Why an uprising against Zanu PF will fail
I SEE some people advocating an uprising against Zanu PF. Have you people thought this through? If you really provoke a crisis, with the populace on one side and the machinery of the Zanu PF government and the justice department on the other, what’s to keep it from herding us into concentration camps?
Do you think they will hesitate to use violence against us? Do you think they care about human rights or democracy? Do you think they have any remorse for the atrocities they committed in the past?
Let me remind you of the Gukurahundi, the genocide widely thought Zanu PF unleashed on the ndebele people in the early 1980s. According to the International Association of Genocide Scholars, more than 20 000 people were killed by the north Korea-trained Fifth Brigade, an elite unit of the Zimbabwe national Army loyal to the late former President Robert Mugabe.
The victims were tortured, raped and executed in cold blood. Their villages were burned, their crops destroyed and livestock slaughtered. Their culture and identity were systematically erased. And what was their crime? Being perceived as dissidents?
And who was the State Security minister at the time, overseeing the intelligence and security services that orchestrated the massacre? none other than Emmerson Mnangagwa, the current president.
Yes, the same Mnangagwa who claims to be a reformer and a unifier. The same person who pretends to care about the economy and the welfare of the people. The same Mnangagwa who stood by while thousands of ndebele people, our people, were being massacred during Gukurahundi.
Do you think he has changed? Do you think he will listen to our demands? Do you think he will respect our rights?
Think again. He is a ruthless dictator who will stop at nothing to cling to power. He has allegedly rigged elections, silenced critics and crushed dissent. He has unleashed his security forces to crack down on protesters, activists and journalists. He has used propaganda, censorship and intimidation to manipulate public opinion. He has looted the country’s resources, enriched his cronies and impoverished the masses.
He is the epitome of everything that is wrong in Zanu PF, a party that has betrayed the ideals of the liberation struggle and turned Zimbabwe into a nightmare.
So, by all means, go ahead and plan your uprising. But do not expect discerning Zimbabweans like me to join you on your little suicidal crusade.
Kumbirai T Nhamo