Zimbabwe is blessed with a vast amount of natural resources namely diamonds, gold, platinum metals, uranium copper. The list is endless. We have very educated and experienced people that are capable of reviving our industry. What we need is to harness our energies, harvest these minerals and collectively market them for the benefit of all who live in Zimbabwe.
But to be united there are certain things we will need to do. A commission must be set up comprising government, private sector, church leaders, and interested men and women of good standing. These must be non-partisan and their job is to bring all the political parties together. It has to be similar to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up after 1994.
The aim will be to focus on forging the way forward, developing Zimbabwe and bring all diasporas back home, all the needed FDI to flow into the country and rebuild our relationship with the International community. This means certain individuals must come open about things done in the past. A good example is on how the $15billion and our diamonds disappeared
Robert Mugabe and almost all Zanu PF ministers need to be open about all the corrupt activities they have done and they are still doing. They must confess all the atrocities, murders, abductions, theft and all the ills they did. These ills are known but the truth is always better coming from the perpetrators. The point is to forgive and forget for the purpose of peace, nation building and togetherness. The most important thing though is that their tax positions must be clean and if not, assets must be confiscated to pay off any tax bills. There will be no prosecutions as a way to motivate the spirit of peace and openness.
We all know what Mugabe and Zanu PF had done, all the destruction, lies, corruption and blood in their hands but all we need is to put that behind us without putting anyone in jail. There is no good feeling that refreshes more than knowing that you have been forgiven for your serious crimes and the burden is no longer on your shoulders.
Compromises will have to be made. Lets look beyond ourselves and bring about a peace loving nation. My point is that the more we keep fighting each other, accusing each other and spread lies about each other has the effect of driving some people into a corner where they can be very dangerous. Which in this case is where Mugabe and Zanu PF find themselves in. They will do anything to defend their loot and atrocities.
What we need is forgiving everybody, forgiving each other and work together to build a better Zimbabwe where everyone who lives in it will be free and happy. If we do not do that more people will die and poverty will never end. Eventually there will be assassinations, mass actions and property destructions which will dig us deeper into despair and maybe, worst still, a civil war.
Post published in: Letters to the Editor