People First, Mujuru : The coming of a new age

By Courage Shumba | Opinion |

It took painstaking sacrifice for Zimbabwe to be liberated from the yoke of racial tyranny. It took Zimbabwe an armed struggle to push out minority rule so that our country could be governed for the benefit of all.

Today, led by Amai Mujuru, a veteran of the liberation struggle, our country has a chance to liberate and redeem itself from another oppressive minority rule consisting Mr Mugabe , his wife , his children ,his relatives and inner coterie of kleptocrats masquerading as patriots.

Amai Mujuru is not like Tsvangirai , or Grace Mugabe, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti or Lovemore Madhuku. In Amai Mujuru we have a war veteran. We have a revolutionary cadre whose understanding of the struggle, its principles , tactics, hardship and eventual betrayal is a matter of detail all within her intimate experience and knowledge.

In Amai Mujuru we have a commander of the liberation struggle not a mere observer or supporter. We have a mother who fought for a country she believed in , a future she wanted to see and has refused to allow the country to burn whilst she stands by and watches.

We have a war hero whose liberation credentials have never needed polishing, explanation or glossing.No wonder Mugabe found her valuable as a Vice President yet mistaken in the impression that she would be part and parcel of the “dead wood” unconscionable sycophants he prefers around him.

In Amai Mujuru we have a liberation soldier who has taken it personally and upon herself to pursue the proper and legitimate direction of our struggle to the end.This she has done to emancipate Zimbabwe from both pre and post colonial oppression.

In Amai Mujuru we have leader who is able to be understood, accepted and respected by both war veterans and born-frees. To have such a unifying mother figure at this explosive stage of the revolution is an opportunity to be embraced with much enthusiasm.

It is an opportunity for a secure and peaceful transition to a full democracy.It is undoubtedly an opportunity to relive the dream of a genuinely liberated nation.We must all grab this opportunity and celebrate.

At this point in our journey towards being a full democracy we need a secure transition. Amai Mujuru is a war veteran, a democrat , a mother and leader who is able to command political respect and usher in a new national consensus and economic revival. In Amai Mujuru we have a shield against catastrophe and mayhem given her relationship with both the army and the ordinary folk.

We need a leadership that aspires for peace. We need a leadership that aspires for democracy not totalitarian rule.We need a modern, inclusive and democratic government not an outdated fascist order that survives on brutality, voter intimidation and outright military repression.

Whatever part Mugabe played in the history of our liberation it would be cruel and unconscionable to wait until he takes his last breath before we attend to todays critical questions. The country must move forward.The Country belongs to all of us and it is painful to watch everyone suffering because of the unfounded fears and power hungry nature of one man.

Mugabe is now a very old man. Today’s state of the economy and the quality of our peoples lives demands new ideas , innovation and energy on the part of a leader.

Our situation is too ugly and too demanding to allows us to remain happy-clapping and anchored to a ceremonial head of government. The country is dying for an active and innovative leader not meaningless ceremonial activities that do not impact on the bread and butter issues affecting the entire nation.

Mugabe’s party, Zanu PF, does not accept the urgency of the need to have him replaced and succeeded quickly. As far as they are concerned Mugabe must stay on until nature takes its course. Such a clumsy and irresponsible proposition that seeks to make Mugabe and Zimbabwe synonymous means we must examine realistic alternatives.

Whilst Zanu PF’s stance is dangerous for democracy and development, and can be interpreted to mean Mugabe’s successor should like wise rule until his natural death, we must seize and run away with the rare and long awaited opportunity thrown into the frame by the emergence of the brave Amai Mujuru,a respected combatant in the struggle that brought us this independence.

We owe it to ourselves to take this country out of the hands of Mugabe and his treacherous bandits and deliver a true independence to the people of Zimbabwe.

Dr Joice Mujuru fought for this country. She is the kind of veteran who wants to finish the job of freeing the sons and daughters of the soil she fought for and quite clearly we must understand and accept from todays experiences that the trajectory we have taken is fundamentally and diametrically opposed to the principles of our liberation struggle.

We are existing under a dictatorship, in circumstances of chronic corruption and unaccountable governance.We are living under a fascist order for a people who claim to be liberated.

We are marred with disappearances, violence, corruption and mismanagement. We are living in chaos and confusion and it is right that we the brave ones, led by Amai Mujuru, have rejected this trajectory and its consequent privatisation of the benefits of our liberation struggle.

