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Zimbabwe Briefing - Issue 82
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (SA Regional Office)
July 11, 2012

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What About Us?

Over the past few months all focus has been on political developments in Zimbabwe and the decisions and actions of senior political leaders. Even now the focus is back on the indigenisation programme led by ZANU PF and hotly contested by the MDC parties and the revolting Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono. The issue of the stalled constitutional process and the debate on the next election date seem to have supped all the energy from political parties who appear struggling to identify their next agenda. What about us is the question that ordinary Zimbabwe's would ask under these circumstances as fundamental economic issues remain unresolved, hunger and food shortages persist, shortages of schools and deteriorating educational standards persist, shortages of water, electricity and basic service delivery are getting worse.

It is profound that even as the Government of National Unity parties talk about diamonds revenue, this discourse is not taking place in the realm of what is due to the people of Zimbabwe, service delivery, health etc, but simply a political contestation of who gets what and how. It is equally sad that the GNU has failed to deal with pathetic salaries paid to civil servants hence undermining government business and efficiently through absenteeism, unprofessional conduct and negative approach to government business. At the same time those connected to the system are living large on diamond, gold and tender monies all ill-gotten and all benefit-ting a few.

The ordinary Zimbabwean is struggling in understanding and mapping out the future. There is no sense of hope that the political impasse will be resolved soon more importantly that the economy would improve any time soon. On the contrary the few remaining companies are either closing or scaling down throwing many people into the streets. The hustling that is going on at almost every corner in the city center tells a sad story of desperation on the part ordinary citizens, many people are living by and for the day and cannot afford to send their children to school nor meet medical costs. Thanks to the Ministry of Health for doing away with maternity fees in all government hospitals, yet the question remains, is there enough medicines, are there enough hospital beds and medical staff? In this respect many people are dying needlessly from treatable illnesses because hospitals and clinics do not have medicines. The what about us question is more critical now as Zimbabweans are now hostage to the political elite that fails to focus beyond its own interests. The long drawn struggle on the new constitution and election timetable and reforms is an indicator of the deterioration in our politics that goes to the heart of the matter that is egoistic and selfish political leadership.

Politics in Zimbabwe has descended to having nothing to do with citizens to everything to do with politicians and their personal concerns. As many go without electricity, transport, schools, healthcare, food, you name it, all these are provided for politicians. Politics has since ceased to be about our issues but simply about power. This brings in the question on the role of CSOs under this situation and what needs to be done. Again the question is not so much simply piling information on citizens but mobilisation, networking and building sustainable relations with communities.

It is time that CSOs and citizens define and create their own agenda on the impasse in Zimbabwe and mobilise citizens to address these issues. What are the implications of urban residents organising to collect garbage on their own and directing rates paid to the city council to-wards that effort?

What are the platforms that we can create to make demands on education, the hunger stalking millions, deteriorating roads and police corruption? This period, when politicians are in an unholy pact to take care of themselves, is the right moment for CSOs to organise citizens to equally take care of themselves.

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