POLITICS

Morgan Tsvangirai must not listen to cowards

Vince Musewe asks whether we should trust and have good expectations from the fervent prayers of the devil?

I support Morgan Tsvangirai 100% on the need to take mass action and create the urgency necessary for ZANU (PF) to wake up and smell the coffee. In fact I will join him.

I can't believe some opposition parties, academics including some infamous Pentecostal churches who are saying this will disrupt the economy! What economy when we have 90% of our people in irking a living in the informal sector and are now to be taxed even more to fund a government that is presiding over a failed state; when millions of dollars are being stolen and spent not on reviving this economy, but in propping up the lifestyles of a leadership cabal that has lost the plot.

Nothing riled me more than the ridiculous rant from ZANU (PF)'s infamous Didymus Mutasa, who comes out to say that the politburo can even change the laws to accommodate Gono's bid to be senator in Manicaland. How low can we get?

Our problem in Zimbabwe is that we have a bunch of opposition politicians who think that things will change through corporate politics and press conferences from board rooms. Nothing can be further from the truth!

We also have an pathetic business sector which remains complicit and is quick to run and raise funds for ZANU (PF) functions at the drop of a hat. Our churches have unashamedly failed on their mandate to commit themselves to the truth at all costs; all they want are thousands of members who feel pity for themselves to flock to their gatherings and "sacrifice" their hard earned dollars with the expectation that God will reward them. The motives of the new prophetpreneurs are disgusting and Tsvangirai must rightly ignore these parasites who are feeding on the hopelessness of Zimbabweans.

Imagine if thousands of Zimbabweans who sacrificed their lives for our freedom had also taken the same view; that going to join the struggle would disrupt the economy and peace; that is was better to talk to Ian Smith and have gradual change than to have majority rule as a matter of urgency.

I am amazed that, to this date, Zimbabweans seem not to understand this beast called ZANU (PF). It is a beast that has survived through violence and cohesion; a beast that has lied, killed and cheated its way to power. It is a beast whose sole priority is to retain power even when it is evident that its ideas and what it stands for are no longer relevant or attractive to many of us the future leaders of a new Zimbabwe. Its leadership has become insensitive, arrogant and irrelevant and yet it must force itself and its moribund ideas upon us. We must fight for our rights.

Now, thousands and thousands of you, including prostitute writers out there, have commented on how Tsvangirai made a fatal mistake in entering the GNU and how he bungled elections and yet none of you, not one of you, will lift a finger to cause the change you want to see. You are all waiting for things to change. My question is; if it is not you, who do you think will make that change happen? Mugabe?

In my opinion, if there is any time to send a clear message to ZANU (PF) and its underlings it is now because if we do not do that, things will get worse as we sit and complain and do absolutely nothing to create the future we want. I will support Tsvangirai in this endeavour and for me; he continues to stand out as the only man who dared to challenge Mugabe and his establishment in the last 34 years.

We can all sit and rationalise on the pros and cons of mass action; we can sit and condemn how our opposition leadership has let us down and then what?

The ZANU (PF) government has clearly failed to rig the economy because economic success is based on principles and not populist politburo decrees. This government has failed in all areas and to say that China and Russia deals will save us is delusional.

As long as they are no fundamental changes in behaviour in our politics, our economy will continue as it is and we will continue to see the protection of a cabal of predator capitalists as they joint venture with China and Russia to exploit our resources. They will create their own wealth while the masses continue to survive in an informal economy that is tough and brutish. There will be no end to mass poverty as long as we do not see a change in the political ideology of ZANU (PF) that is based on the idea of "none but ourselves". I am just so saddened that many of us just do get this. We cannot trust nor have noble good expectations from the fervent prayers of the devil. Ideologies of dictators do not change through negotiation or through demanding free and fair elections.

Those who are discouraging Tsvangirai from leading mass action must just please shut up and be spectators because, over the years, they really have done nothing to fight this evil system.

Zimbabwe now needs brave patriots and not boardroom cowards or self-righteous prophets.

Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. You may contact him on [email protected]

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