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Zimbabwe is proud of its democratic credentials by which leaders are elected through the ballot box, and not via social media platforms or stayaways

Rufaro Mufundirwa

History must teach the youth that these Mawarires of today are just rent seekers who are bent on abusing the youths for their selfish benefits and later drop them like a hot potato.

While addressing a rally in Chiredzi, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa mockingly said Zanu-PF would rule this country while the opposition continues barking like a toothless dog.

“Zanu-PF ichatonga, yogotonga, ichingotonga, ichingotonga. Vanoukura vachingoukura vachingoukura vachingoukura (Zanu-PF will rule and rule again while detractors continue making noise),” said VP Mnangagwa.

When he said this, it didn’t cross many minds what he really meant until recently when the barking tempo was pitched high. The MDC-T and Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) are the toothless dogs that are barking. Unfortunately, their barking will not stop Zanu-PF from giving Zimbabwe the kind of leadership that is much sought after in the whole continent of Africa.

Many a time, citizens of other African nations have wished if President Mugabe were their leader. Julius Malema is one of those people who have for the umpteenth time glorified President Mugabe for his visionary leadership.

“He (President Mugabe) is the only remaining leader in Africa who can still stand up to the West. He is the only one who continues to hold the whole of Africa together and still pushes for the African agenda.

“No one pushes in the manner which President Mugabe is doing. From a broader perspective, he is the man who represents the kind of Africa we want. Africa where Africans own their land, Africa where Africans own their resources, Africa where Africa is treated as an equal partner in the international economy and international politics.

“He is the only one who can speak that language without an apology and that’s why everywhere he goes, President Mugabe is celebrated by Africans. Let Zimbabweans choose who they want. They have chosen him, he is their President…,” once said Malema.

Indeed, Zimbabweans gave President Mugabe the mandate to lead them until 2018 when a fresh mandate will be given to whoever Zimbabweans will chose. That mandate is not given through social media, protests or stayaways. It is democratically given through the ballot. Those shadowy groups calling themselves Tajamuka must use the ballot to show that vajamuka (they have rebelled).

The year 2018 is not far away. Patience is a virtue in politics. All the opposition can do well if they concentrate on the so-called grand coalition. That reminds yours truly of yesteryear when fighting, not boxing, was a sport for herdboys. We would team up as small boys to fight the big boy. My uncle Lazarus would even challenge up to five boys to fight him while he was kneeling. Many a time, he would defeat us. May his soul rest in peace.

Even if all the myriad political parties in existence joined forces to fight Zanu-PF, they would still not make it. These opposition political parties are aware of this reality. This is why they have dropped the idea of a grand coalition and resorted to riotous demonstrations. They have resorted to the Arab Spring-type of subversion. Nonetheless, they will not achieve their sinister objective in a country known the world over for its culture of peace and tranquillity.

We are told that the regime change agents have called for another stayaway.

They will realise that the success that they claimed in the previous stayaway was not unduly credited to them. They hijacked a civil servants’ job action. They cunningly scheduled their stay-away so that it coincided with that of the civil servants. This time around, they will realise that people did not heed their call. Even statistics published in The Herald on Monday revealed that the so-called shutdown was not as successful as the shadowy groups claimed.

Now that the grievances of the civil servants have been addressed, we are to see if they will succeed. Most of the civil servants have been paid, with the rest of them getting their salaries today. Government has also allayed July salary fears. July pay dates will be announced next week.

Representatives of the civil servants have already commended Government for such a communication. If the regime change agents are banking on the support of the civil servants again, then they must reconsider their game plan.

People have been empowered by the Zanu-PF Government to be their own employers. They know they will lose a lot of money by staying at home for a day, let alone two days. The cause is not worth that loss. The entire hullabaloo is just an attempt by poor Evan Mawarire, a tenderfoot in politics, to court prominence. People cannot sacrifice their business time for nonentities.

People, especially the youths, were recently hoodwinked into engaging in riotous behaviour. After the riots, nothing changed. Some of the youths are languishing in jail now. Some have even failed to raise the $80 bail. Those who incited the youths to engage in the violent protests are nowhere to be found. They cannot even visit the youths in cells, let alone source a lawyer or bail for them.

History must teach the youth that these Mawarires of today are just rent seekers who are bent on abusing the youths for their selfish benefits and later drop them like a hot potato.