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09 June 2008
By Bridget Tapuwa
Every sane Zimbabwean irrespective of where they are in the world have probably been reflecting with worry upon the ongoing callous and brutal torture being perpetrated on innocent people by the nefarious thugs in Zimbabwe.
My thoughts have gone beyond that to reflect upon the proposal by some Zimbabweans who include Dr Lovemore Madhuku among others, that those being attacked by the notorious elements should retaliate in self defense.
Such a proposal coming against the background that there is a big likelihood that the much talked about Chinese ship has indeed offloaded some weaponry in Zimbabwe.
Even in the absence of such a possibility, lies also the given background that the perpetrators are the very same elements in full control of the weaponry in Zimbabwe. Otherwise how else could they have acquired the arms that they are using so recklessly?
As if that is not enough, the media has it that Tendai Biti recently in Cape Town warned that a war might ensue if the MDC-T party does not win the June 27 election. He speculates through juxtaposing, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
A war erupting in Zimbabwe at the loss of MDC? Where are the arms to facilitate such?
I do not want to in any way bank my reasoning on the ideas being sold by some organizations such as the one that has been marketing itself in the media as the ‘Zimbabwean Resistance Movement’. Allegedly being run by some members of the Uniformed forces, who argue that they want to bring about change in Zimbabwe through armed war.
Their argument is based on the fact that they are convinced that they are, in their low ranking positions best positioned to facilitate this. Am thinking, when one is serious about waging a war, do they really initially go about giving open threats in this manner? Do they not simply take the barrel and shoot, and we wake up to a new scenario?
I want to believe that the movement is just an idea creeping and breeding in someone’s mind, who is doubting the possibility of dislodging Zanu pf through the ballot in the face of a disfigured voting landscape.
In the Zimbabwe that we know, before the low ranking group of the Uniformed Forces Resistance Movement even conceives the idea of forming the organization, they will have been grisly brought before their superiors.
And, in this light, the idea of an unarmed lay Zimbabwean man defending himself against a drugged vicious armed thug falls not as a feasible option to me. Nor does the idea of a war erupting in Zimbabwe at the loss of MDC in the upcoming elections. Even in as much as I also long for sanity to prevail in Zimbabwe, and also in as much as I would like to have a scenario where the perpetrators of violence are told in no uncertain terms that they do not own Zimbabwe.
Questionable is whether or not we are really serious when we make some of these suggestions? Do such suggestions come out of real concern on the plight of the Zimbabwean man, or do we simply make a ruckus because we want to be heard talking and to be noticed? Are we not using the low ranking Zimbabwean to gain political mileage? Instilling to the low ranking Zimbabwean, an idea not feasible, that they can successfully wage an unarmed war against the armed state is being very reckless and careless, a very cruel way of misleading the Zimbabwean man who is desperately seeking a regime change.
At this juncture, I need to highlight without any hesitation that more and more violence is very likely to engulf Zimbabwe because as we all know the Zanu pf regime wants to stay put and will use all means at their disposal to thwart any regime change. They are bound to use live ammunition on any street protesters, and so it is also very mischievous for anyone to suggest that the ‘ordinary’ Zimbabweans go on wide street protests; the Myanmar way.
‘Ordinary’ Zimbabweans, because from a general analysis, there appears to be a general pattern and trend in Zimbabwe’s street protests, where the street protests are dominated by the very lowly paid worker, and the unemployed, the men who in the old street language was referred to as the ‘povo’. One can easily draw a clear line which indicates the class constituencies which generally partake on the street protests even though the effects of the plummeting Zimbabwean economy cut across all classes.
The most worrying factor comes when the partakers in the protests are killed or maimed whilst those giving the suggestions are dining and wining. Such proposals are normally shouted by those on the pinnacles of ivory towers, who will design the demonstration placards, but on the day of the protests, will shelter away at home, or partake in the protests but come out not maimed. And then to add salt to the injury, when there are injuries and deaths involved, financial assistance to the victims does not easily flow through. A recent media article had this to disclose;
‘On Wednesday many people were injured during the raid on mourners and several were admitted to hospital. Human rights lawyer, Dhewa Mavhinga who was present at the funeral, said he saw Kauzani's wife trying to flee from the mob with her 4 children, including one who is disabled. Kauzani's father also fled the scene, but tragically the family did not even have bus fare to travel to the relative safety of town.’
Even though there may be an escalation in the number of victims to the violence, the failure by us as Zimbabweans to coordinate ourselves and get funds freely rolling to assist such desperate families has been inexplicable; ‘the family did not even have bus fare to travel to the relative safety of town’. It comes as a big relief that I have since learnt that the President of MDC; Morgan Tsvangirai has since launched a fund to help such victims.
I am well cognizant of the fact that not all victims to the violence are retaliating against the vicious attacks, and they are still not being spared of the maiming or killing. However, retaliating will indeed worsen the already bad scenario.
It is therefore prudent that we accept reality no matter how hurting it may be, in this case the reality that fighting an armed man whilst you are not armed is highly questionable. Let us talk real and not fiction.
The writer, Bridget Tapuwa is based in Belgium and she can be reached at britavoice@gmail.com or
http://britavoice-zim-girl.blogspot.com/
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