Who cares about food? – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary
We are told that providing bread and circuses was the way Roman emperors kept the people satisfied. The Vigil thinks that Emperor Mugabe, despite his sweaty Oscar-worthy performance at the party congress, has fallen short in the bread department. Circus-wise he’s done well.
Expelled former Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo – free now to express his real opinion – described the ‘non-elective’ congress as a circus – Zanu PF has now become child’s play — Gumbo. It certainly had all the attributes: clowns, acrobats and bear baiting. Zanu PF, Gumbo added, had been hijacked by ‘vultures’.
Although the Vigil always rejoices in the repentance of a sinner, we believe the vultures have been there from the beginning. But we can celebrate the sudden enlightenment of Zanu PF’s thieves and gullible idiots who find themselves now hounded by drunken youths high on M’gabebanje.
The brainwashed masses – having driven down Dr Grace Mugabe Way to Robert Mugabe Square – were ecstatic at the Mugabe ‘praise and worship show’, revelling in the familiar anti-Western rhetoric and the lunatic fantasies of the senile tyrant: ‘I have been to Ghana, 1958 – 1960, and when you look at them now and compare their present situation to that which existed in the 1960s, no change. There might be more people yes. There may be one road from the airport that has been well done. That’s about all. No change.’
He added that most French colonies had remained dependent on their former coloniser.
The people of Ghana, a former British not French colony, would no doubt be interested to see how they are described by the Zimbabwe liberation icon as Ghana is generally regarded as one of Africa’s success stories. (Even if Mugabe detects a shortage of roads . . .)
Mugabe’s detachment from reality was endorsed by the gushing praise from other liberation movements, such as the December 12 Movement from the United States represented by Comrade Coltrane Chimurenga who said members of his organisation considered themselves to be Zimbabweans because of their admiration for President Mugabe, whose star had risen across the world: ‘He always says the truth. We say no to factionalism. We say no to people who say the West is best: they are Judases’.
Well, now the congress is over, Emperor Mugabe can take his usual well-deserved holiday until his birthday celebrations in February while the purged leadership gets on with the goal of the congress: ‘Accelerated implementation of Zim-Asset’.
But since this programme is completely vacuous, all it requires is a letter to Father Christmas. As for bread for the people, the Zanu PF leadership can enjoy their month-long festive break without troubling themselves about this. After all, surely this is a job for the despised West?
Other points
· Talking of vultures, Vigil supporter Dr Clifford Mashiri draws attention to Zanu PF’s pillaging of the war veterans’ compensation scheme in an article which can be found on our campaigns page under the title ‘Is this the missing list of shame’ (http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/632-zanu-pf-congress-2014-is-this-the-missing-list-of-shame).
· The Vigil was disappointed to see that the opposition failed to rally in support of the pro-democracy activists in Harare beaten up and abducted on Tuesday. Tsvangirai said recently he would take to the streets. When?
· We were joined by festive groups of father Christmases passing down the Strand who joined in our dancing. Thanks to: Mavis Chisvo, Epiphania Phiri, Deborah Harry, Helen Rukambiro, Roda Majoni and Eunice Mucherechedzo who were there at the start of the Vigil to help set up.
· Should you be looking for any knitwear, the Zimbabwe Association has a market stall once a week and would welcome any referrals in its direction (http://zimbabweassociation.org.uk/about-za/projects-rukai/).
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.
FOR THE RECORD: 22 signed the register.
