By Victor Vimbai Mwendamberi
Death is not my destiny but is a right of passage after someone has done their will.
Reclining, recollecting and yearning for the good old days as I am thinking loudly regretting the present times, I know surely my time will come.
As we celebrate our independence what independence are we really talking about Mr. Government? Is it the Mickey Mouse independence that we are talking about? Are we independent so that we can depend on our ex-slave-drivers for survival? Is there no life outside the western world and the Bretton Woods institutions? Why do we have to compensate the people who are fixated on nothing but putting their interests first by plundering the world resources? Have we been too long in the dungeon and hence have become too blind to see that, kwadzinorohwa matumbu ndiko kwadzinomhanyira?
Since 1980 I have benefitted nothing from this military government dressed in civilian clothing. This Babylon regime has been wicked in its ways since inception. It has carried I away from Zion into the captivity of Zimbabwe, hence my weeping today. A so-called home-grown government which has a plethora of its citizens in the diaspora, whose interests are you then serving?
All that I require for life, God has given me, but ZANU-PF government has plundered my heritage. The country is endowed with every special mineral one can imagine but again because of the ZANU-PF led government now we are prostituting our sovereignty just for a few pieces of forex. Why? Corruption is the blood and dna of ZANU-PF yet paradoxically they are the ones who coined the song Nzira DzemaSoja. Instead of being open for business, today Zimbabwe is genuinely open for experimentation and abuse by any wannabe entrepreneur.
In 1980 we became an independent state with an international formal market-economy, but now in 2019 we are a captured failed state surviving on a black-market economy; dreaming of becoming a middle-income economy by year 2030. Thanks to ZANU-PF for such an achievement.
Globally the talk now is about using smart renewable energy yet in politics we remain stuck in using archaic and none-renewable leadership, whilst anticipating modern results. Honestly, what novelty can I expect from these recycled defective factory rejects?
The so-called new dispensation is nothing but a brand-new second-hand, factory-defect straight-metal turncoat of the first republic masquerading as the second republic. You can’t fool all people all of the times; ndaramba kubatwa kumeso semwana wegudo, ndichidya huroyi nekunyara; hwava!
Just like when Satan was thrown down from heaven, he knew he didn’t have enough time so he is hurriedly looking for whomever to devour; so, it is with this not so new dispensation. Their transitional economic stabilisation plan is just a gimmick to buy time as they strategise how to ravage the very same economy, via their austerity measures for the poor resulting in prosperity for the connected and corrupt rich ZANU-PF bigwigs, with trickle-down benefits as well accruing to their riffraff. Zimbabwe has been a gravy-train for the ZANU-PF never-ending pirates for too long. This is a resource-curse that has to come to an end now!
Instead of having a functional government of the people, by the people, for the people and with the people, we now are governed by an omnipresent princess Sophia first lady with super powers like the bio-scope bionic-woman and wonder-woman. Unfortunately, the results have been a colossal omni-failure. For how long do we have to put up with this hapless angel of hopelessness as a nation? The minority white supremacy rule that was supposed to have been corrected on the 18th of April in 1980 has been replaced by the one centre of power and ZANU-PF supremacy rule which has unfortunately bequeathed untold sufferings to Zimbabweans.
The transitional economic stabilisation plan has highly destabilised and distorted the economy it is purporting to cure. Poverty is on the increase. For every fictitious or is it virtual tourist that Zimbabwe is importing, ipso facto, it is exporting absolute hordes of economic refugees. What a way of stabilising the economy that, ane nzara anoguta nekurutsa. Business is stealing from the market through overpricing of repackaged goods, whilst government is stealing from the same market via inappropriate remuneration and over-taxation without service delivery.
Using the microcosm example of my birthplace dwelling of Highfield parish, nothing has positively changed since my being and hitherto. Like Shammah, the time is now for me to stand-up for my luxuriance.
Starting with the iconic Zimbabwe grounds; they no longer resemble the initial football fields they were meant to be but are now just a barren area criss-crossed with footpaths where future footballing talent is supposed to be natured. It has also been turned into both an industrial and residential dumping site. The current state of the Zimbabwe grounds is a true epitome of the actual country, Zimbabwe; everything has been abused and there’s nothing to admire. Even the famous Gwanzura grounds once home to many premier soccer league football teams is now just an empty shell.
Machipisa shopping centre just like its name, it has been cheapened into a flea market centre with no meaningful business to talk about. Black-marketing business is the order of the day. This once flamboyant African business service centre flagship in the ghettoes is testimony of what corrupted indigenisation policies result in. Machipisa is in dire need of urban renewal through re-planning and redesigning.
The township which was once littered with bright street lights is now a dark city because of the none functioning tower lights that have replaced the street lights.
Back in the colonial days, tap water was palatable and drinkable but now in the independence times, tap water has become a scarce commodity; where it is available it is a source of cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery.
Refuse collection that was done weekly by the local council is now a luxury that is no longer happening. No new primary or secondary schools have been built to add on to the ones constructed during the times of the minority rule. Majority rule has instead replaced single classes with hot-sitting or shift learning in these now run-down schools. This is all with complements of 39 years of ZANU-PF’s democratic dictatorship of scientific-socialism of the Marxist-Leninist ideology of gutsa ruzhinji.
Highfield poly-clinic still remains the primary health care centre with no additional clinics built even though the population has ballooned since the colonial era. The maternity is still an 8 beds ward.
Alcoholism, substance abuse and crime rates have gone up yet the policing patrols have declined. The police are hardly visible in the community except only in times of mass protests.
Uncontrolled churches have mushroomed in every street corner and available open space only to disturb the serenity of the suburb. A peaceful goodnight sleep is now a rarity in the ghetto because of these unregulated churches and other entertainment centres. Noisy backyard home industries due to rising poverty levels have also added to this township public nuisance.
Wetlands have either been cultivated or allocated as residential stands.
Reliable public transport which used to ply the streets has now been replaced the unreliable mushikashika transport managed by uncouth operators.
There simply isn’t nothing to appreciate about this historical ghetto where the ruling party of ZANUPF was formed.
I have opened my thoughts to you my government in this open letter to ask that do we really need to be independent for us to prosper? Does independence mean neglecting your electorate when it suits you? Neglect, corruption, cronyism, repression and lack of basic service delivery to communities are these the fruits of independence that we have to cherish?
I beg for your reply and not reprisal.