When dry bones are mentioned old women becomes uneasy! There is one thing about the Herald it is easy to apologize for a failing gerontocracy but it is quite another to claim to speak and get angry on behalf of Zimbabweans. The Herald today , through herald reporters who could not be given a byline either because it will show the provenance of the story or the story was poorly stitched up, claim that Tsvangirais Rhodesia remarks draw fire from Zimbabweans. Who are the Zimbabweans? I am Zimbabwean and I for one agree with what Tsvangirai said and I do not agree with the Herald. When you read the story you discover that Zimbabweans mentioned in the story are card carrying zany pf apparatchiks masquerading as analyst or disgruntled if pesky anti-Tsvangiraites belonging to orange parties without names. Someone once said so many crimes elsewhere in the world have been committed in the name of the people and Zimbabwe is not an exception the political class has pilfered, plundered, killed maimed, Mugabe has even refused to leave power in the name of Zimbabweans but the question which begs is how many Zimbabweans? Expecting any objective analysis where Tsvangirai is concerned from zany pf activists like Nhamo Mhiripiri, Charity Manyeruke etc is like expecting diesel from a rock in Chinhoyi. I see nothing wrong with what Tsvangirai said comparing life under Smith and under Mugabes rule. The two Mugabe and Smith have proved to be different sides of the same coin. To a large extent I have seen Ian Smith racial government better than Mugabes equally racial and violent government. Smith was better because it was a white men against blacks misrule but Mugabe it is black on blacks. Mugabe has maintained some of the draconian laws which obtained in the colonial era posa for instance has curtailed personal freedoms. Silly laws such as attacking the president or undermining the president shielded Mugabe from criticism although he does not hold back when insulting political opponents. Zimbabweans have every right to hanker for the past, during the reign of Ian Smith our country had its own money but now Zimbabwe has no currency of its own especially when the dollar had become worthless than the figures printed on it. Whatever the case Smiths economy was able to absorb everyone from the hewers of wood and drawers of water. A senior citizen I know who worked for Hunyani papers always told me how one would be fired from one job but get another one by the end of the day even taking time to select . To me a functional economy is one which can be able to employ sweepers, cleaners, watch men, toilet attendants and other menial jobs and all those people should be able to provide for the families from their meager wages or salaries but now degreed citizen are fighting for prime spots to change money and sell air time or are in a queue at the passport office to join the trek to mzansi and join the menial jobs brigade. During the time of the Smith regime there was never a time when five quarters of Zimbabweans in their prime left their country to look for jobs elsewhere, all those who left, left because they wanted to join the war. I could not believe it the other day that the minister of home affairs Mohadi Kembo was reported to have said that he will negotiate with his south african counterpart to protect the stay of Zimbabweans in our southern neighbors which is set to expire this December. Get me right I am not saying Zimbabweans should be deported but the reason which Mohadi proffered to negotiate with Gigaba that Zimbabwe cannot afford to have 250 000 plus documented Zimbabweans in south africa come back home because it would strain an already struggling economy. Shame! Is it a lie that at independence the Zim dollar was at par with better currency like the pound or US green back which even prompted Julius Nyerere to tell Mugabe that you have inherited the Jewel of Africa. Can we say Zimbabwe is still the jewel of africa or it is now black sheep of africa or worse the armpit of the world. Can we say Zimbabwe which was once the bread basket of africa is still thus or it is now a basket case? So do the math put two and two together and I am sure your answer is not five as to which era was better. No amount of criticizing, pontificating or even waffling can wish away the fact that zany pf has failed which is what Tsvangirai was saying in short. Do we need Rotina Mavhunga to tell us that?
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 05:07:39 +0000
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