Open letter to President Mugabe

You explained, Mr President, that “our majority rule could easily turn into inhuman rule if we oppressed, persecuted or harassed those who do not look or think like the majority of us”. I am not precisely sure you are still in the majority but it was a point well made.

“Democracy,” you said, “is never mob rule. It is and should remain disciplined rule requiring compliance with the law and social rules.” You explained further: “Our independence must thus not be construed as an instrument vesting individuals or groups with the right to harass and intimidate others into acting against their will.” Indeed.

Thirty years on, however, Zimbabwe is stuck with the same head of state and government, and commander-in-chief of the defence forces. The right to vote for a government of our choice has effectively been negated through Zanu (PF)’s manipulation of the political environment by means of sustained violence, intimidation, abduction and unlawful killings contrary to your fine words of April 17, 1980.

All these atrocities have been, and continue to be, committed largely by the government over which you preside. Given the protracted period of their occurrence and their sustained nature it is almost impossible to suppose that this has all been happening outside of your knowledge. Indeed, there is compelling evidence that you have been and still are behind these inequities every step of the way.I fail to comprehend how as a person and as a Zimbabwean you choose to remain indifferent to the hungry and desperate voices of the very people you purport to lead.

Zimbabwean culture enjoins me to relate to you with deference owing to the age disparity between ourselves but the truth of the matter is that I am literally disgusted by your sort of leadership especially in the light of your stunning indifference to a humanitarian crisis occasioned by your own greed and that of your stalwarts.

You are alive, Mr President, to the reality that Zanu (PF) cannot and will not win any free and fair election.

It is your desire, therefore, to frustrate the work of the unity government by today creating the impression that you are committed to the letter of the GPA only to surprise every progressive soul with your seemingly intransigent rhetoric tomorrow.

If you could be trusted to make good your promise to allow democracy to prevail on those conditions being met; the sanctions would go within hours. Unfortunately, you cannot be trusted. It is as simple as that.

One would have hoped that instead of being lectured by the likes of Jacob Zuma who, by all accounts, was your junior back in the day, on how to concede this or that function and functionary, you devote your energies now towards preparing Zimbabwe for a peaceful transition to democracy; that, during the course of doing so, you negotiate your exit requesting written

undertakings from all concerned that you will be immune from prosecution both domestically and internationally.

It is not helpful at age 86 to seek, by one means or another to retain the presidency of a country you have already badly run for 30 years and left in a ruinous state. It is not helpful either to proudly declare that if Zanu (PF) calls on me to stand for another term I shall gladly do so.

Mr President, I implore you, in the circumstances, to find it within yourself to recognise the gravity of the crisis caused by yourself and those who had nothing to lose but everything to gain from your repressive rule.

The starting point for this is that you swiftly prepare for your exit while helping prepare our country for the coming of democracy. You may succeed in delaying it but it is inescapable.- Psychology Maziwisa, Harare

Chombo must apologise to women

EDITOR – It was interesting to read from the 22 March 2010 issue of The Herald ZANU (PF) Politburo members Webster Shamu and Ignatius Chombo admitting that there was infighting in their party and that their party had marginalised women over the last 30 years it has been in power, especially during the chaotic, destructive land grab exercise, the farm machanisation programme and input schemes.

Clever women should ask themselves why it has taken 30 years for Zanu (PF) to realise that its government was marginalising them, and what guarantee that the same party will respect their rights and needs if their givem their votes in the next election.

Chombo’s utterances are obviously an unintelligent and shameless vote-buying attempt which the women of Zimbabwe should read in its appropriate context. Where, for instance, does Zanu (PF) believe it will get the land to give to women, who are the marjority when most of the land occupied by productive white farmers has already been parcelled to lazy Zanu (PF) officials, some of whom are only weekend farmers?

As recentLY as last year Zanu (PF) marginalised woMen in the selection of members of the constitutional commission, demonstrating its lack of respect for women’s role in developing Zimbabwe.

Chombo promised women to expect to benefit from the farm mechinasation programme and the input scheme at a time when the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has had its properties auctioned by unpaid service providers. This is an insult to the intelligence of women, and Chombo should apologise.

Benjamin Chitate, New Zealand, (on holiday in Zimbabwe)

Dubious students bussed to SA unis

EDITOR – I am a concerned parent (who doubles as a postgraduate student in SA) and someone who has applied for the Presidential Scholarship for my child to be incorporated into the Fort Hare Presidential Scholarship since 2006. I was told point blank that I did not qualify due to my unpatriotic and known membership of the MDC.

What worries me are recent developments in which more ‘dubious students are being bussed into SA from Zimbabwe on this scholarship which has since devolved to include more than seven other SA universities.

At tax-payers expense, 45 students (mostly staunch Zanu (PF) supporters children) were bussed from Zim to Cape Town in mid-February 2010 and are even staying in an exclusive suburb away from the rest of Zimbabwean students, who are supporting themselves and cannot really make ends meet. Many depend for survival on doing menial jobs on campus.

Last year a breakdown of payments to several SA universities indicated that more than R100 million was spent on tuition fees alone for these dubious students. It would have been sensible if this money would have been spent on our universities back home. After all most of the degree programmes are available at our universities.

Please Mr Editor get the correct and latest information and figures from Mr Biti whose Ministry of Finance I presume makes these payments and WHOSE children are these? – Samuel Sibanda, South Africa

Threatened with destruction

EDITOR – Your report in the 18-24 Mar issue and similar ones in SA that Zimbabweans there will be persecuted after the World Cup indicates an impending threat to harm the physical, social and material wellbeing of Zimbos.

The MDC is representative of people who in the 2000, 2002, and 2008 elections voted overwhelmingly for positive change and true independence – but this was all vetoed by ‘almighty bob’.

In their millions they now seek refuge in SA and elsewhere, while others remain inside Zim with nowhere to flee. In the empire of King Xerxes about 510 BC the Jews faced a similar threat. Jews and Zimbos have a striking historical similarity. Evil Haman, top advisor to king conspired to have all Jews in the 127 provinces of the empire killed. A decree to that effect was issued by Xerxes on Haman’s advice. A God fearing Jew, Mordecai, lead all Jews including Queen Esther in three days of fasting and prayer. God spared their lives, but Haman, his family and thousands of the Jews enemies were killed. Zimbabweans have no Mordecai, but we have Jesus. May Zimbabweans all over as from 12 April to the end of the World Cup fast and pray for deliverance. We need to confess for neglecting to acknowledge God as our sole liberator. – Threatened Zimbabwean, SA.