whose love and commitment to his country was unparalleled. In this part of the world of ours called Zimbabwe, we have well decorated pseudo Pan-Africanists who masquerade today as champions of black empowerment that has however turned to only benefit only those close to the corridors of power. What a pity!
Long live comrade Sankara! Long live the Land of Upright man! Long live Burkina Faso!
When Politicians become the watchdog over Media
I have been completely appalled by a particular daily newspaper that is running the hash tag”ZIM @35 SO FAR SO GOOD” both in their daily and weekly publications. What baffles my intellect is that whoever ordered that message to run every day might have a preconceived motive bent on selling a perished and stale message that keeps bouncing against a reality check on a daily basis that is representative of the pressures and sufferings that ordinary people are going through every day. The idea is meant to take the people to a fool’s paradise where everything is “nice and smooth”. But nay, all is not well.
In that light, the said newspaper is both unique and puzzling in its messaging, the more so when measured against what is representative on the ground. Zimbabweans are known to boast of their vaunted literacy and what is unquestionable is their capacity to discern points of betrayal in the message.
Surely such a message cannot make for badges of honour! I hate arguments that invoke a false sense of patriotism all in order to wash ugly sins and atrocities done by the ZANU PF regime since independence. History on one end have very tough questions for people who think that patriotism means impoverishing and literally collapsing the economy and blame it on Western sanctions. Patriotism doesn’t mean not accounting for diamonds revenue and blaming it on Western embargo.
35 and still going down!
I have turned down numerous opportunities extended to me by several comrades to write on Zimbabwe’s independence. While I feel a bit sad that I let my fellow comrades down, I however feel vindicated that events that have been unfolding in Zimbabwe are somehow self-explanatory on what our much cherished independence has brought. Of course my analysis is representative of what I hold dear, my beliefs on what has gotten us to where we are. While numerous reasons have been suggested on why Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed, what remains apparent is that today all these suggestions have one convergence point. Zimbabwe’s economy has collapsed.
Independence Day comes and passes without even invoking feelings of nationalism or patriotism. The videos that our failed broadcaster usually broadcast in the run up to independence day of great revolutionaries like Joshua Nkomo,Hebert Chitepo outlining what they envisaged a new Zimbabwe should bring, are representative of the greatest betrayal of what the they stood for. These videos remind Zimbabweans how the ZANU PF government has grossly failed to make such visions alive.
What we have today after 35 years of the so called independence is a regime that cannot even stamp out corruption let alone pay its own civil servants. A regime that has rendered millions jobless due to implementation of insane economic policies. Surely, a country that cannot account for its economic actions right across the whole gamut of its endeavours! Where everything is left to conjecture. A country that cannot audit and evaluate itself!
Of Denialists and Bootlickers…
While the going gets tougher every day for the ordinary citizen, the government on one hand is seized with the ostensible responsibility of igniting fast dashing hope from its citizens, by hook or crook. It is really disgusting that in this abyss of economic turmoil and mess, there are still individuals within the government who are busy selling green lies to the citizenry about how the government has worked tirelessly to address the state of the economy.
What remains true is that the economy is in a terrible bad state and no amount of lectures would dissolve that fact. With each passing day for the unemployed graduates, the aorta of hope that was still there continues to fade away with governments’ regular pronouncements of empty “mega deals” that they think will herald economic revival.
Zimbabwe@35 is not so far so good as some people would want us to believe. Actually, independence has become a detested day especially by people like me as it represents great betrayal by the ZANU PF government. They have drifted greatly from the populist socialistic ideology that they heralded soon after independence. At the moment, capitalist reigns supreme in our country, with those close to the powers that be, benefitting at the expense of the whole population.
Apo!
Rawlings Magede is a writer based in Nkayi,Matebeleland North Province email vamagede@gmail.com
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