By Trevor Makonyonga
Over the past few weeks, social media has been ablaze with the two hashtags that have somehow found synonymity involuntarily but really depict two different connotations. These are #ZanuPFMustGo and #31July.
To the office bearer and ruling party politicians, these hashtags are just rants by the sympathisers of the opposition. Or maybe as it were, as some have claimed, these are foreign sponsored events. What really doesn’t seem possible in the minds of the many social media active ruling party politicians and sympathisers is that Zimbabweans can ever unite against injustices and oppressions.
Having had gripped power for so long and having had unwitting support for the first part of their rule, obviously there would be some sense of ownership of the electorate and this transcends even to the country. Mastering the art of propaganda from such fascist systems as Russia and China who through a pseudo ideology of socialism and maybe communism have perpetuated gross injustices and made avenues for looting. Off course the case is different for China and Russia because in their systems they have managed to somehow develop.
In Zimbabwe’s case, just yesterday a very cheap looking bridge was commissioned and the biggest shock was the cost. A US$1,8 million gully bridge was opened. This certainly doesn’t need foreign governments to influence the public. If a listening leadership is to look at the two existing hashtags there would be need to incline the ear and work to improve the lives of the citizenry.
Health workers have downed their tools, COVID-19 cases are rising without any functioning public medical facility, teachers are refusing to reopen because salaries are low, no fuel, the productive populace is hungry, there are no jobs, the transport system is not fluid, corruption is rife and the finger still points at some very unfortunate scapegoat. The United States and United Kingdom governments have for so long been pinpointed for wrongdoing. Fine, sanctions exist but to cast the entire blame of how dysfunctional the economy is on them would be a blatant lie. When sanctioning such illicit transactions as the Jaji, Drax, the US$1.8 million bridge, the US$400 000 cars and the over US$1 billion meant for command agriculture which found its way out of the treasury without proper channeling, people still have to sing, dance and ululate at the gates of the US Embassy calling for sanctions to be removed.
What 31 July is, is not just a date. It is a symbol of the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe who are calling for corruption to end. It would seem insensible to gather at the US Embassy to dance and raise placards against what is governed in Washington when there is need to cleanse the very principles that should govern the nation. What #ZanuPFmustgo then does is echo frustrations at the unwillingness to listen to the grievances of the people and making genuine strides to change the fortunes of the nation at large. People have been in this entanglement for 40 years and surely the true gains of the Independence should be evident for all.
As the lockdown is set to be extended with probably stricter and tighter rules, the July 31 demonstrations might not happen. The intent of the people has to be known and it will be very naive not to try and salvage a working solution to re-oil the country. As indicated, protests might not happen on 31 July or could happen, but it is a clear symbol which shows what the majority wants. It will be even indecent for anyone to risk being shot over the possibility of being given a 20 dollar bill. That would be insane.
All that people want is to have money that buys, to have bank accounts that have savings and stress free lives. People are crying for happiness and constantly depriving them will further agitate their already lowly moods. Zimbabwe remains everyone’s and is not party property. The unpartisan populace seeks to survive. Dialogue or maybe just do whatever it takes to get the country to work. The Kudira jecha and Vene Vechinhu movements should help to unite the nation and build on going forward.
People are suffering and are tired!
