pped our country? On Monday, the chairman of the SADC was in Britain and was confronted by the courageous Free Zim Youths on what plans he had for countries like Zimbabwe. The reply was wishy-washy. He just chewed his words and by the end of his statement he had actually said nothing.
We in the Diaspora have to act now and thwart any moves by Mugabe to destroy people’s homes again.
We have already delivered a letter to the president of South Africa citing our concerns over the move by the Zimbabwean government to destroy more homes and the livelihoods of the poor.
Where many are going wrong is that they think Mugabe holds all power. The people hold the power and it is they who have allowed Mugabe to do what he has done.
Many assisted Mugabe in destroying Zimbabwe’s food security and the supporting infrastructure. In this way, they handed their power to Mugabe. Now the people have to beg Mugabe to provide food to feed their children.
We have brought this upon ourselves. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near the point of recognising our collective irresponsibility.
There are many things that can be done to speed up change towards a prosperous and happy Zimbabwe. The problem right now is that we have become totemless and behave like servants, not citizens.
JAY JAY SIBANDA (Concerned Citizens Abroad), SA
Students demobilised by high fees
EDITOR – The 2000 per cent fees hike in tertiary education by the government is a plot to demobilize the students. It is a 16th century, desperate strategy for which the ‘government by deception’ must be exposed.
Students are an organized catalyst of social/democratic change in any country fighting authoritarianism.
In the light of this, the government is eagerly waiting for students to stage demonstrations and then disgruntled police will be unleashed on the peaceful protest. Knowing students, from my humble experiences as a former student leader, these clashes will turn violent and the government will then find a justification to shut down all the major colleges/ universities in Zimbabwe.
If research conducted by Zinasu (Zimbabwe National Students Union) is anything to go by, then a demobilization strategy is already in work – 31.5 percent of students have been forced out by high fees. At Hillside Teachers College in Bulawayo, there has been a drastic decrease of intake from the usual 600 student teachers to 200.
The country is on fire. On 7 December 2006, the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare released a damning assessment of the crisis that has overshadowed the country since 2000. The report showed that standards of living had dropped by 150 percent in the last decade.
Given such a worrying state of the nation, students – being an organized centre of resistance – are expected to provide alternative leadership to the nation desperate for a solution. Mugabe knows it. How can the students pay more than $700 000 in tuition and accommodation fees in state-owned universities and colleges when most of the students are sons and daughters of poor peasantry farmers and civil servants who are also living way below the poverty datum line?
Students, like all other citizens of Zimbabwe, have endured enough pain and the endurance bowl is now spilling over.
The fight for academic freedom is going to be the rallying cry for students as they reclaim their place in a robust political culture, where the interests of the last are put first. The Save Our Education, Save Our Future campaign will feed into broader democratic initiatives such as the Save Zimbabwe campaign.
We will vote in 2008. Little by little, freedom will come.
WASHINGTON KATEMA, (former President of Zinasu) e.mail
Onus is on Britain, not Malawi
EDITOR – On reading the article ‘Britain dumping Zimbabweans in Malawi’ (The Zimbabwean, 2 November 2006) I was puzzled to learn that the Malawian government has no powers to intervene in the deportations to Malawi of Zimbabweans who used Malawian passports.
The fact of the matter is those people are Zimbabweans, so why then accept them if the Malawi government will not look after them? This really is a violation of human rights, accepting people when you are going to treat them inhumanely.
The question to be asked is: If Britain is a sovereign state not to be challenged, is Malawi not also a sovereign state able to refuse those Zimbabweans? Most of these people do not hold Malawian nationality as per the Malawi Citizen Act. Also, both Malawi and Zimbabwe do not permit dual citizenship. These people only used the Malawian passport as a travel document, most of them running away from the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe.
It seems Malawi is scared of the British government. Is Malawi still a British colony? Is it a matter of a third world country scared to challenge a first world country because it will be deprived of aid?
Britain must be challenged and be told to verify the deportees’ true citizenship before deportation. Unless the Malawian government does something, it may seem they are assisting the Zimbabwean government to force the deportees to return and face a brutal regime. History will judge them harshly.
