Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers,
but to be fearless in facing them.
Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain,
but for the heart to conquer it.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Below we share with you an Independence Day message from Arthur Mutambara. He raises many valid points which are worth reflecting on. In order to provide for ways to measure the performance of elected political leaders and the political opposition, we have selected some ideas and suggestions from Mutambara’s paper with a view to them being taken up as reasonable, implementable activities.

1. “It is ironic that we should be celebrating the birth of our freedom in the prevailing climate.”

Actions:

Create your own ways of taking back Independence Day.

* Switch off ZBC/TV.
* Don’t buy state controlled newspapers.
* Play your own liberation songs at high volume.
* Write a letter to the editors of local and regional newspapers . . .

2. “Fellow citizens, make no mistake about it. Mugabe now knows that he will never win a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. The 29th of March made this predicament unequivocally clear. Hence, if he agrees to any new election it is clear that he would have put measures and systems in place to ensure his victory by any means necessary.”

Actions:

* Lobby the political opposition in Zimbabwe to participate in a run-off only if specific conditions are met.
* Refuse to cast your vote in a run-off unless the political opposition stands firm on its demands for a free and fair environment, including an independent vote count.
* Say no to the dithering of the political opposition in their “will run, won’t run” mantra.

3. “All opposition parties, in particular the two MDC formations must work closely on all matters affecting the national interest. They ought to cooperate in the way they tackle the current political stalemate in our country. There is need to unlock and leverage the collective wisdom, moral authority, bargaining power and numerical strength that is unleashed by a cooperating and united opposition fraternity.”

Actions:

* Refuse to participate/vote in a run-off if the political opposition is divided.
* Demand their unification – withhold your vote to make this demand a reality.

4. “The 110 opposition Members of Parliament (from the two MDC formations and the Independent MP) must informally convene, immediately. They should elect the Speaker, and outline a comprehensive agenda for the incoming Parliament.”

Actions:

* Creating parallel structures which by-pass the formal institutions of the state are powerful in their ability to undermine the authority of the state. It is time for our elected political representatives to act with authority and confidence.
* Insist that the representatives you voted for show some leadership NOW.

5. “Zimbabwean citizens will be the key drivers of this revolution.”

Action:

* Our liberation is a contract between political, civic leaders and citizens. It is a time for courage, a time for standing up and being counted. A time for unity – play your part.

A Shameful Betrayal of National Independence: The Case for both Out thinking ZANU-PF and Putting National Interest First

Independence message by Arthur G.O. Mutambara

Introduction

Fellow citizens once again we commemorate the great occasion of the independence of our country from colonial and imperialist rule. The 18th April should always be an opportunity for us as a nation to reflect, take stock, and define new trajectories. This particular 28th commemoration is like none of the previous ones. We are in uniquely invidious circumstances. Our economy has virtually collapsed and industries have grinded to a halt. Our society is calibrated by fear, terror and outright brutality. Our national institutions of governance have been rendered dysfunctional and impotent. We have had harmonized general elections, and twenty days later the results of the Presidential polls are not yet released. One of the key objectives of the liberation struggle was attainment of the one person one vote dispensation. Twenty eight years after independence our people are denied this basic right. Our country is characterized by extreme illegitimacy where we have an abrasive caretaker President and an illegally constituted Cabinet in cahoots with an imbecilic and cynical military junta, running the affairs of our country. There is heavy army and police presence in our major cities to intimidate ordinary citizens. Opposition supporters are being brutalized and killed in the rural areas under an unprecedented terror campaign.

This is the state of our nation on Independence Day. It is ironic that we should be celebrating the birth of our freedom in the prevailing climate. What a travesty of justice, principle and national interest!

Deconstructing the ZANU-PF Strategy

There is a method to the ZANU-PF madness we have witnessed in the last three weeks. Mugabe’s strategy is pure and simple: Regain control of Parliament by criminal and crooked means, win a run-off (or re-run) of the Presidential elections by using brute force and blatant rigging, and thus control the Senate as well. As a result of these efforts, ZANU-PF will be back in complete charge and control of all the three arms of government; The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The second phase of the strategy will then be to force and harangue a bludgeoned and brutalized opposition into a so-called Government of National Unity. This is the strategic plan.

