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Zimbabweans living abroad should claim their right to vote a condition to sending foreign currency
Benjamin Chitate
June 07, 2004

I will be very willing to share my views on the recent move by the Mugabe Regime, through Gideon Gono, to try to get Zimbabweans living abroad, to bail out Zimbabwe from her foreign currency woes by persuading them to send their foreign currency through the Homelink system.

The sudden realisation that Zimbabweans living abroad are doing something that could help their country of birth is a great contradiction to statements by Mugabe and others in Zanu PF who have spoken so negartively about Zimbabweans in the Diasporra, claiming that they is nothing worthy that most of them are doing except caring for old white ladies. All of a sudden, the same regime now wants foreign currency that is earned out of cleaning old white ladies?

Nevertherless, one's country of birth is important to every living human being. If I were in the Diasporra, I would send my foreign currency only on condition that I am allowed to vote. With millions of Zimbabweans working as economic refugees in other countries, notably South Africa and the UK, the postal vote would certainly do the trick the same way as the foreign currency brought to Zimbabwe by the same people could help end the country's foreign currency woes.

I urgue Zimbabweans living abroad to petition the Mugabe regime to seriously consider allowing them to vote if it has finally realised the role they can play in bringing back order. Copies of the petition could also be sent to organisations such as the United Nations and others.

I hear someone saying the postal votes would be rigged. As part of the conditions, the Zimbabweans in the diasporra should demand that polling stations be set up at the respective embassies where, just like at the local polling stations, there are representatives of all parties interested. The counting could be done there and only the results sent to Zimbabwe. Alternatively, the results may still be brought to Zimbabwe, but accompanied by representatives of all the interested parties to ensure that they are allocated to the respective constituencies in a transparent manner.

This is just a thought, but may need to be further explored. I call upon all recepients of the message to seriously think about it, and those who know Zimbabweans in the diaspora should actually contact them and sell the idea. I know it may sell because most Zimbabwe in the Diasporra would like to return to Zimbabwe at some point, and conducive conditions for their smooth settling can only be created by the removal of the present regime in a democratic manner.

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