Analysis on ZANU PF 2018 Conference Resolutions

As a Zimbabwean very much interested in the good governing of my country and the clear vision for what tomorrow must present, I have read the minutes of the ruling ZANU PF has to how they project the future of my and our beloved country. ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are more powerful beyond measure’ –the quote by Marriane Williamson may be reflect that in as much as there is a course of partial darkness in our nation, we as ordinary Zimbabweans have the power to bring about light.

I have therefore taken it upon my self to give a brief analysis of the main points presented at their congress. May I highlight that this is my personal opinion as a Zimbabwean, and not a representation of any political party, activism agenda or any of the like. Suffice to say, some comparisons will be made to other political parties and social structures, however, this analysis still represents my personal thoughts. 

First and foremost, I would like to applaud the communications and information department for availing the summary of the ZANU PF conference resolutions as they are of national interest. I am in agreement with some resolutions and have serious reservations with some of the resolutions which I will critic laying objective facts with reasons presented therein.

1. Politics

Politics is not a game of angels and it therefore remains a game of who gets what ,when and how, more so, as usual a continuous struggle over scarce resources(positions, power and absolute power) From my point of view, I don't think it is necessary to be endorsing 2023 presidential candidate less than four months after the incumbent President ED Mnangagwa was sworn into office. It shows that there is something wrong with the way we do politics as a country as the same traits are manifesting in the MDC Alliance which gives a clear indication of how Zimbabwean politicians have the same thinking and more of political ignorance. Allow me to expound; Presidential candidature should be premised on merit, delivering promises made, good governance and clear developmental issues acknowledged. This politics of personalities and patronage and clientelism has brought us thus far and it’s a recipe for disaster and immature political sight. As a nation, it is time to advocate for at least an ideology on service delivery and good governance in addition to a result based approach, rather than a personality.

On restructuring their party and issuing electronic membership cards, that is a very good move for them. Any serious political party should start preparing its structures now for 2023 elections. In translating their constitution to all local languages shows an effort by ZANU PF to be holistically inclusive and if opposition is serious should consider doing the same otherwise they will be singing the rigging song again in 2023. The communication to the rural grassroots is essential to winning elections, as this has been a trend in Zimbabwe. Those who have ears have heard.

On their Secretary for Information and Publicity resolution, they copied MDC-T strategy which follows the same idea. The art of war advises that you study your opponents and it seems Zanu PF is keeping their eyes on the ball. There needs to be discipline on conveyance of official party position vis a vis personal opinions that is a very strategic move that will strengthen Zanu PF and will therefore weaken other political parties as it is the ruling party.

Audit party investments and look for new investment opportunities is also an applaudable point. That is where all opposition parties have lacked; they have no investment and always wait for donor funds to run their parties.

Any serious party that wants to contest Zanu PF should consider investing and making their own money rather than wait for donors who will call the shots and compromise our sovereignty and patriotism. Opposition should learn from best practices and invest; the art of war still refers here.

Establishment of own radio and television service that is smart and very strategic and the MDC-T is working on a similar project. If the ruling party manages to establish radio and television stations it is only fair that they should open up the airwaves to all interested parties/citizens/organisations in the country.

Democratization and opening of the air waves should be guaranteed to all who have the resources and capability, albeit with sound oversight regulatory authority. It would be interesting to note how the national broadcaster ZBC will be cast in this play.

2. Economics

I believe there is no sincerity to zero tolerance to corruption as we continue to see cosmetic arrests and acquittals. ED must be wary of going down as a failure if he fails to ensure punitive measures on those who are involved in corruption thus has failed him to walk the talk. Anti corruption drive must be non partisan, ZACC should not be used as a tool in ZANU-PF factional fights and aimed at corporates or citizens perceived not to be toeing their party line. Zimbabwe has to stamp out corruption and ensure that studies in ethical conduct are introduced. There is need fir a paradigm shift of mindset of all Zimbabweans to be responsible and ethical people with integrity. Zimbabwe needs responsible and accountable tax paying citizens, then tax revenue can cascade to capital, social and development projects.

