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Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Consider
the common good, comrades
Mutsa Murenje
July 14, 2013
The past few
days have been quite hectic politically. And all hasn't gone well
with Egypt's Mohammed Morsi who was ousted by that country's military
on July 3. Apparently, millions of Egyptians had protested prior
to his ouster and they expected nothing but his removal. Morsi's
toppling by the army has sent some frissons to Zimbabweans whose
government is due for renewal on July 31. The prime reason for the
shivers is the fact that the Zimbabwean military has previously
and publicly announced that nobody without liberation war credentials
will ever rule Zimbabwe. Now, with the Egyptian experience, and
with us facing an election, are we safe from the army's mischief?
For us to be
able to answer the above question, we definitely need to borne in
our minds that Morsi won the June 2012 election with 51.7 per cent
of the vote following the fall from grace by longtime autocrat Hosni
Mubarak. Morsi was democratically elected and Egyptians voted overwhelmingly
for him. But that did not save him. Recent reports indicate beyond
any iota of doubt that the military's actions appear to have been
well-received. In Zimbabwe, however, we have always been against
the military on account of the many brutalities they have visited
upon us. The last thing we would want to see, therefore, is a military
coup against a democratically elected government. We have an opportunity
to move forward as Zimbabweans and a coup won't allow us to realise
and achieve that progress and meet the requisite conditions to restore
our nation, by way of example, to that status of being the Switzerland
of Africa or the Breadbasket of Southern Africa. The army will therefore
only serve to maintain the status quo and restore a corrupt and
dictatorial regime. A coup won't succeed in Zimbabwe.
There can be
no doubt, whatsoever, that Morgan
Tsvangirai will win the July 31 plebiscite by a landslide victory.
The Movement for Democratic Change will defeat Zanu-PF. That victory
is only guaranteed if free, fair, peaceful and credible elections
are held. All the necessary conditions governing democratic elections
have not been met though. In a helter-skelter dash to rig the polls,
Africa's oldest and longtime dictator Robert Mugabe made use of
his kangaroo court to force this election on us. We are not going
into this election for the sake of it. But it is our innermost desire
and long-term goal to obliterate from the body politic the monopolisation
of power, infringements of press freedoms and civil liberties as
well as violent hate speech. The media landscape in Zimbabwe has
long been sharply parochial since 1980 and we ought to reverse all
these ills.
It is clearly
disturbing and unsettling to come to terms with the fact that Morsi
had to leave power that way. It would be a disservice to the nation,
region and world at large should the military decide to occupy the
civilian space in Zimbabwe. Those who partook in the liberation
struggle should be aware that we are grateful for their national
service. History will thank them and now is the time for them to
demilitarise their minds. We need to demilitarise state institutions
and allow civic space to take over. Allowing the army in Zimbabwe,
Africa or any other part of the world to dabble in politics is illogical
at best and grossly irresponsible at worst. In Zimbabwe, in particular,
such a development won't be entertained by anybody. The death of
our friends and relatives in past elections caused us great grief
and consternation and we wouldn't want a repeat of the same. What
my readers have to borne in mind is that my hatred and contempt
for all hypocrisy and deception is deep.
Mugabe and the
generals have to be reminded that they don't own Zimbabwe. When
one owns something, it has to be held onto, it has to be protected.
What Mugabe has to remember is that he isn't Zimbabwe's Life President.
There was a time when he really had a mandate to manage the country
on our behalf but I doubt we still have any confidence in a man
who will be 90 years of age in February 2014. For Mugabe has, as
it were, an increasing inability to separate role from person. What
he does is indistinguishable from what he is. He has wielded great
power and is finding it very difficult to give it up, and chances
are that he will fight to the death to retain it. For, he was supercharged
with arrogance and ambition when he lacked strong opposition. And
we all know, don't we that he almost legislated for a de jure one
party state in the early 1990s?
Allow me, dear
readers, to draw your attention to the fact that we recognise human
government as an ordinance of divine appointment and we teach obedience
to it as a sacred duty, obviously within its legitimate sphere.
We do not defy authorities. Our words, whether spoken or written,
are carefully considered, lest we place ourselves on record as uttering
that which would make us appear antagonistic to law and order. It
is because of this that I have decided to write today, not as a
Chipinge man, nor an Eastern man, but as a Zimbabwean with a genuine
desire to move the country forward. I have seen Welshman Ncube and
Dumiso Dabengwa coming together into some form of political alliance
not to advance the Zimbabwean cause but their own selfish interests
at the expense of the suffering and oppressed people of Zimbabwe.
The two behave as if they are village and tribal leaders. They are
against the national interest. And one wonders if they are Zanu-PF
agents meant to forestall democratic advancement in the country.
I repeat: my hatred and contempt for all hypocrisy and deception
is deep!
In 1910, Republican
Senator Albert Beveridge had this to say: "A party can live
only by growing; intolerance of ideas brings its death. An organisation
that depends upon reproduction only for its vote, son taking the
place of the father, is not a political party, but a Chinese tong;
not citizens brought together by thought and conscience, but an
Indian tribe held together by blood and prejudice." The thing
is: private interest must not be put in opposition to public good.
For 1 Corinthians 10:24 tells us in no uncertain terms that: "Nobody
should seek his own good, but the good of others". My message
to Mugabe, Ncube, Dabengwa and the generals is: consider the common
good, comrades. Differing in natural characteristics and in habits
of life as we do, we need to come into unity of feeling, thought
and action. The common good should be unto us our watchword, badge
of distinction, bond of our union, authority of our course of action
and source of success. Special wisdom and largeness of heart on
our part are therefore mandatory and not optional.
Why don't we
set an example to the youth which shall teach them to regard as
nothing any position or office which must be attained or held at
the sacrifice of honour? I sincerely thought that Mugabe, Ncube,
Dabengwa and the generals possessed sound judgement and experience.
They have done more harm than good. We have had enough of them.
They ought to consider our well-being and stop telling us lies.
Let truth telling be held with no loose hand or uncertain grasp.
Let it become a part of the life. Playing, fast and loose with truth,
and dissembling to suit one's own selfish plans, means a shipwreck
of faith. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth" (Ephesians 6:14).
In conclusion,
"He who utters untruths sells his soul in a cheap market. His
falsehoods may seem to serve in emergencies; he may thus seem to
make business advancement that he could not gain by fair dealing;
but he finally reaches the place where he can trust no one. Himself
a falsifier, he has no confidence in the word of others" (Ellen
G. White). I am looking into the great beyond, not with uncertainty
or dread, but with joyous hope and longing expectation that Mugabe,
Ncube, Dabengwa and the generals will engage in deep searching of
heart and earnest prayer as they consider doing the right thing
for our country to move forward. I put it to you dear Zimbabweans
and I rest my case.
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