By Clifford Hlatywayo
As Zimbabwe marks Independence Day on 18th of April, ordinary Zimbabweans have nothing to celebrate because ZANU PF cronies have hijacked and privatised national independence. The MDC Youth Assembly says NO to the privatisation of the people’s freedom.
Today ZANU PF has neglected the core values and purpose of wagging a liberation struggle. The few top echelons of ZANU PF have monopolized the country and its resources. The ordinary black people went to war to gain independence and freedom. This has been misinterpreted hence neglected.
The one man one vote agenda has been shelved and replaced by serious rigging. A myriad of unthinkable means has been used by ZANU PF to circumvent the will of the people and the so called sovereignty of this great land. These range from hiring foreign based organizations to rig the vote, for instance, the controversial NIKUV that was hired by ZANU PF to decide on internal issues of the country.
This has not only aided in replacing the one man one vote that the people fought for but also seriously undermining the country’s sovereignty. ZANU PF employed violence and intimidation of highest magnitude against the people.
It has gravely abused state institutions to attain their narrow interests. They have redefined national development to the retention of state power by any means rather than positive emancipation of the ordinary people. Independence has been privatized to mean looting of national cake by the few in ZANU PF.
The issue of land has been at the centre of the liberation struggle. What we have seen is only the top brass and some war veterans who were able to violently grab plots of land from white farmers benefited, the rest haven’t. Those who fought the liberation genuinely will tell you today that the liberation was fought to make Zimbabwe a nation of equal opportunities in all spheres of life.
People were fighting for economic justice, where every citizen can equally participate and benefit from the economic activities of the nation. Fundamental freedoms have been fatally infringed by the state. 34 years after independence from the colonial rulers, its citizens are not independent and they live in extreme fear.
July 31, 2013 saw the vote rigging of the century. Since then, the economy has been declining every minute. The stock exchange market capitalization of July 2013 was around $6, 8 billion, eight months down the line it is on $4.8 billion, a downfall of $2 billion.
One wonders where we are heading as a nation when industries are continuing to close and subsequently people losing their livelihood every day, the promise for 2, 2 million jobs remains a pipedream for the youth.
The MDC is an answer to all maladmistration. People’s upliftment is at the center of MDC policies, where by growing the cake is the first priority rather than fighting for a very small one. Promotion of sound and sustainable investment to create the much needed jobs is paramount.
For and on behalf of the young people of Zimbabwe
MDC-T National Youth Spokesperson, Clifford Hlatywayo