Desperate situations call for desperate measures. His integrity will be judged by his ability to deal with the criminals surrounding him and that would make him a real politician not a political baby sitter. I would advise him to make unpopular moves of arresting all corrupt officials and have them sentenced and recover the externalized funds. That way he will gain favour with the fence sitting masses. We yet to see the legacy being restored as criminals are here, there and everywhere...
Farming inputs should distributed to all deserving farming citizens and organizations on a cost recovery basis not the current opaque and biased distribution. More transparency is required and funds to be revolving for continuous disbursement and growing the recipients’ to revive the agriculture sector.

Rehabilitation and modernization of all irrigation facilities in the country was long overdue as our country is primarily an agro based economy. I pray that this process will be expedited as we are already in the farming season and we have a lot of arable land lying idle yet we are failing to feed the nation. It is ironic that we have to import wheat, soya, etc. yet we have very fertile underutilized land. Transparency and fair distribution of farming inputs is a bit vague a point. Do they have the evaluation and monitoring framework of the distribution in place would be the first question I would ask?
Markets are very important. There is need to liberalize agricultural marketing and come up with commodity exchanges where market forces will prevail. More focus should be on land redistribution and productivity at this juncture. Government should prioritize removing price and market distortions in all sectors of the economy. The state should regulate and enable capital to flourish.

Ease of doing business to who? They need to make the company registration process easier and faster and increase the minimum threshold of the 2% electronic tax which has brought immense suffering and price hikes. Business is not only about foreign investors, but also the empowerment of local business folk.

NRZ yippee yay!  That I agree with 100% and as you may know the parastatal is close to home for me and remains a part of who I am. There is no way you can revive Zimbabwe's economy without reviving and rehabilitating NRZ. NRZ has always been the backbone of Zimbabwe's economy until they looted its USD coffers in 2008. Air Zim should be privatized because government of Zimbabwe has no capacity to recapitalize it. All other loss making parastatals should be weaned off.
Community based tourism I love and even had it in my manifesto for Harare Central Constituency this last election period. Its good for empowerment of communities, job creation and development. Seems ZANU PF has been doing a lot of homework lately and I hope it’s not all talk with no action as I have witnessed countless times before.

They should also focus on reengaging the locals as they have a lot of untapped organic intellect and solutions on what needs to be done to resuscitate our economy.

3. Historical

Focusing on historical issues as a resolution is not inspiring for a country in an economic crisis like ours. The ruling party is either oblivious of or incapable of solving the problems people are facing. A historical resolution at a time of economic stagnation is typical of narrow nationalism in response to economic failures.

I agree with the establishment of a liberation war museum, although I must highlight that history must not be eroded by propaganda and hegemony or pushing party agenda instead of recognizing everyone involved, despite their political orientation. The war of liberation was fought by different communities and all citizenry effort during the liberation struggle must not be jaundiced by the Mugabe/ ZANU-PF spin.  It’s critical to document the liberation heritage accurately and have the museum functioning as a tourist site and aiding in history education.

We can never run away from who we are. I am a proud African who feels we neglected our way of life as Zimbabweans and adopted too many foreign ways of worship and thanksgiving. Svikiro dzenyika dzofanirwa kutendwa ndokuti Nyika ichenurwe.
Everything of historical value to this land should be repatriated from the original Zimbabwe bird, the museum of London is making millions through tourism with our historical artifacts and bones of our spirit mediums which Zimbabwe should have been making.

4. Local Governance

Devolution of power is long overdue; it’s important to give credit where it is due. Government must make frantic efforts to harmonize the operations of the informal sector and local authorities by regularizing and formalizing the informal sector for the benefit of the SMEs who then can be assured of stable operations at the same time as this will enhance the revenue collection mechanism and gives room for the market to settle the economy from this sector which is key in boasting the treasury.

The Ministry of Local Government in conjunction with local authorities should draw up the framework for regularization of the informal sector and ensure implementation by all Local Authorities and should desist from absolute corruption hence with. It is critically important to have proper and smarter devolution, decentralization and de-concentration of power. All stake holders must have input. Layers of local governance need proper delineation and resourcing. Certain tax collection and rates collection by functions must be fully devolved to councils to fund local development with top up from the centre on a transparent calculation and allocation basis.

The question is when will the separate Provincial Councils be commencing their work? Why is it limited to Harare and Bulawayo when it is a constitutional provision for all provinces in Zimbabwe? How will the metropolitan council operate via a vis the City and Municipal councils in the conurbations. There is need for statutory and regulatory clarity. Transparency after the capacitation and public accountability of the funds availed is key on how they were used and visible development on the ground.

