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The future of Zimbabwe after the March 29 poll
Maria Vhakacha, Zimbabwe Daily News
February 26, 2008

http://www.zimdaily.com/news/117/ARTICLE/2393/2008-02-26.html

Definitely, one of the three candidates who have offered themselves to the electorate will be elected the president of a nation, which at the present moment, is on its knees because of an unprecedented economic meltdown and retrogression, in the history of humankind.

The million-dollar question is: What does each candidate offer in terms of economic turn-around program, or rather, the transformation of the Zimbabwe society?

As for President Mugabe, what he has to offer is common knowledge to all sane Zimbabweans. He offers more starvation, more inflation, more corruption, more insults, more queues, more power shedding, death and the total collapse of Zimbabwe as a sovereign State.

His age or probably mental imbalances render him incapable of any change, or even the willingness to listen to anyone with new ideas concerning the turning-around of the economy. He will continue to surround himself with his worshippers and bootlickers. If God is fair, all his bootlickers know that this will be Mugabe-s last term in office, and all of them are ready for the kill.

They will mercilessly and relentlessly loot the bleeding economy with the full blessings of Mugabe, who at this point knows that he is mortal, and the God who was introduced to him by the Jesuits at Kutama, is becoming impatient. But for the bootlickers it is now or never.

As for Morgan and Simba, we do not know exactly what their reign has in store for us. Probably, it is high time Zimbabweans of good will must start giving these two candidates advice.

Now they still identify with the ordinary people, and it is likely that they would give heed. If we wait for too long they may turn themselves into gods just like Mugabe did, and then, become incapable of taking advice from anyone. If Morgan or Simba wins the elections, I offer my advice for free.

Dialogue
The first thing to be done is to initiate a dialogue at both national and international levels. Zimbabwe has to realize and to acknowledge without any reservation that Zimbabwe is not an island and as such it needs others, irrespective of their color, gender, political affiliation, and ideology. The new Zimbabwe should not inherit Mugabe-s personal enemies.

At home, dialogue calls for reconciliation. There are so many wounds which need to be touched and healed. Mugabe-s rule has caused psychological torture and trauma in many ordinary Zimbabweans, and if not handled properly, we will have another Gukurahundi in Zimbabwe.

This reconciliation should not be imposed on anyone, but those who need it should earn it through their willingness to confess their sins to their victims, and their willingness to pay reparations for the suffering they have caused to ordinary Zimbabweans. Imposed reconciliation is too cheap and does not heal any wound.

Here, I have in mind people who have caused the suffering and deaths of Zimbabweans, in what they have done, or in what they have failed to do, such as those officials who have failed to import sufficient seed or fertilizers, those who have acquired other people-s property fraudulently, those who have brought the educational sector into tatters at the expense of the students, those who have given Zimbabweans false hope of a better tomorrow, and many others.

Corruption
Zimbabwe needs a radical overhaul in all sectors. The poverty that Mugabe has manufactured for Zimbabweans has literally turned most people to corrupt activities.

If those people continue to hold important positions in government and elsewhere, whatever Morgan or Simba will get from the international well-wishers will be misappropriated and squandered, just like what is happening now.

There will be needed an incorruptible Anti Corruption Commission. The recycling of corrupt leaders should be discarded. If corruption is not dealt with the economic regression will continue unabated.

Industrialization
Reviving Zimbabwe-s industries will be a mammoth task. It will take some doing to attract investment to Zimbabwe. The task calls for the efforts of all Zimbabweans.

Each one should be encouraged to contribute in his/her own way. Zimbabwean professionals and technocrats who are in the diaspora should be persuaded to come back home, and to bring home their expertise and experience.

Most people in the diaspora miss their friends and relatives at home and they would definitely come back home if Mugabe is gone. They should be given an opportunity to use their skills. As for me I would volunteer to write textbooks for our schools.

Civic Education
Mugabe has been able to coerce the rural people to vote for him because he takes advantage of their ignorance of the electoral process and their constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Most people do not know the difference between the State and the ruling party because no one has ever educated them. The ignorance encompasses even leaders of the army and the police force. Some police officers beat supporters of the opposition parties because such officers think that they are employees of ZANU (PF). One year Zvinavashe had the audacity to speak on national Television, that his army would not support any other government except Mugabe-s.

It is shameful to realize that people who hold such high offices do not know that they are not employees of ZANU( PF), but servants of the Sovereign people of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Unless Zimbabweans are educated we will find ourselves retracing the evil foot prints of Mugabe. This will be the area of non-governmental organizations which are waiting for Mugabe-s long awaited departure.

The land issue
The land issue will remain a thorn in the flesh of Zimbabwe-s economic war, for quite a long time. The truth is that no sane white farmer who has already left the country will be lured to come back to Zimbabwe to do farming.

It will take time for professional farmers to regain trust in the new Zimbabwe government. The new farmers will have to be trained to do commercial farming and those who will misuse government support and those who will fail to produce a stipulated minimum amount of produce will be prosecuted. That will be the new task of the riot or anti-riot police in a free Zimbabwe.

War Veterans and Chiefs
War veterans will be rehabilited in order to exorcise the evil spirit which Mugabe planted in them. Chiefs would be depoliticized.

But if Mugabe wins again, if Mugabe wins again, I will start digging my own grave.

Email: mariavhakacha@yahoo.com

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