Fellow citizens, make no mistake about it. Mugabe now knows that he will never win a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. The 29th of March made this predicament unequivocally clear. Hence, if he agrees to any new election it is clear that he would have put measures and systems in place to ensure his victory by any means necessary. This is why participation or lack of it in any new election involving Robert Mugabe is a huge decision conundrum for the opposition: Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

Let us further interrogate the ZANU-PF game plan. What does Mugabe need to execute his evil strategy? Just a one word answer would do: Time. The key resource that is essential to this regime is time. All that the post election shenanigans have served to do is buy time for the dictatorship to carry out the necessary intimidation and violence, while putting the requisite rigging mechanisms in place. ZANU-PF strategists know that after announcing the results they legally only have three weeks to the run-off. They toyed around with the idea of demanding ninety days, but dropped the proposition on realizing that they could not legally sustain it. The tactic then adopted was to hold onto the results until they have done most of the dirty work, and release the hung Presidential results when they have only three weeks of evil steps to implement. A variation of the plan at that stage is to allege gross and systematic patterns of misconduct and irregularities, declare the Presidential elections null and void, and call for a re-run instead of a run-off. Yes, Robert, we know what’s up. However, we are glad that you also know what time it is.

In terms of the House of Assembly, the agenda is to fraudulently seize at least 9 seats from the opposition through recounts and court action leading to re-runs. This explains the twenty-three recounts that ZEC has instituted. There is clearly criminal collusion between ZEC and ZANU-PF. To add insult to injury, this unholy marriage is dutifully consummated by a compliant and pliable judiciary typified and exemplified by Judge Tendai Uchena’s unreasonable and thoughtless decision not to order ZEC to release the Presidential results.

For the record, the farce about hung Presidential election results without a clear winner should be rejected with the contempt that it deserves. Mugabe lost the election and Morgan Tsvangirai won with an outright majority. What ZANU-PF has successfully done is to psychologically prepare the nation for a false result through massive propaganda, unmitigated lies and manipulative distortions. It is clear that ZANU-PF’s keenness to portray the results as hung means that the results are the opposite; i.e., we have an outright defeat of Robert Mugabe. It is shameful that even regional leaders and the international community have been duped by ZANU-PF’s big lie. All these discussions of run-off or re-run options are testimony of, and submission to, the power of a duplicitous ZANU-PF. Mugabe has won the psychological warfare.

It is sad that in all this pervasion and destruction of the Zimbabwean national interest, the illegitimate regime of Robert Mugabe has a partner in crime in the name of the SA President. Yes, Mr. Mbeki there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. We are sick and tired of your shameless antics. You clamour that Zimbabwe is not a Province of South Africa, and yet you treat us worse than your mother’s backyard. Whatever credibility and political capital you had left from Polokwane, you are busy dissipating with reckless abandon. This is not how one constructs a basis and rationale for the African Renaissance or New Economic Partnership for Development. Shame on you Thabo Mbeki! Indeed our cup of patience with you has run completely full. How can you be an effective mediator between the Zimbabwean political parties when you show such shameless duplicity, poor judgment and spinelessness? Zimbabwe and Africa deserve better leadership than this.

Let us go to New York. How can we have deafening silence on African matters by African leaders at the UN, and leave our case to be articulated by Western leaders. African solutions for African problems demand proactivity and ownership on the part of the African. We must take charge of our lives and not abdicate on our obligations to the continent. The SADC summit communique last Sunday was too timid and apologetic. Hence it was ineffectual. What happened at the UN this Wednesday is not only disgraceful but an affront to African dignity. We must all hang our heads in shame.

The Appropriate Response from the Opposition

On the 29th of March, the people voted for change and against the status quo. The removal of Mugabe and his fellow travelers was the issue, and nothing else. The voter’s tactical decision was to elect those perceived to have the best chance of defeating Mugabe. All democratic forces must acknowledge and respect this choice. What is imperative is for all opposition parties to close ranks and make the wishes of the Zimbabwean electorate a reality. In any run-off or re-run of the Presidential Election the support for Morgan Tsvangirai should be total and unconditional. There will be neither equivocation nor ambiguity on that subject. He represents the change that Zimbabweans voted for. The people spoke on the 29th of March. They seek no accommodation with the Dictator or any of his manifestations. All democratic forces must stand with the people in pursuit of the total annihilation of Robert Mugabe and all he stands for.

