Vince Musewe: A new narrative is now in play

By Vince Musewe

For everything there is a season and this is the season to destroy our fear and hesitation and build courage and a new narrative which says that we are not victims but have been willing accomplices in our abuse.

Once again big up to Evan Mawarire and #ThisFlag movement, including all those quietly involved in the background, it appears to me that a new narrative is now in play. It’s about time we stood up to this abusive regime.

Every day we now can see Zimbabweans from all walks of life beginning to openly express their dissatisfaction with the status quo. I also congratulate and encourage those occupying Africa Unity Square who are clearly heroes and heroines for change, we must assist them in any way we can.

If there is any time for us to consolidate and create an unstoppable momentum for change it is now. It is sad that some of our politicians think they can do it alone, but the wave of change will soon show them that they do not own change nor do they own our future. Only an inclusive approach will work to dislodge ZANU (PF) and President Mugabe who is the biggest liability that this country has ever had.

I have always argued that it is not the EU, IMF, China or any foreign organisation who have solutions for Zimbabwe, it is us young progressive Zimbabweans who can only lift our country from this hell hole created by ZANU (PF). We have the knowledge and the competency to re-invent our country into an inclusive developmental state and we must therefore take the lead in creating a new reality.

We need to create a new society and this begins by saying no to abuse by anyone. I therefore urge our youths to ask these questions now and demand answers. Those who dropped everything and put their lives in hold to join the struggle, including  President Mugabe himself who is now biggest abuser, asked themselves these same questions and realised that the answer lay within their hands and not in Ian Smith’s police or army. The same applies now. In fact our situation is more desperate than then and needs our urgent reaction.

The fact of the matter is that the political system created by ZANU (PF) has been fuelled by our weaknesses and fear and once we remove that, we shall find that the system cannot survive without our consent be abused by it. For far too long ZANU (PF) has used our financial resources to oppress us and it is time we deal with that matter.

Taxes and fines are collected by the system and these are the abused by ZANU (PF) to maintaining a de facto police state. Why should we therefore continue pay for our oppression? The same applies to local government, we are paying city councils for nothing but their salaries which means that we are sustaining a useless system for no benefit.

As a society we need to realise the power we have to change the system and that is our purchasing power. As we march and occupy space, let us gather the courage to take things further and use all we have to continue to deliver the message that we no longer want Mugabe to be President nor do we want his team of thieves to pretend that they are working for the people, they are not and yet we pay their salaries and for their cars and comforts. That is foolishness.

For everything there is a season and I hope this is the season for change. This is the season to destroy our fear and hesitation and build courage and a new narrative which says that we are not victims but willing accomplices in our abuse.

The time for “tongo tamba ngoma iripo” is over. In fact I hate the expression with a passion because it disempowers our people. We must now change our language as a society and begin to believe that there is a better outside but it will not just land on our laps, we must create it now.

For the thousands of Zimbabweans out there that have been fuelling the material success of their so called prophets who to me are clever cowards and accomplices with this evil system, the time has come to realise that you have been fuelling your own poverty and disempowerment because you have come to believe that the solutions are out there.

Our people perish because of ignorance and if there is any dangerous ignorance it is that of those thousands out there who flock to these prophets religiously in the belief that they will be delivered from the poverty which they themselves have accepted as normal and are creating. That is a lie.

Our deliverance from oppression, regression, poverty, abuse and lack can only come through first, our own psychological emancipation and the through taking the necessary action to disempower the oppressor.

Zimbabweans will rise!

Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. He is also Secretary for Finance and Economic affairs in PDP. You may contact him on [email protected]. He writes in his personal capacity.