Letters

EDITOR – Now it is evident that, regardless of his charisma, Dr Makoni has failed to impress the voters. Maybe because when he announced his intention of contesting the the presidency, people had already made up their minds to vote for Tsvangirai.

If you really care people of this country Makoni, please urge your people to vote for Tsvangirai so that we don’t split votes in favour of sekuru Mugabe.

I am sure Dr Makoni is realising now that politics is not as easy as ABC. He should have realised that people are not reading much into the calibre of the candidates, but people are more concerned with seeing sekuru go and Tsvangirai at the moment is capable of removing sekuru because he has done a lot of groundwork over the years.

WASHIE, Harare

Lest we forget, brothers and sisters

EDITOR – Have we forgotten, dear brethren, the bombing and later banning of the Daily News? Who did this and were they brought to justice? Is this being patriotic and is it upholding sovereignty?

Have we forgotten the abuse of young men and women at the illegal Border Gezi training camps? Or the trumped up treason charges against opposition leaders so that they lose credibility, popularity and support from the people? Or the torture and intimidation of opposition leaders and supporters? Or the Bikita East orgy of state-sponsored violence, torture and killing of opposition supporters?

Let us not forget the vote-buying and job promises as Makova was aspiring for the parliamentary seat. Or the massive exodus of skilled manpower from our beloved motherland? They are left with no option but to go abroad and sweat for very low earnings to feed those back home – but tell me, who doesn’t want to work in one’s own country, among one’s own people?

Have we forgotten the Jonathan Moyo-led censorship of the media? How ruthless to have only one party campaigning on TV and in the state-controlled newspapers. There is no freedom to express your choices or dissatisfaction with the current Government.

ANON, by email

Let us know

EDITOR – Rambai makadaro muchitara chokwadi. Ko uyu Sima haana connection naBobo here? Anenge anoda kutora mavhoti evanhu vedu vemumatown ozopa Bobo. Please find out and let us know.

ANGRY MAN, Mutare

Choose life on March 29

“See I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction…Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Deuteronomy 30: 15-19

On the eve of the watershed elections, Zimbabweans from all walks of life are faced with making a choice between life and death, as well as between prosperity and destruction. Every vote cast in this election is a choice. We have to choose between continuing on the present path of destruction or a change of course that will breathe life and prosperity into our nation once again.  

Zanu (PF) in all its forms, for me, represents the choice of death and destruction. Those who want to continue its policies, whether under Robert Mugabe or another person, vote for the total collapse of our nation and all that we love.  

We have to choose life, which is represented by those who are promising to completely break with the failed Zanu (PF) policies and to start afresh. Recycling is good for the environment but is toxic in politics and governance.  

I am very sure that all Zimbabweans (MDC or Zanu (PF), military or civilian, rich or poor) no longer want Mugabe as president so that leaves only two candidates. Simba Makoni, who promises to continue the policies and ideology of Zanu (PF) minus Mugabe, and Morgan Tsvangirai, who promises to change the way our politics is done.  

Let us picture this scenario: Simba Makoni wins the election and appoints a cabinet with the likes of Patrick Chinamasa, Ray Kaukonde, Dumiso Dabengwa, Emerson Munangagwa (maybe), Sidney Sekeramayi, Ibbo Mandaza, Solomon Mujuru, Margaret Dongo, Edgar Tekere, Kudzai Mbudzi, etc. Do you see any meaningful change coming from this new team at the helm of government? Who do you think will wield the real power? Will it be Simba?  

A second scenario is: Morgan Tsvangirai wins the election and appoints a cabinet from the likes of Lovemore Moyo, Eddie Cross, Nelson Chamisa, Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, Heneri Dzinotyiwei, Tendai Biti, Paul Madzore, Lucia Matibenga, Sekai Holland, Tapiwa Mashakada, Elias Mudzuri, Thokozane Khupe, Ian Makone, etc. There are so many people in MDC who are cabinet material hence I have just made a random selection. Do you think this team can fail to bring meaningful change, life and prosperity to our troubled nation?  

Unlike my friend John Makumbe, I still believe that the second scenario is very likely if people go out in their numbers to vote. In 2002, we watched as Mugabe disenfranchised millions of urban voters, so we should have learnt our lessons by now. People must sleep in queues and must not allow anyone to tell them to go away before they cast their votes.  

If the polling stations have to open until the next morning so be it. We must defend our right to vote.  

We should take the advice of the Almighty to “…choose life so that you and your children may live”. Let us not accept recycled politicians who have failed us time and time again in the last 28 years of Zanu (PF) rule.  

“Tarira ndaisa pamberi pako upenyu ne zvakanaka, rufu ne kuparadzwa…. Sarudza upenyu kuti iwe nevana vako murarame.” Deutronomy 30: 15 – 19  

Sarudzo iyi iri kutipa mukana wekushandura mafambisirwo arikuita nyika yedu. Hatifanire kurasa moyo nekuti Mugabe nehama dzake vari kuronga kubiridzira sarudzo. Kubiridzira kunongoshanda chete kana vanhu vashoma vakaenda kunovhota. Kana Mugabe akadyiwa zvine mutsindo kunyange kubiridzira hakushande. Handei tinovhota tese tibvise Mugabe nemabhinya ake pahutongi hwenyika yedu.

NYENGETERAI GIDI, UK

A tip for voters

EDITOR – A method planned by Mugabe’s regime on rigging elections has been exposed now. If you mark a big X inside your ballot paper covering corner to corner, your vote will be discarded and labeled as a spoiled paper. If you mark a small X inside your ballot paper, then your vote will be considered. Rigging is going to be done through spoiled papers.  

WORRIED VOTER, Harare

POEM [panel]

Disgruntled Teacher

BY ITAYI COLEN

Disgruntled a teacher is,

Such is a dilemma

which the profession

is ferociously put in…

Oh!!

gone are the days…

days we used to walk tall,

days we smartly dressed,

days we ate well,

days we were respected,

days we ever smiled,

days we gave a helping hand,

such are the gone days…

Oh!!

Now we:

stumble with heads down,

wear unevenly patched clothes,

scavenge for food,

we’ve lost dignity,

we are ever stressed,

we are beggars of the day,

we fail to pay school fees for our kids,

such are the days we are in…

we love our pupils,

but there’s nothing we can do…

in these choking working conditions,

which we find  ourselves in…

which have given birth to:

the uncultured society,

the uneducated society,

the unhealthy society,

the jobless society,

the stress-torn society…

such is an outcome of

today’s disgruntled teacher