Letters

If I were the editor I would simplify the task by having the headline “Zimbabwe has a new President” for fear of writing down the name.

Imagine you are General Zvinavashe and you wake up on Wednesday morning with the duty of attending the inauguration of President Morgan. The thought of a new Commander in achieve for The Defense Forces means on the day, you actually have to salute the new President. If I were the respected General, I would rather go to Iraq and bury myself in a hole deeper than Sadam’s. (But we will find you).

Imagine you are Gideon Gono and  Morgan Tsvangirai requests you pay him a visit at State House. The thoughts racing through your head “Will I be fired? Will I be charged with fraud? Will …?” I would rather run for dear life than face questioning from Morgan.

Imagine you are Police commissioner Augustine Chihuri and you are asked by the President Morgan Tsvangirai to go and arrest Robert Mugabe from his Rural Zvimba Home. Would you dare go face Gushungo or face the music of Tsvangirai if you disobey the order. I would rather resign than face either Tsvangirai or Mugabe.

Imagine you are George Chiweshe and you are faced with the grave task of announcing the election results and ultimately the winner. Tsvangirai is the run-away winner with Makoni a distant second and Mugabe with an insignificant vote in third place. A thought of just switching the names and the numbers would surely come to mind but then the facts hit you: No amount of vote rigging can place Mugabe in the lead and the people of Zimbabwe have spoken.  If I were the chairman, I would only announce the winner and quickly rush off stage and all else will become irrelevant on the day. All talk will be swallowed in the celebrations.

Imagine you are the man who has (1) Ruled Zimbabwe for the past 28 years (2) Made the State house your personal property (3)  turned Zimbabwe from a bread basket to a basket case (4) Made national TV your movie set by determining what is and is not worthy to be shown  (5) Killed over 20 000 in Matebeleland (6) Made yourself the Drunken father of  Zimbabwe with free reign to kick or batter, reward or punish…. Then you hear the election results. I am not sure what I will do if I were you but maybe I would only hope the people of Zimbabwe will see that it is enough punishment for me just to hear that Tsvangson is the man to take over my household.

Imagine you are an ordinary Zimbabwean and you wake you in the morning… put your money in you wallet (there will be no need to carry satchels), take a walk to the shops and you come out with Chicken, rice and pudding… what a beautiful thought.

ZVAKWANISISA, Harare

 

Choose life

EDITOR – In the bible God says: “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. Zimbabweans have now done that.

Every vote cast in this election has been a choice. We have had 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.

A vote for Zanu (PF) policies under Mugabe or under a new leader is a 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. We cannot afford to have another five years of Zanu (PF). We need a new start and a complete overhaul of those running the affairs of the state.

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.

The thinking in Makoni’s camp is that Zimbabwe’s ills can be solved by removing Mugabe while keeping some if not all of his lieutenants. The flaw in this argument is that it ignores the fact that Mugabe is the main culprit but most if not all in Zanu (PF) helped him in destroying Zimbabwe.

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?

These people all represent a new broom which is more likely to sweep more thoroughly than the recycled Zanu (PF) broom.

NYENGETERAI GIDI, UK

No bloodshed please

EDITOR – As things are still hectic and unbelievable at home we must accept any outcome of the election results.

I suggest we must always be aware that not everyone back home is a politician. So I think no sprinkling of blood of innocent people. Not all Zimbabweans managed to be migrants. I assure all Zimbabweans that there is life and joy after Mugabe’s regime.              Let’s start preparing our fields the harvest will be plenty. The three-decade shadow has vanished in thin air. Let’s bury the old issues and consider the dazzling light of God falling on His people. Nobody will stop the restoration of Zimbabwe. The only thing that God is seeking from us is to repent and know him.

But we must remember the battle is still on. We need good governance that will uplift our economy and also bring together the disgruntled Zimbabweans.

AARON DUBE, South Africa

   

Power corrupts absolutely

EDITOR – I remember a letter I once had in 2000 from a former PM for S. Rhodesia – Sir Garfield Todd, when I was researching the life of the former Walsall MP John Stonehouse. Sir Garfield Todd stated in the letter to me :

“…….. POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY where Robert is concerned”.

Sir Garfield Todd helped Mugabe get an education in 1940’s/50’s, pursued sympathies for the ANC when PM in the 1950’s and suffered house arrest under Ian Smiths regime [and eventually the same under Mugabe’s rule for a while]. Todd served in Mugabe’s initial 1980’s Post-Independence Parliament and Administration as a Senator and founded an anti-Mugabe newspaper in the 1980’s. Todd then later found himself eventually barred from citizenship and voting in later life.

