The seeds of mass discontent have been planted and it is our national duty as patriots to water these seeds with courage and sacrifice so that we can dismiss this government and build a new Zimbabwe based on social justice and equity.
History shows us that revolutions occur in extractive political and economic systems that seek to suck the sweat and blood of the poor masses. The French Revolution, the Glorious Revolution of England, The Russian Revolution and many others were as a result of an aristocracy that sought to live on the backs of the masses with a sense of unbridled entitlement. They sort to own everything by decree, to dominate society politically and economically and had unreasonable demands and extravagant habits while shielding themselves and their families from the vagaries of hard work, sweat and pursuit of ambition. Through this, they inadvertently planted the seeds of their own destruction and abhorrence by the masses- the chickens came home to roost as they always do.
Zimbabwe is faced with a similar conundrum where a government whose legitimacy remains questionable headed by a President who appears insensitive to the plight of the very masses whose vote he enjoys; a man who really should have retired by now but has chosen selfish ambition above that of the country. Zimbabwe can rise again but something has to give.
I cannot believe that Chinamasa thinks that an increase in taxes will create a sustainable and viable economic system that can lead to social recovery. The impact of further reduced disposable incomes will merely create an irreversible downside spiral of increased poverty and unemployment as people hold onto the little that they have. You cannot reengineer this economy through taxes but can only do so through fundamental structural and institutional change.
Most Zimbabweans I have spoken to are sick and tired of ZANU (PF) and the way it treats them; the true citizens and owners of this country. We are tired of the greed and corruption we see; the insensitivity of the President to our plight while he lives and behaves as if a king; the lack of conscience of all those around this regime's leadership circles, its parasites and spies; we are tired of the arrogance, sense of entitlement, non-accountability, theft and abuse we have hitherto experienced. Enough is enough!
The raft of measures announced by Chinamasa are penalising poor Zimbabweans to fund a government that is not accountable. That remains our fundamental challenge; no matter how much he may raise revenues through taxes, there are no fundamental structural measures announced that seek to put this economy on a recovery trajectory.