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The
resurrection of the one-party manifesto in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Youth
Democracy Trust (ZYDT)
April
21, 2005
The youths of Zimbabwe
organised under ZYDT seriously condemn the political project of ZANU PF
to re-institute the 1989 one party manifesto in Zimbabwe through unorthodox
means hidden behind the fiction of "elections".
We note with concern
the implementation of a multi faceted approach pointing to the declaration
of ZANUPF as the only party in Zimbabwe.
Criminalisation
of alternative views
We
have learnt that Zanu PF has a history of labeling and fighting alternative
views, both within the party or emerging from elsewhere irregardless of
them being progressive and for the good of the people of Zimbabwe.
Cases to note include,
- In the first decade
of independence, Zanu PF presided over a genocide in Mateteleland and
Midlands provinces chiefly because the people had voted for PF Zapu
and considered Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo as their legitimate leader.
- In 1989, Edgar
Tekere, the then Zanu PF Secretary General was ejected out of the party
for two things, a) calling for zero tolerance to corruption and b) saying
no to the one party state.
- In 1994, Reverend
Ndabaningi Sithole, the godfather of the "2nd Chimurenga"
and leader of the opposition Zanu Ndonga was charged with treason for
allegedly plotting to assassinate the Zanu PF first secretary Robert
Gabriel Mugabe. This theater was repeated to Morgan Tsvangirai, president
of the MDC before the 2002 presidential elections.
- Between 2000 and
2004, millions of Zimbabweans were tortured and, in various ways punished
for supporting the MDC. Currently, on the conclusion of the 2005 parliamentary
election, known opposition supporters are being starved as a lesson
not to carry other political opinions bar Zanu PF.
- In December 2004,
Jonathan Moyo, then Minister of Information in the Presidents Office,
Jabulani Sibanda the elected leader of war veterans and six Zanu PF
provincial Chairpersons were punished through suspensions and withdrawal
of political benefits for holding differing views on the internal progress
of Zanu PF.
- Zanu PF has similarly
targeted all institutions that espouse and propagate alternative socio-economic
and political policies. The Students Union, Zimbabwe National Students
Union (ZINASU) was crashed through the expulsion and torturing of student
leaders after which the party sponsored a laboratory union called Zimbabwe
Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU). It is the similar tactic used on
the labour union, where the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
leadership has faced various attacks including "imperialist"
and "unpatriotic" labels. Currently, because the government
created Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) has collapsed, ZCTU
faces a massive onslaught from Zanu PF whose broad objectives include:
- Making labour
an arm of Zanu PF, thereby exterminating all non-political organised
voices that could check Zanu PF power
- In the short
run, having Zanu PF appointed labour leaders that will "unreservedly
endorse" Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor’s
economic revival policies without query.
ZYDT is deeply perturbed
by such 20th century political tactics whilst much of Africa is embracing
multi party democracy where political tolerance and respect for the rights
reigns supreme.
Zanunisation
of state institutions:
It
is our view that the one party state agenda is being constructed on the
basis of a militarized state. The training of the youth militia, the appointment
of senior army members in parastatals, electoral institutions and the
use of apartheid laws such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA),
the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the
proposed NGO law combine to shrink the democratic space to the zone of
"yes-Boss-yes".
The state media has
been Zanunised to an extend that, despite being funded by taxpayers, the
state radio, television and newspapers have emerged as the most vicious
tools used to create and propagate a fiction of Zanu PFs holiness in the
eyes of the suffering people.
The media is used
to create horrible scenes of Rhodesia and slowly prepare people to believe
that labeled elements (the opposition and young ZanuPF cadres) are responsible
for their suffering whilst the real looting people hide behind the heroes
acre.
Border Gezi
Youth Militia:
We
are baffled by the evil act of baiting unsuspecting and desperate youths
with job tags on condition of joining the Border Gezi militia training
service. Whilst we fully support the idea of a non partisan and non class
national service, the non participation of Zanu PF chefs children is worrying
to us. We are determined to expose this hypocrisy by demanding Europe,
South Africa, America and Asia to deport all children of these political
elite to join the job race, fuel race, food race and Border Gezi which
we, the children of poor taxpayers are forced to endure.
Our Zimbabwe
- we will defend:
As an attempt to make themselves the gods of Zimbabwe, we have noted a
series of selfâ€"praising programs and statements by
the Zanu PF leadership, and in a selfish manner dismissing the importance
of peasants in the liberation struggle. Chiefly, the privatization of
the liberation struggle is a clear case where known freedom fighters claim
to have solely brought "peace and democracy" to Zimbabwe thus the right
to do as they wish with the people of Zimbabwe.
We wish to make it
known that we are Zimbabweans, born of real freedom fighters that fought
for freedom and not native imperialism hidden under anti-Blair wars. The
war of liberation was not to remove the white person, but to dismiss the
injustices of apartheid. Our motivation today is to remove the very same
injustices being perpetrated by a black government. It is therefore our
declaration that oppression remains unjust no-matter the colour or history
of the person presiding over such.
Our vow and
vision:
We
will remain stubbornly resistant to all machinations aimed at making certain
tribes, certain people and certain parties the life long "spirit mediums"
of Zimbabwe.
The demands of the
liberation struggle:
- land to the peasants
and not the elite, and
- one person one
vote , are our key demands.
Zanu PF has no morale
standing to call opposition political parties to stop getting funding
from the West whilst they are, despite injuring the local industry, sponsored
by China and have unfettered access to our national tax coffers. In the
same manner that we will not allow Zimbabwe to be sold to Britain, we
vow to reverse all economically senseless agreements with China.
We envisage a Zimbabwe
where all political parties respect each other and debate issues for the
good of the nation, with state institutions such as the parliament, the
judiciary and electoral bodies running independent of the executive.
Itai Masothsa Zimunya
Spokesperson (+263 91 907 235)
Bulawayo
Visit the ZYDT fact
sheet
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