5. War Veterans, Women and Youth
Zimbabweans respect War Veterans, but they are now a major drain on the fiscus, their sense of unbridled entitlement needs to be curbed. For how long will the nation be held hostage and beholden to war vets.

The subject of War Veterans is becoming a tiresome one in all honesty; War Veterans have been beneficiaries of farms since the land invasion era. Zimbabwe is for every Zimbabwean and war veterans should stop abusing their war veteran status to keep on benefiting yet there are millions of youth who are productive and energetic who have no land and want to venture into farming. Allocation of land to war veterans may mean another mayhem and disruption of precarious agricultural sector.

War veterans should be considerate to the plight of suffering Zimbabweans and stop being greedy and selfish by wanting a life time benefit for a job that was done in patriotism. Their demand for the continuous payment of the job they did to liberate the nation will eventually dilute the concept of patriotism thereby making their involvement in the liberation struggle more of a paid job than patriotic nature. No one is more Zimbabwean than the other and I would suggest equitable distribution of land to women, youth and the vulnerable in society. Zimbabwe ndeyedu tose iyi! War vets went to fight for all Zimbabweans present then and the future which is now US and they should not deny us our pieces of land so that we also plug into the economic agenda of the country.

The 50/50 representation resolution, I agree with it 100% as it was long overdue. After alignment we expect implementation. What is the need of Proportional Representation if I may ask? I know I will get a lot of backlash by women in politics for this point, but before the usual tirade of insults first hear me out; Section 17 of the constitution expressly states that gender balance should be observed by all organs of the state, agencies of government at every level, private sector, etc. and section 2 of the constitution clearly states that, " any law, custom, practice or conduct that is inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency."

Women should be pushing for full implementation of section 17 and 56 of the constitution and not crying for proportional representation which is grossly abused by political leaders and which they use to divide women in political parties and allocate those seats to their girlfriends or bootlickers. Women should be united on this issue of proportional representation seats as they have never benefitted the women's struggle or cause.

I am against the extension of PR seats as it is an oxymoron to advocate for gender equality and at the same time crying to be given special and preferential treatment in the guise of affirmative action. Had it been my choice I would prefer to have those PR seats for people with disability, youth and activists in different fields of expertise.

The National Youth Service program should not be a ZANU PF indoctrination machine but a program to teach youth on the importance of patriotism and developing ones country. Investing in national pride should not be a tool mechanised by politicians but rather an effort in promoting national pride without connotations of political affiliation.
I applaud the resolution of developing a special fund for students with disabilities, though I feel that as the ruling party they should also ensure that they build schools that are disability sensitive with disability access and education materials.
1.5m people in Zimbabwe live with disability and their needs must be prioritized. It could start by simply installing wheelchair ramps at all national education institutions. Ensuring availability of braille books and sign language at primary level could also be a good start.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ZANU PF seems to have clear objectives from a party perspective than at government and national level therefore making Zimbabwe for ZANU PFs rather than for Zimbabweans. l begin to think that maybe our problem is centered around the implementers. ED must focus on reshuffling or firing obstacles in the form of idle, useless, incompetent or corrupt personnel to take this country forward.

Zimbabwe needs an Office of Budget Responsibility and proper Fiscal Studies and Evaluation Office and mechanisms. We have so much potential as a nation to break all the barriers which are limiting economic growth if there is sufficient political will to restore Zimbabwe’s status as the breadbasket of Southern Africa.
I see much energy on Party investments and upgrade of their systems and my fear is whether the very same leadership will strike a balance between Party business and government development because without doubt I am sure for the party they always deliver and now they should deliver to their electorate and the people of Zimbabwe as the ruling party.

I believe that constructive criticism should be a positive starting point for us as Zimbabweans in rebuilding our nation. In my reorientation as a personality advocating for development and peace building, I reserve the right to express my ideas in an effort of building a Great Zimbabwe for us and future generations. I look forward to comment and feedback that aims to develop our motherland.