Going forward, all opposition parties, in particular the two MDC formations must work closely on all matters affecting the national interest. They ought to cooperate in the way they tackle the current political stalemate in our country. There is need to unlock and leverage the collective wisdom, moral authority, bargaining power and numerical strength that is unleashed by a cooperating and united opposition fraternity. History will not absolve this generation of leaders if we falter on this agenda. In fact, we will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Consequently, while the two MDC formations acknowledge that they are two separate political parties, they must irrevocably agree and undertake to work as one in the Legislature. In this regard they will have one Chief Whip and a single Caucus. They will agree to vote together in order to drive the transformational agenda in our country. There must be a solid and binding coalition and co-operation agreement between the two MDC formations. It is our intention it make it clear that our MPs will never vote with the Dictator’s Party. We cannot work with criminals, economic saboteurs and social deviants. Under no circumstances will we vote with Robert Mugabe. Hell no, never, ever. Put simply, the opposition is now in charge of Parliament with 109 MPs, period. That’s where the game is at Robert. Get over it. The self-serving and speculative hallucination among ZANU-PF apologists must stop. The opposition parties are united in their total onslaught on the regime.

In a way, the people of Zimbabwe and the opposition forces are underestimating the critical role and power of the House of Representatives. This is probably because for the past 28 years it was rendered a docile and ineffectual institution due to its domination by ZANU-PF. Now that we are in control of this legislative organ of the State, let us demonstrate its true function and impact. The 110 opposition Members of Parliament (from the two MDC formations and the Independent MP) must informally convene, immediately. They should elect the Speaker, and outline a comprehensive agenda for the incoming Parliament. Items that should be debated and adopted must include, but not limited to: (1) Impeachment of the caretaker President, Robert Mugabe (2) Removal of AIPPA and POSA (3) Establishment of processes for achieving a people-driven democratic constitution (4) Immediate prosecution of public servants, including military and police officers who are currently abusing their authority (5) Establishment of processes to rationalize the land reform program (6) Setting up of a Truth and Justice Commission for Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina (7) Immediate removal from office, and criminal prosecution of, the RBZ Governor, Gideon Gono (8) Dismantling and reconstitution of ZEC.

Although this gathering of, and resolutions adopted by these 110 MPs will be informal, a framework for the terms of reference of the formally convened House is thus created. As these MPs constitute the majority they will use this informal platform to drive the Parliamentary agenda. This will send shivers down the spines of that illegal cabal running our country, as reality will suddenly sink in. The game is up! We need to demonstrate that Mugabe has lost and that the people have won. Even without the Presidential results we can unequivocally say that the Zimbabwean political landscape will never be the same again. ZANU-PF understands what has happened. They clearly appreciate the significance of their Parliamentary loss. This is why they are busy trying to reverse their poor fortunes through recounts and court actions. The opposition forces must both out think and outmaneuver these ZANU-PF losers who are running all over the place like headless chickens.

Conclusion

In the history of every nation there comes a time when a generation has a unique opportunity to break with the past and define a new direction. Such a momentous occasion currently presents itself in our country. We need to seize the time and deliver change. This requires putting national interest before partisan, sectoral and personal interests. It demands that we apply our minds and outthink the regime. What Mugabe has lost in the electoral battle, he cannot legitimately regain in any election remotely described as free and fair. He is fatally and mortally wounded. The veil of invincibility has been pierced. On the 29th of March 2008 the people voted for change, and that democratic choice must be defended. Our independence will be meaningless without the sanctity and integrity of the one person one vote principle. Those that rule our country must do so with the consent of the governed.

If a run-off or re-run is illegally imposed upon us, the first order of business is challenging and exposing the illegitimacy of the basis of that proposition. More than ever, it becomes imperative for all the progressive and democratic forces in the country to close ranks in pursuit of the collective national interest. We must seek to establish a peaceful and secure environment for those illegitimate polls. In addition to observation SADC, the AU and the international community must be allowed to supervise these particular elections; before, during and after the voting process. The mandate of the external players must include the verification and announcement of the results. Yes, the regime has behaved worse than East Timor. We now need international supervision. Consequently, the notion of regional sovereignty and the doctrine of international responsibility to protect must now take precedence over Mugabe’s narrow definition of national sovereignty. We have lost the right to manage our affairs alone internally. We need help.

