Information is power. A well informed society is empowered to make more informed decisions and choices about issues directly affecting their lives and future. Zimbabwe is a nation that has been grossly misinformed by partisan state media and repressive media laws, courtesy of yours truly Jonathan Moyo, arguably the only man credited with the ability to articulate Mugabes ranting and raving into some form of discernible policies, and giving a dying Zanu PF, a lifeline at the very moment that democratic opposition was in a position to wage the final battle in unseating the despot. Jonathan Moyo, single handedly managed this by forcing the closure of independant media, and causing the arrest of journalists in a successful fierce campaign to muzzle anyone opposed to Zanu PF. It is imperative that we go forth to the people, particularly the grassroots communities and demystify the bread and butter issues at hand. Rural grassroot communities are mainly comprised of the older population, mainly grand parents and great grandparents who rightfully stood in support of our revolutionary fighters. The support included, amongst numerous other things, transporting, feeding, clothing, sheltering and supplying the fighters with equipment and other logistic essentials, in order for them to wage a successful onslaught against Ian Smiths oppressive white minority government rule. As a Zimbabwean, if you have family members who in one way or another gave some form of assistance, back then including such acts children being left alone at night at home while they attended Zanu PF pungwes/ rallies at night, you played your part in the revolutionary struggle and no one deserves the abuse levelled against them as sellouts, western puppets etc by Zanu PF and Mugabe. It is all hogwash meant to create entropy, which is certainly the cover under which they have successful managed to plunder national resources and wealth, under such umbrella terms such as nationalisation, indigenisation and black empowerment ,which only benefit a select few Zanu PF stalwarts, security chiefs and those closely linked to high powers in Zanu PF, as depicted by the ongoing massive corruption scandals, below, most, which were recently unearthed soon after the stolen election in the the 31/07/2013 Zanu PF, Nikuv victory. Therefore , it is critical that we go forth and share our knowledge and information with our kith and kin and open their eyes to whats happening right before their eyes. Below, are real and practical examples of the key issues you should touch on when discussing the level and extent of corruption. It is important to remember that when you say to your grandmother that Masimirembwa received $6million, you must explain the significance of this sum to her. In keeping with the Zanu PF government policies of indigenisation, we must keep our learning experiences to real and existing examples of ongoing crimes of corruption in our society, mind you all linked to Zanu PF in one way or another as shown below. 1. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) commissioner-general Gershem Pasi is reportedly earning US $310 000 per month. 2. Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) parastatal’s former chairman Godwills Masimirembwa is alleged to have received a $6 million bribe from a Ghanaian investor. 3. Premier Service Medical Aid Society group chief executive officer , Cuthbert Dube earned half a million dollars every month, almost twice the $230,000 initially reported, when his generous allowances are factored in. 4.Earlier on in February 2014, the bankrupt Zimbabwe government, asked for international aid amounting to US$20 million to evacuate thousands of families threatened by the Tokwe Mukorsi dam disaster. 5. In response to the Mugabe government’s request to the UK government, through the Department for International Development (DFID), last month, for aid to support the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam), in which donors had pulled out leaving a million children at risk of no schooling, the United Kingdom has given Zimbabwe, $10 million to enable Zimbabwe to send at least 250,000 vulnerable children to school. 6.In February 2014, the U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe announced a $4 million grant to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), heeding a call from the U.N. World Food Program for further help with the food crisis in Zimbabwe, where more than two million people are facing hunger or in some cases, starvation. 7.In February 2014,the United States issued $65 million grant to complement the Zimbabwean governments HIV and Aids. The facility, includes 17 rough terrain vehicles, and is launched through the US Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and will be used over an already running five-year programme initiated in 2013, ending in 2018. Use these examples of corruption listed above as a benchmark for for your discussions with individuals in grassroots communities as follows. $310 000, $6million, $500 000 and $65 million are all meaningless figures to our aged, illiterate kith and kin or brainwashed Zanu PF supporters in grassroots communities, so it is important that you seek the costs of developmental projects within the community, that they can relate to. This can be the cost of electrification, building a dam, clinic, school, road, irrigation project, cost of council trucks, trailers, tractors and other equipment that the community can relate to. Such valuations are easily available from local rural councils, development organisations etc. You can look at cost of repairs again to such projects, cost of employing a full complement staff of teachers, nurses, cost of a road , electrification or employing dam project workers , cost of furnishing a school or hospital, cost of medication or textbooks, cost of an ambulance, a school bus, cost of building a community hall, a police station, housing for the local civil servants etc. The list is endless, just use your imagination! When you have this breakdown at hand you can simplify the acts of corruption for ease of understanding by the grassroots communities as you can then relate each corruption figure to how many dams, schools, hospitals, buses, ambulances the community is actually prejudiced of , by so much money being looted by these corrupt Zanu PF individuals. Understanding this and then realising this is the same government that they helped bring to power at independance and eventually the same government that has cowed everyone into fear, and now the same government of nationalists who fought oppressive minority white rule has turned out to be a government of elite black oppressors of blacks. Teach our people that there is need for change, but it comes with a huge price of sacrifice, where we have all got to be prepared to rise up in total defiance to oppressive authority and establish democracy, peace, justice and equal opportunites for all. People must accept that it is in no way unpatriotic or western puppet mentality to defy an oppressive nationalist government. It is actually an act of compassion and an obligation to defy oppressive authority and unjust laws. Finally, take a copy of the Zanu PF election campaign manifesto and discuss the document with our kith and kin and demonstrate to them how Zanu PF has failed to deliver on any and all promises in it. People must therefore stop listening to false promises and desist from blindly following a path of national destruction led by Zanu PF and Mugabe. Its all a simple cover for legalised crime and corruption, never meant to benefit the ordinary street person. Encourage our kith and kin to demonstrate their understanding of the issues at hand by sharing their new found wealth knowledge on public transport, in school, church or other community gatherings. Infact encourage people to take it upon themselves to discuss these matters and create awareness , well in advance of the 2018 elections. I implore you to share this post online on all social media, on paper, by word of mouth, anywhere and everywhere, and reach out to the people, armed with this....Information is power!
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:49:41 +0000
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