Linda T. Masarira
Pro Development Activist

Part 1: Patriarchal Dominance and Misogyny in Zimbabwe's Political Economy

Gender Perspective with Linda WekwaMasarira

Women in Zimbabwe constitute about 54% of the population of about 14 million people. In the just ended 2018 harmonized elections statistic compiled by Women In Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) indicate that there were 1176/5620 that were nominated to run for local government council seats yet only 261 women were actually elected as councillors out 1958 wards which is 13.3% of all the council seats. In 2013 we had 16.2% women councillors and this year's results indicate a drop of 2.9% of women Councillors in local government. A total of 243 women out of 1405 men were nominated as candidates and only 26 women were directly elected into parliament out of the 210 elective seats available in parliament. For the first time in Zimbabwes elections we had 4 women Presidential candidates who unfortunately suffered from negative publicity and didn't receive enough support from the electorate which still thinks that women are in capable of leading at Presidential level which is a narrative that needs to be changed. 54% of the people who registered to vote for women yet the final result of duly elected public officials show a completely different result in relation with population demographics due to a number of factors which include patriarchal dominance, ignorance on the importance of voting for women candidates, toxicity of the electoral playing field, polarization and manipulation of the political economy.

The new Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) provides a strong legal framework for the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment at every level of governance in all institutions and agencies of government in Zimbabwe. Section 56 of the Constitution clearly provides legislation for Equality and non-discrimination of any person. Section 56(2) reads, "Women and men have the right to equal treatment, including the right to equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural and social spheres." Section 17 lays the provision of gender balance in Zimbabwean society and promotion of women participation by the state in all spheres on the basis of equality with men. Zimbabwe is also signatory to key regional and international human rights instruments such as the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003), SADC Protocol on Gender and Development yet we are still failing to comply with these international instruments and constitutional provisions in regards to gender equality. The state must take positive measures to rectify gender discrimination and imbalances resulting from past practices and policies and must take practical measure to ensure that women have equal opportunities and access to land and natural resources as enshrined in section 17 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Section 17 (1b) is continuously violated by the state, political parties, institutions and agencies of government as the fail to comply with its provision to ensure that both genders are equally represented and that women constitute at least half the membership of all commissions, elected and appointed governmental bodies established by the Constitution or any act of Parliament.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe remains supreme law of this land as enshrined in Section 2 which speaks to the superiority of the Constitution and how any law, practice, custom and conduct which is inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency. It is high time women of Zimbabwe take legal action on the state and political parties for failure to adhere to constitutional provisions if we are truly sincere about the issue of gender equality. No one is above the law and no woman should continue being prejudiced of their rights because of selective application of the Constitution and patriarchal dominance. In short no one is more Zimbabwean than the other.

Women in Zimbabwe continue to face a myriad of challenges in the political, social and economic spheres Sue to historical marginalization, gender inequalities and imbalances. Harmful cultural and religious practices have negatively impacted on women's rights including power imbalances, patriarchal attitudes, ignorance of constitutional provisions in regard to gender equality and high levels of misogyny in the political economy. Women are still viewed as tokens in the political arena were they are used as pawns in a game of chess to settle cheap political scores and organize support for male chauvinistic leaders who hardly give women space at the dining table, which has led to moat women hardly occupying key decision making in political parties in Zimbabwe. The buck stops with women because there is nothing for women without women and no power is ever delivered on a silver platter. It's not easy to break barriers but its important for them to be broken for posterity so that the upcoming generation of young women leaders won't be verbally and sexually harassed and abused in political parties. If we do not fight to end abuse of women in political parties as women we will continue swimming in the same dark, murky waters.

The only party which made an attempt to achieve gender equality in its structures from the Standing Committee right down to the ward structures is the MDC-T led by Dr. Thokozani Khupe which has 7 women and 7 men including 40% youth in its standing committee, which is a first in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole. Low representation of women in leadership and decision making positions has led to low levels of participation by women and manifestation of gender inequalities and imbalances. If women are not on the dining table they are definitely the menu. Strides should be made to ensure that more women occupy public leadership positions so as to tackle pertinent issues that affect women.

