EDITOR - The three parties which reached a Global Political Agreement in Zimbabwe will only succeed in the Government of National Unity if they commit themselves to the spirit and principles of the Agreement. Each of the three parties should practice good faith and put Zimbabwe first. Zanu (PF) is dilly dallying already. A wave of violence in the villages is silently targeting opposition activists. Zanu (PF) is already playing a game of numbers with MDC MPs. Such acts of bad faith will definitely sabotage the objectives of the Government of National Unity.
Martin Luther King Junior once reckoned, It is one thing to agree that the goal of integration is morally and legally right; it is another thing to commit oneself positively and actively to the ideal of integration- the former is intellectual assent, the latter is actual belief. These are days that demand practises to march professions. This is no day to pay lip service to integration, we must pay life service to it. OWEN CHITSAMATANGA, by e-mail
Arresting MPs is arresting GNU
EDITOR – The birth of a Government of National Unity brought great relief to the suffering and starving masses of Zimbabwe. Even sceptics and armchairs commentators agreed that Zimbabwe deserved a respite. However, it is now increasingly evident that what was agreed in principle is not what is in practice.
Today the number of MDC MPs shuttling to courts on trumped up charges is approaching ten. Furthermore MDC activists in remote villages are being silently victimised. The recent assault of an MDC activist in Mudzi by a Zanu (PF) headman is a case in point. Scores of opposition activists are similarly and silently victimised across the country. The recent BBC documentary entitled: Bankrolling Mugabe is an alarming revelation of human rights abuses that will shock the whole world.
Members of Parliament should represent and articulate the peoples will. They anchor government and craft legislature. Mugabes government has always treated them as rubber stamping clerks. The actual people who wield power in Zimbabwe are MPs not cabinet or government. It is the MPs and not Mugabe nor Cabinet who authorised the Government of National Unity.
It is nave for the Government of National Unity to turn a blind on arbitrary arrests and victimisation of MDC activists. Time has come for MDC MPs to act collectively and make a statement. Their collective voice and votes will supercede pretences from Mugabe, SADC or even AU. The MPs are entrusted with the peoples power in their hands and they should use it. They should use the peoples power to protect human rights, to discipline the transitional government and to craft a people driven constitution. If the violence continues, fundamental questions will be raised on how elected MPs failed to protect the masses of Zimbabwe. OWEN CHITSAMATANGA, by e-mail
Thanks for nothing
EDITOR – Following my retirement last year I relocated to Bulawayo. As part of my
retirement package, my former employer covered the costs of transportation of my property from Victoria Falls. Stuttarfords Removals was then contracted for the job, for a fee of US$2020.
It however refused to deliver the goods for three months, during which it was recovering the costs of the removals. Upon delivery, I discovered that some of my very expensive oak and mahogany furniture had been scratched, broken, and badly damaged by rain. A full crate of unopened cokes had also been stolen and replaced with an empty one.
Stuttarfords then agreed to undertake all repairs and take what it could not repair to a furniture factory. Four months later, no significant repairs have been made, and Stuttarfords has refused to take the furniture it cannot repair, to a credible furniture factory. On the grounds that no insurance was paid for the job.
What has been most shocking is the rude nature of Mr Makwelo, and the aggressive attitude of Mr Sibanda, the Bulawayo branch manager. Both have washed their hands completely of responsibility for this saga.
In short, all this could have been avoided if the Bulawayo branch had taken better care of my property. Stuttarfords is guilty of gross negligence and incompetence, and cares nothing about client satisfaction. Choosing to pursue profit at the expense of professionalism.
My life savings are invested in my property. As a pensioner I will never be able to replace the furniture destroyed as a result of Stuttarfords negligence. As I come to terms with my loss, all I can conclude is that it is a company that has well and truly gone to the dogs. Whoever would have thought that after charging US$2020, it would go on to oversee the damage
and destruction of a clients property, and then proceed to celebrate by stealing a crate of cokes?
Human beings are supposed to be better than this. One shudders to thing what is becoming of property left in this company’s storage facilities, by Zimbabweans in the Diaspora? S.T. JABAVU, Bulawayo
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR After several failed attempts to get a response from Stuttarfords, we were left with no choice but to publish this letter without their input.
Adopt the rand
EDITOR I believe the only sensible way forward for the Zimbabwean economy would be for the leaders and people to be comprehensively informed that their own interests and those of the whole sub-continent would be best served by adoption of the rand as their sole official currency. Surely the South Africa government can persuade SADC of the sagacity of this move?
SADC support would encourage all major central banks in the region to follow suit, so that the market risk to the rand would be minimised.
In pursuance of EEC and EU-inspired ideas dating from the seventies, I have in the past two years and more canvassed the South Africa President, the Reserve Bank, SADC, the Elders, the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve and many other parties.
Support for my proposal has recently come from the influential author of the best-seller The Ascent of Money Niall Ferguson of the Harvard Business School.
He said: I am hoping Mr Zuma will take some of the steps you propose.
I believe the ANC has the opportunity to delight our continent and the world by facilitating Zimbabwes transition to the rand. RON SCHURINK, Johannesburg
Languages and provincial names
EDITOR – Allow me space in your esteemed newspaper to air my views. Firstly, I would like to say that the making of the new constitution is an irreversible issue. I direct this to the likes of Savious, Patrick and Joseph aka Pinokio the Puppet. They are trying to stop a moving train with their bare hands.
My main issues and worries are centred on Zimbabwean languages and the provincial names. To me, ALL languages in our ‘democratic’ country must be made national. There is no language or culture which is inferior to another. The NCA draft constitution excellently addresses this issue.
What is important to one ethnic group (in terms of language or culture) is also important to the other. This issue must be handled with utmost care because it is bubbling steadily under the surface and could erupt if not addressed.
The issue of provincial names is being coolly viewed, but it is a hot and controversial topic.
In a new democracy we cannot continue with names such as Manicaland, Matabeleland and Mashonaland. Imagine if proposals for new names like Mavendaland, Masotholand, Matongaland, Makalangaland, Mashanganaland, Mandauland, Manambyaland etc were thrown in. There would be chaos! For the sake of true national unity (and not the annual 22 December window-dressing) something must be done. Ndaa we nduna! ANON., by e-mail
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