I remember that when I was in Kenya during the 1980’s Mugabe appeared in the KENYAN TIMES regarding a report that he had been involved in atrocities in Zimbabwe and I kept that newspaper and brought it back with me for prosperity. I have never forgotten Todd’s letter to me and it is a perfect example of how Mugabe has crushed friends and enemies underfoot ever since he won power in the early 1980’s.

IAN PAYNE, Walsall, UK

No longer heroes

EDITOR – I have learned with great dismay how Zanu (PF) wants to take the populace of Zimbabwe for granted. Makoni is just a vehicle put by Mugabe himself for the prolongation of his stay in power. Let’s not be fooled by Makoni denying his alliance and allegiance to Mugabe.

What If they join forces to just outnumber Tsvangirai? Why is Mugabe not showering his usual derogatory epithets at Makoni? I have often heard Makoni say he is Zanu. How then is not changing and name his own party people will think he is the same old guard. Zimbabweans, Makoni is just being given the baton. We will remain the laughing stock of the world.

Remember Mugabe does not own Zimbabwe. Let’s show them they are no longer our heroes but our oppressors.

BANMUL, South Africa

Change is coming

EDITOR – Thank you for living up to your motto of speaking out for the many Zimbabweans who have been muzzled by the regime.

I am not in Zimbabwe right now, though I would have loved to vote, I can’t but I am following events back home with a keen eye, therefore I would like to take this opportunity through your paper to encourage all brothers and sisters in our great nation that we have come this far and we cant turn back. Change is coming and YES WE CAN.

They can kill us but they won’t finish us, they have stolen elections before but this time the writing is on the wall, their days are numbered.

This is the time to heal our nation, let us come together and say No to intimidation, hate, tribalism, racism and corruption and send a message that will echo for generations to come. This is our time and our time is NOW, lets not live in history but rather let’s write history, Let the whole world Remember Saturday, 29th March 2008 as the day the Empire came to its knees.

Come Saturday millions of Zimbabweans will come out and reclaim their country from rapists and murderers called Zanu (PF).

Robert, the GOD of The Zimbabweans is saying “LET MY CHILDREN FREE”.

Aluta continua fellow zimbos, they are not going to rob us again let us vote the murderers out and regain our homeland.

REVOLUTIONARY, UK

Nehanda nyakasikana

Nehanda nyakasikana!Kunozove rinhiko?

Isu machinja tichitambudzika

Mweya unoyera!Kunozove rinhiko

Isu machinja tichidzvinyirirwa

Ko inga taneta wani nokunwa mvura yamaSuweji

 

Ko inga kune dzimwe nyika vanosiirana huPurezidhendi wani

Vanoita sarudzo dzavo pasina kubirira nokurova vamwe

Vovawo nehutungamiri hunoyemurika

Ko isu rugare ruchatisvikira rinhiko?

Vana vedu vawakatipa iwe Samasimba

Nhasi havachenda kuzvikoro, maticha ongo Sitiraika

Muzvipatara varikungofa nokushaya mishonga nemadhokota

Miviri yavo yapera kuondoroka nokunyimwa chikafu naBhobho

 

Ko vosvikepiko?

Machinja ose mumisha nomugwagwa ari kudzingwa pamwe nokurohwa

Vana Jongwe naana Tandar vakangouraiwa senhunzi

Pasina chokonzero pasina mhosva

 

Mapurazi ose akatorwa naBhobho

Akagovana nembavha dzakeChinamasa, Gono naChombo

Nhasi vari kudya mafuta ayo nyika

Isu tichidya Bulgar neporiji re Kirisheni keya

Nhasi vari kudya vokora samai mujuru

Isu toonda sevanhu vekuSomalia

Nhasi vagere kunaana Borrowdale

Isu tigere mumaSuweji

 

Rusununguko Nehanda ndorupiko ?

Ndiko kuzvitonga kwokuuraiwa nenzara

Dambudziko guru ndoratiwira

ReHarahwa isisadi kusiya chigaro

 

Nehanda Nyakasikana kunozova rinhiiko ?

Isu machinja tichitambudzika

Mhondoro tsvene kunozova rinhiiko?

Isu vana  veMDC tichidzvinyirirwa

Neiyi Harahwa iri kutonga nyika

 

By E. Benhura

(ZIMBABWE)