We desire to emulate you in a few months’ time when we have our own elections –maybe around mid-2012. What is even more embarrassing for some of our leaders here in Zimbabwe is the grace with which former president Mr. Banda conceded defeat and congratulated Mr. Sata, the new president. This is very unlikely to happen here, unless we the people keep on fighting hard for the return to democracy.
I think even the SADC is quite embarrassed that things have gone so well in Zambia without the need for endless negotiations and facilitations by the regional body. It was actually quite embarrassing to hear Mr. Mugabe talk of the need for an inclusive government for Libya “…including Gaddafi’s people,” he said. What a shame.
There was no talk of the military running around and harassing the electorate in Zambia. There was no talk of any foreign observers being deported before the elections. Zambians had nothing to hide from the world. Even the little violence that took place in a few places was reported on by the media without hindrance. That too is very unlikely to happen here come next elections.
You see, we have many enemies all over the world and so we will have to pick and choose our friends very carefully, especially since our notorious military and other security elements will be on the loose to keep “law and order” as defined by our long-standing leadership. The speech made by the out-going president of Zambia at the inauguration of Mr. Sata was a statesman’s speech. There was no hate language in it; there were no threats and no malicious innuendos regarding electoral fraud or any such “nasties” that we Zimbos are used to. Some of us were close to asking whether Zambia is still a southern African country.
What has happened in Zambia can also happen right here in our beloved country and very soon at that. But for it to happen we all have to put our shoulders to the wheel. Nothing comes to us while we sit around reading the Herald and H-Metro. We have, over the years demonstrated that we refuse to resign our country to dictatorship and despotism. We have set our minds on bringing about the change that this country deserves. We have firmly believed that a better Zimbabwe is not only possible, but is also within our reach and in our time.
Therefore we have no choice but to stay the course and keep on pressing for and finishing the change that we have held the vision for this country. The people of this country owe it to themselves to continue to reject the bad governance that we have been subjected to since 1980. We all know what is good for us and what is bad and, indeed, very bad, for us. We have made up our minds to get rid of the political party of our misery, Zanu (PF), and to replace that regime with the party of excellence, MDC-T.
The people of this country know that there is no other way forward. This little talk about a GPA2 and a GNU2 must be rejected from the outset. It is a ploy aimed at assisting Zanu (PF) to regroup and try and stay in power for the next three decades. That is not going to happen, thank you Zambia for showing us the way.
Post published in: Opinions & Analysis