We must support Dr Joice “Teurai Ropa” Mujuru’s vision. We must support her effort . It is a vision for the prosperity of this country.It is a vision for the eventual birth of democracy. It is a vision based on putting the country first. It is a vision for jobs and shared wealth. It is a vision for better relations with other nations.

It is a vision for a proud , patient and peaceful people. A vision for equality . It is a victory for gender balance.It is a vision for law and order. A vision for accountability and good governance . It is a victory for common sense. It is victory and a vision for a Zimbabwe where leaders can be changed, voters are respected and where majority rule reflects a determination towards a fair, just and democratic order.

We fought for equality and opportunity not tyranny and misrule. No matter how gloomy our past has been, punctuated by genocides, violence,bad governance and dictatorship we now have in our sights the possibility of doing ourselves justice by aligning ourselves with the war veterans who respect the liberation struggle and its true intended objectives.

We have a whole economy at crossroads to plough our heads into debating and celebrating Mugabe’s past at the expense of today’s important questions.

We owe it to ourselves to remain united, peaceful and progressive by rallying behind a leadership that has the ideas, means, strategy, people and support to produce a post Mugabe Zimbabwe designed for the benefit of all.

There is no other party at the moment that is able to provide a post Mugabe philosophy and policy architecture that can be trusted and supported by war veterans and ordinary folk alike except only us in the Zimbabwe People First. The MDC has proved that despite winning elections time and again it lacks the respect of the war veteran and armed forces community.

The MDC as a party is still viewed extremely suspiciously within the ex-combatant community which still holds much sway over matters of governance in this country. In that respect we must align with a leadership that is able to govern when it wins.

For a peaceful transition towards a full democracy the next leader will need to be able to have the respect and trust of the institutions that are critical in determining what happens next after winning the next election.

We must rally behind Amai Mujuru and the People First Movement.Those in other political parties, Mavambo, Zapu , NCA, PDP and many others must look at the common enemy and realise the importance of this watershed moment and strategise accordingly.

This will help to ensure the opportunity to liberate Zimbabwe is not squandered because of personal, misguided and lofty ambitions.

This is a critical time for the nation of Zimbabwe and no personal friendships or relationships ,no matter the history, or how we exaggerate them must be allowed to stand in the way of the job of liberating our country.

This is an important moment for the future of our country and important decisions will have to be made to ensure this chance is not missed in our fight against tyranny, despotic and arbitrary rule. This is a watershed moment for our country and every patriot must be determined to ensure we have created a new political alternative to the self centred, self seeking misrule of the Mugabe chapter which Me ,You and Amai Mujuru will now close.

Lets all rally behind Amai Dr Cde Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru and save our country from Mugabe so we can all bring democracy , good governance and development to our beloved nation.

We will not be discouraged, intimidated or distracted from ensuring that Zimbabwe never returns to being governed with the kind of power-hunger, corruption , carelessness and destruction of the Mugabe era.

I have therefore with immediate effect resigned as Director of Information and Publicity of the National Constitutional Assembly Party led by Professor Madhuku. I have joined hands with Amai Mujuru and others to ensure all critical support at this time of our struggle is channelled towards a realistic prospect of change that will affect peoples lives.

Whilst the NCA Party presents symbolic resistance to undemocratic practices within government and also within established earlier opposition outfits we know from our history that neither ZUM or Ndonga ever had real effect on the Mugabe’s power-first policy and authoritarian government.

The NCA is an objective and principled political organisation but it lacks the numbers and resources to be of any significance in the 2018 general election. On that basis it would appear irresponsible and pointless on my part to ignore what can only be a real chance to be involved in the removal of Mr Mugabe and Zanu PF from power.

I have therefore after very careful thought joined the Zimbabwe People First Party, and intend to stand and fight as its candidate in Goromonzi or some other Constituency in 2018. We must fight for Zimbabwe and guarantee a decent future for ourselves and our children.

Zimbabwe will never experience tyranny and minority rule again.Lets all rally behind Amai Mujuru.

Courage Shumba is also a Former UZ SRC Vice President and Founded Nyika Vanhu Foundation in 2002. He is a consistent critic of President Mugabe’s leadership since 2000 and has written many articles on the failings of the Mugabe regime. He was also the first Chairperson of the MDC UZ Branch in 2000. He writes in his own capacity. Can be contacted at [email protected] for comments and further debate.