High prevalence of violence in the political terrain has posed major challenges to the advancement and empowerment of women. When women are  adequately represented in public and private spheres it leads to High maternal mortality rates and low representation of women issues in the August House and council chambers. Harare Hospital hasn't heard running water for years and the most affected are women and I have never had any MP raising that issue, even though I have protested about it and wrote about it several times. There is just lack of political will to ensure that the issue is rectified. Lack of running water affects the woman in labour more who is made to carry several buckets of water before delivery and these are issues that could be dealt it and accomplished once and for all if we had more women in Parliament. There are a lot of issues that need a woman's touch at policy level which include how to deal with high rates of child pregnancies and marriages, vulnerability of women to HIV, sexual reproductive rights, gender based violence, effects of climate change on women, lack of access to natural resources and police brutality on women. These are issues that need urgent attention and can only be raised by men with feminist lenses and we hardly have any of those in the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Most policies in Zimbabwe have remained gender blind and unresponsive to the needs of women. It is not a secret that lack of adherence to constitutional provisions and prioritization of gender issues has resulted in poverty, food insecurity, economic disenfranchisement of women and prostitution. A genuine desire to address these issues is needed from the State, all Executive, Legislative, Judicial institutions and all agencies of government right down to the common woman in Malipati. Lack of political will to address these challenges is the tragedy of Zimbabwean women. Women of Zimbabwe arise for posterity and save yourselves from doom.

ZanuPF fielded 23/210 women MP candidates instead of 105/210 as per section 17 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Failure of all political parties to fail to comply to constitutional provisions in section 17, 56 and 80 is a clear indication of lack of political will to adhere to the supreme law of this land. Failure to implement 50/50 gender representation is evident in the public sector and parastatal boards which have remained male dominated. There is need for legislation to compel political parties to comply with constitutional provisions in regard to gender balance.

Stiffer penalties should be put in place to deal with any organ government, political party, public, private or civic organizations that do not comply with constitutional provisions in regard to gender equality and full promotion of equal rights I'm our quest to be a truly Democratic, Transformational and Developmental State. There is no democracy without women. Women in political parties should stop being used as patriarchal gate keeper of misogynistic men who do not practice what they preach. It is folly to think that a political party that 7 women candidates out of 209 in the 2018 harmonized elections values women participation in politics. There is need for a paradigm shift of the mindsets of women if they truly want patriarchy to be untangled. It is a collective responsibility and not just the responsibility of women in politics.

The 2018 harmonized elections were characterized by high levels of misogyny, sexism, ageism, hate speech and intolerance of divergent views. I was not spares the vitriol of sexist and derogatory statements for exercising my constitutional right to freedom of assembly and association as enshrined in section 58 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. I am an adult with a sane mind which makes critical independent decisions not based on artificial perceptions of manipulating the masses using 48 laws of power. My convictions led me to stand for the truth and nothing but the truth even if it made me unpopular and I always sleep with a good conscience knowing that I did what was right and stood firm in what I believe in. Every woman in politics  who has dared challenge the so called popular status quo of the then MDC Alliance was labelled "HURE", "TRAITOR" or "SELLOUT". It's rather unfortunate that for a country that prides itself in being very  educated, the levels of intolerance and misogyny exhibited this year speaks otherwise.

I have always been a strong advocate for gender justice, labour justice, constitutionalism, Socioeconomic and political rights and the levels of intolerance that was exhibited towards women who had divergent views from our erstwhile Comrades in the MDC Alliance was contrary to the values they speak of as a party that claims to be Democratic and failed to exercise internal democracy and support gender equality which is a tenet of democracy. It is rather unfortunate that instead of upholding democracy they manifested into ZanuPF culture of violence, intolerance and dictatorship.

In conclusion, it is imperative for the 9th Parliament to ensure that there is adequate electoral reform to address women representation issues, gender delimitation of constituencies and strict sanctions for hate speech and politically motivated violence towards women. There is need to start redefining how we do politics in Zimbabwe and to completely move away from politics of patronage and personalities. We need a more gender sensitive, inclusive and holistic  approach of selecting public officials with the capacity to develop and transform Zimbabwe.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance

Rural development agenda

For decades the issue of rural development has just been raised during electoral campaigns for political expediency to the extent that rural folk don't believe it anymore. There is no one who is more Zimbabwean than the other and it's high time that all progressive Zimbabweans converge and start working towards rural urbanization in our quest to ensure sustainable human development.

