We Can Get Zimbabwe Working Again

by Tofaranashe Gumbo, MKD Member from Mashonaland West

We can get Zimbabwe working again. Yes, “Let’s get Zimbabwe working again”. This is an agenda every responsible Zimbabwean must take part in.

Let me start by highlighting some of the famous sayings by Father Zimbabwe, the late Cde Joshua Mqubuko Nyongolo Nkomo. He said: “Our primary task is to create one nation. All those fighters in unmarked graves died to liberate all Zimbabweans as a single nation. It would be terrible, and what would the world say if we use the same weapons that we got to free our country against each other? We must united and be an example....The rulers will go, and so will men present and those to come, but Zimbabwe will never go....” (September 1980). Yes, we should take seriously the words of wisdom from the late Dr Joshua Nkomo. Fellow Zimbabweans, we must not behave as if the rulers we have today will be here forever. Neither will we be here forever. As we pass on, we will continue to pass on the baton to our children who shall inherit this country. Anyone who is destroying this country rather than building it is a liability to all Zimbabweans and to generations to come.
The biggest failure of the ZANU PF Government which ruled this country for 29 years was exactly its failure to liberate Zimbabwe by building one single, united Zimbabwe. Instead it has managed to disunite the nation by tribe and by wealth. They have set tribe against tribe. They have set the wealthy against the poor, and the poor against the wealthy. What about the Inclusive government? Is it able to liberate Zimbabwe by building one single, united country? The signs are bad. The nation remains polarized, with ZANU PF accusing MDC – T of refusing to end sanctions, and MDC – T accusing ZANU PF of illegitimately holding on to the reins of power. Now we have a semi-divorce, with MDC – T refusing to have anything to do with ZANU PF. Is this disunity for the nation? Can this disunity liberate all Zimbabweans as was the dream of Dr Joshua Nkomo?
One of the obvious weaknesses of both the MDC – T and ZANU PF is their inability to deal with conflict. As soon as there is a disagreement of any sort, ZANU PF will set its dogs of war against anyone who dares to have a different opinion. MDC – T will rush off to seek mediators and support from outside. Is the Inclusive Government better at conflict resolution? It appears not. They are once again fighting each other, each accusing the other of transgressing against the GPA. Hard words have been uttered, each condemning the other for political crimes of various sorts.
Mavambo Kusile Dawn (MKD) believes that conflict is inevitable. Conflict can also be constructive. We can learn by listening to each other’s views and experiences. The war veterans of the 1970s have much to teach the unemployed youths of the 21st Century. They also have much to learn from the frustrations of these unemployed youths who have received education but have no jobs. In fact the two groups share the challenge of unemployment, and the two groups could solve this problem rather than fighting each other. Their disagreement should and could lead to innovative and creative solutions to the problems of the country.
Yet we find the opposite. The disagreements between MDC – T and ZANU PF are destructive of each other. They are also self-destructive. The more they fight each other, the weaker they will become. This is because they are not following Dr Joshua Nkomo’s wise advice: we must liberate all Zimbabweans by uniting them. And we must unite to achieve common shared goals.
Mavambo Kusile Dawn offers the following common goals that all Zimbabweans can follow:
• Let’s work together to get a good national Constitution that will build Zimbabwe and enrich all Zimbabweans, whether they are war veterans or unemployed youths, rather than one that will benefit only a small number of already rich people.
• Let’s work together to provide security for all, rather than being frightened of each other, and attacking, torturing and killing each other in the name of security.
• Let’s work together to provide food for all. We must get rid of our dependence on donor food, and provide food security by ourselves.
• Let’s work together to provide good health facilities for all. Many people are dying needlessly because of lack of health care.
• Let’s work together to provide quality education for all. Our wonderful education system has been brought down. Let us re-build it.
‘Let’s Get Zimbabwe Working Again’