Jabulani Sibanda: A desperate but dangerous imposter

By Moses Chamboko

Lunacy is ZANU PF’s second nature, it would appear.

Without wasting time and effort looking beyond the so-called Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, one can easily count more than a dozen lunatics who have unfortunately tainted what would have been a noble organisation, given our bitter history.

When the leadership of this association went to the dogs (literally), not many Zimbabweans continued to take it seriously, including, paradoxically, even the patron of the organisation who is now at a loss as to which of the two splinter groups represents the real ideals of the liberation struggle.

A former taxi driver masquerading as medical doctor and freedom fighter, Chenjerai Hunzvi, who knew the streets of Warsaw better than he could spell his full name, was the first to bring shame to the former liberators’ movement.

Later, came the “legendary “Joseph Chinotimba and now this prodigious moron, Jabulani Sibanda!

The only difference between Sibanda and his two predecessors is probably that he is too young to have fought in the liberation war no matter how much spin he puts to his curriculum vitae. Even if it was edited by Jonathan Moyo, any sane Zimbabwean would still see gaping holes in it.

Jabu’s age is a matter of public record and I won’t waste your precious time discussing that fact other than to say he was never a bearer of “chitinyana or sitikinyana” assuming he knows what it is. But I digress.

At a press conference recently in Gweru, Sibanda, shamelessly, accused the MDC of “betraying the liberation struggle by calling for sanctions”. He went on to say that war veterans will not allow MDC or any party other than ZANU PF to win the next elections.

As if this foolish sabre-rattling was not enough, Jabulani further said, categorically, “If the worst comes to the worst, our weapons will defend our ideas”.

When one looks at events of the past few days which culminated in the shameful incarceration of prominent lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and a number of innocent Zimbabweans including staff from the Prime Minister’s office, one can conclude that in his calamitous desperation, this hoodlum is not acting alone.

Nevertheless, if ours was a normal democracy, recent statements attributed to him would have instantly attracted a charge of treason for which he would be facing a death sentence or a lengthy period as an unwilling guest at Hotel Chikurubi.

Jabulani needs to be reminded that nowhere on planet earth has the gun solved any problem conclusively. It may have been a means to an end in some cases but not an end in itself.

Lancaster House talks, UN Resolution 435 which paved the way for an independent Namibia and may others, are very close examples which demonstrate that the pen is always mightier than the sword as voters will again prove during the next elections.

For that reason, Zimbabweans are ready and itching for that opportunity to use the pen to defend their destiny.

Nobody should take Zimbabweans for granted. Had it not been for our love for peace, prosperity and co-existence (some would say it’s cowardice), the country would have “burned and crashed a long time ago”, to borrow a famous quote from Eddie Cross.

However, our deep love for the only Zimbabwe we have coupled with our above-average literacy (by African standards), made us choose the route of peace which we are determined to conclude in the solitary comfort of the ballot box.

The recent referendum, like that in 2000, has been a big wake-up call for Jabulani Sibanda and other like-minded scaremongers so they are now trying their best to provoke our intelligence with the hope that we will lose focus and start exerting our energies towards useless battles, but we won’t.

Jabulani and his surrogates as well as masters must be reminded that Zimbabweans know that they are now in their last mile so there is no need to start the race afresh. Hypothetically, if we were to pit all surviving ex-combatants against the rest of the peace-loving population, I don’t think we would need to be rocket scientists to accurately predict the result even if the referee was a blindfolded blind man.

Zimbabweans will never forget who their real heroes and heroines are. We shall forever hold these in the highest esteem such as Josiah Tongogara, Nikita Mangena, Josiah Tungamirai, Lookout Masuku, Rex Nhongo, comrade Dzino (Wilfred Mhanda), Henry Dzinotyiwei, Teurai Ropa Nhongo (even those who have now lost their way such as Rugare Gumbo and Emmerson Mnangagwa), not wet ear imposters literally singing for their supper such as Jabulani Sibanda.

In South Africa, there was once a youthful loose cannon in the name of Julius Malema but we all know what eventually happened to him. If ZANU PF won’t reign in their misguided sons such as Jabulani Sibanda, Zimbabweans shall. It is just a matter of when.

Moses Chamboko writes in his personal capacity. He can contacted at [email protected]