Everyone has been talking about economic development with no clear framework on how that can be achieved. I have said it before and I will say it again, beyond foreign direct investment, we need to explore, develop and work with what we have first. The future of the agricultural sector is closely linked to a balanced development of rural areas, which account for a multi-sector and integrated approach to the rural economy in order to diversify activities, create new sources of income, employment and protection of rural heritage.

The new government should prioritize rural development in order to decongest Harare which is overpopulated. Implementation of a rural enterprise development program will strengthen support for cooperatives to enable small scale producers to enter formal value chains. Promotion of decentralization of power and implementation of devolution is critically important if we are sincere in developing our rural communities.

I expect the Minister of Finance to consider having a budget for rural development when he presents his budget in a few months time. The District Development Fund needs to be revamped and should also be premised on both local and international donor financing framework. Transparency is lacking and corruption is rampant in District offices in Zimbabwe. We need modernized rural areas with electricity, good roads, well equipped clinics and hospitals, accessible schools and tertiary institutions.

If we don't work collectively as a nation to help unlock opportunities for our fellow countrymen who are marginalized who will do it for them? There are a lot of economic opportunities in rural areas and untapped talent. The quality of life for people in rural areas can be improved by investing in creative industries particularly film, music, arts, book writing, etc.

Food security can only be guaranteed if the government restores viability of the agricultural sector. Rural subsistence farmers need government support and empowerment to enable them to be food secure. Access to information is a major challenge for the rural citizens in Zimbabwe. Most of them are not aware of the impacts of climate change on their livelihoods. It is critically important to have community radio stations in rural areas. Climate change will test the resilience of Zimbabweans. The brunt of climate change will have adverse  effects on the women, children and people with disability in rural areas. We don't have to wait for a crisis in order for us to act.

Now is the time to develop, educate and empower our rural communities. We want to see goal-oriented provincial Ministers of State developing their provinces and empowering people who are marginalized and vulnerable.
#TeamZimbabwe

Constitutionalism

Friends and fellow countrymen and women, Zimbabwe is a Constitutional democracy and any law or conduct that is inconsistent with the the Constitution of Zimbabwe is invalid to the extent to which it is so inconsistent with the highest law of our land, Sec 2. Since the adoption of the New Constitution of 2013, something that though imperfect, doctored by political parties but had people of our country involved in the process of its making, Zimbabwe entered a new era, an era of self realization in terms of its laws and the judiciary. We acknowledge that this will take time before we are a fully constitutional conscientious people. Our government is not eager to get our people to fully reap the benefits of this document which the government has nonetheless started mutilating so that in another decade we might not be able to recognize it.

The principle of isonomy refers to the equality of all before the  law. We should as the law naturally regards us all be seen through its eyes as equals before it with no one seen to be above it or short circuiting it without regard or repercussions. Zimbabwe is not a Parliamentary democracy where the parliament can sit down and make laws that infringe on provisions of the Constitution and there be no consequences. Our Constitution clearly demands that certain actions be observed which among others include that the army is not partisan but national security is secured in terms of the Constitution (Sec 206(2)), that the army upholds the Constitution (Sec 212), and that its operations are subject to the Constitution (Sec 207(2)), and that members of the security services must act in accordance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and the law (Sec 208(1).

It is upon these few provisions without going into each provision from sec 2, sec 3, sec 206 to sec 213, sec 89, 107,110 of the Constitution, and paragraph 14 of part 4 of the Transitional Provisions and Savings of the Constitution that this court application is anchored.

We would like our fellow country men and women to be under no illusion ((that we are not lap dogs or puppets of) (as we are clear that our actions  are not intended to benefit)) the previous administration of former President by Coup, President Mugabe, that we are not clamoring for his reinstatement, nor our we here for his cause and anything that happens must happen as a consequence of the operation of the law. The usurpation of authority by the deployment of the military without the authority of the CIC of the defense forces on the 14th of November 2017 going forward was mutinous and an act of seizing power by means not provided for by our Constitution in direct contrast and violation of those so provided for. Our request from the courts is simple, it is that the law be observed and followed.