WISDOM SOWOYA, e.mail
We need Vodacom service
EDITOR – It was with great joy that I learnt of Vodacom SA’s intention to invest in Zimbabwe as a mobile-phone provider. I thought this was good news to those like me, who have struggled for years to get a mobile line in Zimbabwe but failed mainly because the lines are never available to the public conveniently.
Now that POTRAZ has rejected the investment, it means the chance of having a mobile line is gone.
It was not for the reason given, that is to protect indigenous providers, but rather the government fears it cannot control traffic on a foreign-owned network.
The government must come clean on the real reasons, rather than hiding behind their excuse to protect indigenous providers who are failing to upgrade existing infrastructure, expand coverage and release more lines.
I for one enjoy the services of Vodacom here in SA and it’s nice to know that there are four mobile-phone service providers here doing well. Competition is causing the price of calls to stabilise and lines are everywhere. There is no need for a black market for lines, as is the case in Zimbabwe.
When shall we enjoy freedom of expression in Zimbabwe?
STANFORD, South Africa
Tekere fought for freedom
EDITOR – When Edmund Burke said, “Evil triumphs when good men say nothing” he should have gone on to say, “yet when they speak they are often ridiculed and taken for fools”.
Such is the reception given to Edgar Tekere by the media upon the release of his autobiography, ‘A lifetime of struggle’. Partisan commentators favoured by the public media have poured vitriol on a man who has consistently struggled for freedom.
Indeed, it did not take Mugabe to plunder the war veterans’ compensation fund and embark on a chaotic land programme for Tekere to abandon the Zanu (PF) camp that had long before reneged on its sound ideals. The formation of Zum (……….) in the early ’90s, when most were still blind to the dictatorship of Harare, exhibits Tekere’s loyalty to the struggle of oppressed people.
Zum was a refusal to be cowed into silence in full view of injustice and corruption. Zum was the voice of an anointed visionary to whom a blessed few gave heed. Zum was a denial of dictatorship.
Today, Tekere continues to expose the culprits who have caused the demise of the Zimbabwean economy.
The life of Tekere is the life of a man who is guided by the love for justice and freedom. On the day death finally visits him, Tekere should be laid among the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe. And may his grave be inscribed, ‘Today sleepeth a patriot who pursued freedom unto death’.
EMMANUEL WaCHIRENJE, Harare
Mayor shows way forward
EDITOR – The Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust would like to commend the Mayor of the city of Gweru for a fine display of true leadership qualities. The Mayor hosted the local war veterans in the area to discuss the development issues in the city.
The war veterans on their part acknowledged the initiative and commended the Mayor for his all inclusive approach to leadership.
ZIMCET strongly believes that leaders should be above party politics to fully carry out and fulfil their obligations as leaders.
Development cannot be achieved when there is no co-operation and thus the Mayor of Gweru and the war veterans have demonstrated a high level of maturity for social responsibility. The war veterans showed respect for their Executive Mayor despite the fact they are from different parties. This is a show of how true democracy functions. There is no need to hide one’s political affiliation for fear of retribution.
Many city authorities are currently reeling under problems with no end in sight and they can learn from the way Gweru officials are conducting themselves.
ZIMCET believes that differences in political or other affiliations need not be a recipe for disharmony and violence. Political violence usually is the result of intolerance and therefore other political stakeholders should emulate the example set by Mr Zvidzai and the war veterans.
DAVID A CHIMHINI, (Executive Director, Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust)
Did big fish flee
Ziscogate net?
EDITOR – It is irrational for the police to claim they are a crack unit in the anti-corruption drive when top officials in the Zisco scandal appear to have evaded the long arm of the law.
Why should the police act with reservations when dealing with these government heavyweights? Could it be that the big fish have become too heavy for the net?
If not, police must launch a massive blitz that will result in the arrest and prosecution of those who masterminded the Ziscogate scandal.
It can only be after such arrests that the public will re-invest trust in government’s thrust to curb corruption.
Mugabe turns a blind eye to these calls, only to send his armed forces to kill gold-panners by the river bank, sparking outrage as to who is suffocating the economy – is it the Makorokozas or the Zanu thieves?
CHIEF WHIP, Harare