However, Zimbabwean citizens will be the key drivers of this revolution. The power is in our hands. Let us stand up and be masters of our destiny. On this occasion of our Independence Day, let us rededicate ourselves to meaningful and total political and economic independence. The people should govern. The people must prosper.

We shall overcome.

Arthur G.O. Mutambara

So, clever Mr Mbeki has half succeeded in getting a lot of people, including the heads of state who attended the SADC emergency summit to actually begin to doubt whether there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. His immortal words “There is no crisis in Zimbabwe,” really left a lot of minds boggled.

What do you call a 37 year life-expectancy, an inflation rate over 165 000%, 85% unemployment, an education system gone to the dogs, intermittent to no supply of water and electricity, supermarket shelves that are literally empty and hospitals that can only prescribe paracetamol for all ailments? Moreover, in case you haven’t noticed Mr Mbeki, there are at least over 3 million Zimbabweans living as asylum seekers in your country. Is that not a crisis? Will that not somehow degenerate into a crisis?

Now look what you’ve done, even more sensible people are actually finding it hard not to believe a respectable man like yourself, yet you really misrepresented the situation going down here. This wait and see policy smacks of cruelty. How badly do you want the situation to degenerate before something can be done? How many times has SADC told itself it has learnt lessons from disasters of old like the Rwanda genocide or most recently, the Kenya political turmoil that saw many lives needlessly destroyed? Next, SADC is going to learn from Zimbabwe too, but only after deaths occur? It is sad to note that regional leaders cant seem to realize that if the situation in Zimbabwe fails to stabilize, it affects the whole region through the creation of economic and political refugees.

How will you live with yourself, with innocent people’s blood on your hands? I can understand if there really isn’t much you can do, but the least you can do is discard that distressing hear-no-evil, see-no-evil speak-no-evil attitude and probably keep quiet rather than calling a stain no stain.

Or you could at least encourage the ZEC to just tell us the presidential result already. It’s now so apparent your friend is going nowhere, so please, help make it official. However, it’s a consolation to know South Africans will not have such a hard time getting rid of their president.

In an earlier post I remarked on how the Zimbabwe dollar had devalued hugely on the parallel market in the run up to Zimbabwe’s ‘harmonised’ elections.

Who wanted foreign currency badly enough to pay hand over fist for it? The businesses and organizations whose foreign currency accounts (FCAs) had been robbed by Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank at the end of 2007? Hardly likely as there aren’t enough of these local businesses operating at sufficient capacity to finance a jump from paying 4.75 million to 65 million Zimbabwe dollars for 1 US dollar, in 8 weeks.

Funny how there was suddenly farm equipment galore to give away in the weeks before the election. And plenty of helicopter trips for Mugabe to address the nation at uncountable rallies before the March 29 elections. Seems there must be a connection.

Straight after the elections were held, the rate ‘plummeted’ for a week – down to 30 million to 1 US dollar.

Today, the rate is 85 million to the US dollar and rising fast.

So, what’s driving it back up again?

My feeling is that the regime is spending quadrillions on preparing the nation (especially the rural areas) for a runoff. Beating the rural population doesn’t come cheap. That kind of deployment requires fuel for transport, food for militias and army responsible for the beatings, extra wages – who would commit this kind of violence on their usual pay cheque?

Fuel & food are in short supply in Zimbabwe – but Zim dollars are easy to print – so our illegitimate government is the most likely to be driving the rate up.

Oh and don’t forget the innumerable times our one and a half jets have flown to and fro above our heads in the past week. That’s an expensive exercise in a country without foreign currency inflows.

I haven’t begun to talk about the reserves of tear gas they’ll need to be building up to ‘manage’ everyone when they wrap up their final subversion of the ‘harmonised’ election through re-counts and a runoff.

We need to put our heads together and work our how to starve the beast that beats us.

The egos of men are a dangerous thing. From the playground at kindergarten right through to affairs of state, a man’s ego can have a lasting influence, benevolent or damaging, that goes beyond the man himself.