We cannot allow the army, never desirable for them to be closer to civilian affairs to meddle with such affairs to the extent of exercising civilian power and taking over civilian government and assume that life will be normal again. Such a precedence cannot and must not be ever allowed to set, or settle. We believe that our Judiciary will, now that we have approached it, declare such actions unconstitutional and frowned at in Constitutional democracies and SADC and AU must stand upright and revert to, and honor their protocols especially the Charter on democracy, elections and governance of 2007, particularly the preamble, Article 3, which states total rejection of unconstitutional changes of government, Article 10, supremacy of Constitution, Article 23 on coups, replacement of democratically elected government by armed dissidents or rebels.

The law must be applied equally and fairly to all and the animal kingdom kind of scenario must be frowned at. Many Zimbabweans were excited at the removal of President Mugabe because he had been unlawfully kept in power by the army and sank the ship of livelihood, but they hoped that the army would not interfere in the chartering of a way forward and were pleasantly surprised when a Constitutionally fired Mr Mnangagwa was brought back and there was an enmass retirement of the army into political positions in government which clearly showed the intent of the seizure of power as personal gain and rebellion from Civilian Authority in direct violation of the Constitution rather their claims.

Africa is entering into uncharted territories in this age by legitimizing Coups by measuring the extent of violence as a means of accepting them as legitimate means of changing governments, because it was either bloodless or peaceful. A coup is a coup period, blood or no blood spilt, once there is forcefully removal, it matters not whether there is resistance but once there is the threat of force and harm then there is force even if the target does not retaliate and further to that as Zimbabweans we have seen enough violence to shy away and coil into our shells than challenge actions of the army and our government. We have learnt of these dangers from lessons proffered by Gukurahundi, the accidental death of dissenting voices, e.g Sydney Malunga, the violent 2000 to 2008 killings of opposition supporters and leaders, the media blackout on such events, the Itai Dzamara and many other disappearances of people without traces. Zimbabwe understands unequivocal the meaning of the army, CIOs and police on their streets and villages, these spell death, even Mr Mnangagwa himself once fired and perceived to be on the other side of government he had to vanish because he understood and understands the modus operandi of his government.

We know that this does not sit well with those in power and to them we are inviting their scorn and invoking them to flex their illegal security muscle against us, but Zimbabwe deserves better, Zimbabwe deserves a Constitutional order, rule of law, and respect of freedoms that the Constitution gives the people of Zimbabwe and the equality of all before the law.

This application is, not anything, other than a freedom, and a right! than a privilege that our Constitution gives us, as shown by sec 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 67, 68, 69 and in this case particularly sec 164, 165 which states that justice be done to all irrespective of status and that judicial authority is derived from the people of Zim as per sec162.  

JF Kennedy in 1960 said ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’. We have a responsibility as citizens of the world and particularly of Zimbabwe to hold to account those who have authority over us to govern responsibly and accountably and never to suffer them to exploit or abuse us using the authority we have delegated to them.

In closing, this is about our Constitution, it is not about Mr Mugabe, nor is it about individuals in the army, it is not about opposition politics, nor fame, but the just cause and demanding those upon whom the constitution demands that they uphold it, that they so do and including all of us, and that the law will protect those that are vigilant and who demand the respect of their rights and that our society must rise and be vigilant to ensure the protection of the rights of all and our Constitution and freedoms and rights that were hard earned through the blood of our liberation war heroes, those past and present. This case is about the Constitutionalism, the truth and justice above popularity and political expediency.

Thank you.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira - Revolutionary Freedom Fighters Chairperson

Dr. Vusumuzi Sibanda - Liberal Democrats Chairperson

Bongani Nyathi - Political Activist.

Local Government and Harare City Council should have a human based approach dealing with problems.

ZBC should not take the people of Zimbabwe for granted. On Tuesday ZTV reported that JOC and Local Govt officials were inspecting the new Kombi Sites. We even saw a delegation on TV and Chideme was the only council official on site who actually announced the operation. The Mayor and Town Clerk were not interviewed. We could smell a rat on the whole operation. Now that everything has gone wrong, the blame now lies with Council. July Moyo you are turning into another Chombo or Kasukuwere. This clearly shows that ZANU pf will never change. Zbc should know that we no longer need their propaganda. We now have more reliable sources and everyone knows that ZBC is just a ZANU PF mouth piece.

ZRP used to take bribes from people and now in frustration they are taking people's lives. The law enforcement agents who are supposed to be the custodians of the Supreme law of the land have violated the sacrosanct right to life by intentionally opening fire on unsuspecting commuters in Harare. Those who have done this dastard act should be brought to book if the rule of law still exists in Zimbabwe. The government of day must also compensate the families of those who have been slain by the frustrated and now trigger happy.

