Why this #ThisFlag campaign needs your support

By George Makoni

Evan Mawarire, a cleric fronting what has become known as #ThisFlag campaign needs the support of all pro-democracy forces in confronting Zimbabwe’s Competitive Authoritarian Regime, ZANU PF.

His approach is tactful, well timed and indeed sustainable. The campaign which has so far taken the social media by storm , seeks to challenge politicians to stop corruption and start taking action by not neglecting citizens, as well as  to promote the participation of  ordinary citizens by challenging them to stand up for their rights.

“I looked at the flag and felt like what the flag represents and the state of the country, are worlds apart,” said Pastor Evan.

In this vein, he is linking all the challenges bedeviling Zimbabwe with the supposed significance of the flag. His analysis reduces the flag to an ordinary cloth and he empirically substantiates that, this is due to inefficient and ineffective delivery of duties and obligations by the state authorities.

Mawarire utilized something which the ZANU PF government has monopolized since independence. The ZANU PF flag and their party regalia,  are centred on the national flag, in a similar fashion with the national anthem, holidays, shrines and memorialisations which are significant to the history of Zimbabwe.

In this context the use of the national flag in the corner of the oppressed is very tactical. The dimension brought about by Mawarire returns ownership of the flag to other Zimbabweans who are deemed second class citizens by the ZANU PF regime.

To me it is synonymous with the campaign dubbed,”Our Country Too” which Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a conglomeration of Civic Society Organizations once embarked on in 2007 to push the government to recognize all citizens including those in opposition parties and civic society.

#ThisFlag Campaign falls under non-violent engagement strategies in typical Mahatma Gandhi style and as prescribed by experts in using this strategy, to fight a competitive authoritarian regime, they should be dilemma actions.

It is the prime purpose of this article to unpack the concept of non-violent engagement in the context of the ZANU PF autocratic government.

Knowing more about the dynamics of dilemma actions can enable activists to design their actions to pose difficult dilemmas to opponents, leading opponents to make unpopular decisions, or waste their efforts preparing for several possible responses.

A dilemma action is a type of non-violent civil disobedience designed to create a “response dilemma” or “lose-lose” situation for public authorities by forcing them to either concede some public space to protesters or make themselves look absurd or heavy-handed by acting against the protest.

#ThisFlag campaign should be broadened to the majority of Zimbabweans who are wallowing in poverty due to the poor governance of the ZANU PF regime.

During a live radio program on Zifm featuring Mawarire, I was touched with a testimony from one caller who said;

“I have no savings, they were wiped out in 2008. People died, we cannot speak because we are scared. You know how people died in 2008 in areas like Mutoko and Murewa. It was terrible. We are happy with the campaign and I am sure many people are supporting him (Mawarire). We want answers and we are supporting this campaign. At 62, I am still trying to buy and sell for survival, it’s hard,” the caller said.

This is a true reflection of what many Zimbabweans are feeling, but they cannot express themselves. This campaign if well executed, it’s bound to bring out of the shells, most Zimbabweans with a similar predicament.

The fact that Super Mandiwanzira was waiting for Mawarire outside the studio and began shouting at him, calling him all sorts of names and accusing him of seeking to subvert the government is a testimony of the impact of Mawarire’s protest message to the authorities.

Mandiwanzira is not the only ZANU PF zealot to be offended by this alternative dimension of the flag. Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo has also had a social media altercation with Mawarire, whose campaign has gained traction with each passing day.

Core concepts of successful nonviolent action are support, careful planning and strong leadership. It is essential to have a vision and strategic plan and to develop the tactics and campaigns necessary to achieve it.

Most often, movements tend to happen through local grassroots organizations and unions, in response to circumstances in a place or because of the creativity of a group of people. In addition to educating people on their rights, nonviolent action also gives people an alternative way of expressing themselves.

A dilemma action leaves the opponent with no obvious ‘best response’ — each possible choice has significant negative aspects. Even the opponent’s most attractive response will have a mix of advantages and disadvantages that are not directly comparable, as assessed at the time or in hindsight. Many nonviolent actions are reactions to what authorities do: activists respond to agendas set by others. In a dilemma action, activists are proactive.

Usually the best option for the opponents is to stop the action without anybody noticing — the activists’ strategy should then be to make it as public as possible. Something that makes a dilemma difficult is when the opponent has to compare consequences from different domains; it can be difficult to compare the benefit of an approving reaction from supporters, with negative feedback from a different audience.

A tool that proved effective and appropriate in Kenya, in the run up to elections when it was necessary to reach as many people as possible was the introduction of theatre into the process. A larger audience was reached in a short period of time and mobilization became very easy.

Other examples of the use of theatre to engage, educate and move people to action are seen in Bangladesh (Action Theatre: Initiating Changes), in Senegal (Using Popular Theater to Break the Silence Around Violence Against Women) with the Philippine Education Theater Association and in Augusto Boil’s suite of The Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) which can be used in a meaningful way to explore and build a collective understanding on a range of themes. Another tool that has been used is the use of photographs to stimulate discussion, creativity and personal disclosure and strategic thinking.

George Makoni is the Vice Chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. He writes in his own capacity and can be contacted @[email protected] or [email protected]