Men’s egos are especially dangerous when they utter public vows that they may have to repudiate sooner or later. The ego demands that the public declarations come to pass rather than be repudiated by their originators or, worse, the unforgiving march of history. Once validated, a public declaration secures the ego of the man, makes him a prophet and makes him look strong before other men but especially in the eyes of his wife and children. The problem is greater, of course, when two egos collide. Because then, there are two groups of societies to face and … two spouses! That society could be a nuclear family, a board room, an extended family, a resident’s association, political party or even an entire nation! Sometimes, it stretches across two oceans like say the Atlantic and the Indian with consequences that reverberate in the land of the Euphrates and the Tigris. It takes a strong and unyielding uncle or child to pierce the egos of the two men with a timely word of truth, followed by wisdom which may or may not be received.

That wisdom was not received for Iraq because when you publicly order a head of state to leave a country within 48 hours live on CNN, you are far from being wise. That is why society invented the phrase ‘face saver.’ A face saver is designed to, privately, give a man and his ego a way out of the hole he has dug for himself with his very public utterances. For unless that happens, his ego will keep digging and quite furiously at that. If he is awarded a face saver, the man may go home and face his wife and say;

“I let them get away with it in the interests of progress.”

His wife will then smile sweetly and say;

“I know dear. You are such a strong and wise man.”

Then there is peace at home and, by consequence, peace for the rest of society.

I’m wondering what it will take for Zimbabweans to rise up and liberate themselves.

I’m hearing that the “brilliant and vainglorious” Mugabe has organised two of Zimbabwe’s most popular soccer teams, Dynamos and Highlanders, to play at Gwanzura Stadium during the Independence Celebrations on Friday.

A young man has written to Kubatana asking us to forward his “plea” to people to boycott the Independence celebrations even if they want to see their favourite soccer stars in action. But I guarantee you that the stadium will be full of Zimbabweans wanting some free entertainment even though they will be addressed by the man who has just stolen their vote.

Where are your balls boys? If you go to Gwanzura make sure to drown the old man out with songs of true liberation, jeer, laugh, invade the pitch but Do Something.

One of the great things about being part of a network of a wide variety of Zimbabweans is the comments and suggestions that we get at Kubatana.net. Here are some of the most recent ones:

Please if you can contact the MDC Tsvangirai. A recount must not be done. Who was keeping the boxes? Zanu can easily replace the boxes or open the old boxes and remove all the MDC ballot papers. When votes were counted all parties were present and they agreed but when the boxes were moved not all parties were present. – Andrew

It is clear that Mugabe and Zanu heavies do not want to relinquish power despite losing the elections. They will a lot of delaying tactics, counting on the docility of Zimbabweans. It’s no secret that Mugabe can steal our victory from right under our noses and Zimbabweans will just sit back and do nothing: Who wants to be shot down by Mugabe loyalists? What’s the way forward? We should avoid a situation that will force Mugabe to shoot us. Believe me; to Mugabe shooting to death tens of thousands of people to retain power is a walk in the park: He has done it before. So what should the people do? Should we wait patiently? For what? We should do something, but avoid the streets. As I see it, we do not have a legitimate government in power so we should stop obeying the government: Stop paying our bills, stop going to work. In other words make the country ungovernable until Mugabe relinquishes power, but by all means avoid the streets. At all costs.Do you catch my drift? – Shepherd

As we are going to have Independence day very soon on the 18th April, who is going to give the speech as a president because for now we are not having the president. And for the interest’s sake are there any preparations for the day. You know guys Zim is a funny country. – Melody

Let us go out there and wait somewhere everyday. Simply go to the ZEC offices sit outside and wait. Nobody goes to work. We wait. I’m tired of the arrogance. Nobody should be allowed to mess with a nation’s collective voice, the ballot! – Timothy

Its a pity this country is ruled by the army, no wonder why it has collapsed. Kusvika rini Mugabe achingozvuzvurudzwa semwana naChiwenga naShiri? – Felicitas

Could it have been a strategy by the government to introduce new tax bands at a time people are preoccupied with elections results. I realise that people are more keenly following the drama unfolding regarding elections without impressing upon ZCTU to make the proposed taxation levels an issue with government.Was it also a planned thing to introduce this issue when there is no sworn in cabinet. In any case, was it proper for a ‘cabinet minister’ to announce these taxation changes after dissolution of cabinet. So effectively we do not have any minister to address our issues to? I think I might be lost here. Advise me. – Alfonzy