I support the move to decongest the CBD though the way it was done was haphazard and showed lack of planning, strategy and engagement with all values stakeholders. City council needs to build new termini at the new designated places and ensure that shuttle services are available to the commuting citizens of Zimbabwe.

Unfortunately this move also comes when there is a deep liquidity crunch and cash crisis with most families surviving on less than 0.35 c per day. It is not sustainable for one to use a dollar on one way transport. The issue is crosscutting on various aspects of social justice and is a violation of human rights. Proper frameworks should be in place before implementing such moves.

A wise council would use the kombis ranking fees (they already pay) and pass on the ranking fees to ZUPCO to run the shuttles between ranks and city center. With this setup, at copacabana we should see only ZUPCO buses lined up in an orderly fashion. People get on and off for free inside the city because ZUPCO will be paid from from ranking fees by city council.

An even more organised and advanced thinking city council would put a PPP together and build a tramline (those small trains you find on the roads) from Seke rd to Copacabana and from 4th st to Market Square which will be paid by parking and ranking fees.

Harare CBD cannot expand sideways coz there is no space  anywhere so the only way to go is up.

Copacabana and fourth street can still be ranks but have to be built going up like the famous MTN Rank and Bree Street in SA. That way they remove congestion in streets and still have people being dropped off in city centre.

In conclusion let me remind the Ministry of Local Government and Harare City Council that their existence is primarily based on serving the people.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
Aspiring MP Harare Central
Independent Candidate

#TogetherWeCan #PurpleCampaign Harare Central Constituency Seat

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira is a former labour activist and trade Unionist at the National Railways of Zimbabwe and is a victim of the infamous Zuva judgement which led to thousands of Zimbabweans losing their jobs in 2015. She lost her job in July 2015 apparently for demanding unpaid salaries to be paid and advocating for labour rights to be adhered to.

After a myriad of challenges ranging from economic disenfranchisement, state induced poverty, joblessness, inequality of opportunities and being marginalized by vicious cycles of exclusion, she decided to stand up and challenge the status quo in her quest to influence positive change and sustainable human development in Zimbabwe.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira was convinced by numerous Zimbabwean citizens residing in Harare Central to run for public office and represent them since the incumbent public officials had failed to provide the necessary representation and are only visible during the election period. She decided to take it up and launched the purple campaign on 28 September 2017.

She is a woman who believes that an Empowered citizen can make informed decisions and one of her key statements during her door to door campaigns is, "it is critically important to understand the mandate and duties of a member of Parliament..."

What is the role of an MP?

The role of a parliamentarian is often summarized as lawmaking, representational, financial oversight and policy oversight. These functions are comprised of :
*lawmaking
*control of public expenditure
*debate on government policy and scrutiny of government administration.

Linda strongly believes in justice, freedom and equal opportunities for all Zimbabweans. At the core of the #PurpleCampaign is a moto which we seek to influence in a positive manner in our quest to achieve sustainable human development. The moto is "HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS". In our pursuit of happiness and a decent life and job, we all need a healthy lifestyle and access to quality health care which will enable us to be fit and work to attain wealth which is every person's aspirations and after accumulating wealth, we will have a happy citizen and happy families.

Only a healthy citizen is able to work towards self actualization, to accumulate wealth and to sustain decent livelihoods. A healthy and wealthy person is a happy person that can meaningfully contribute to the economic growth and social development in Zimbabwe.

Linda will be launching the Harare Central Constituency campaign manifesto on the 23rd of February 2018 where she will unpack the role she will play in the pre-election and post election period and the changes she will influence at policy level once elected as the servant leader of Harare Central constituency. She is open to suggestions and ideas on how we can all make Harare Central Great again. You can contact her on her whatsapp number +263719118783, Twitter :@lilomatic, Facebook : Linda Tsungirirai Masarira or her website : www.linda4mp.com

Taking ownership of my community

Dear Zimbabweans

It is critically important for all of us to take ownership of our community and to develop community pride.

All of us belong to a community, whether local or national. This community could be my school or university, it could be my neighborhood or village or it could be my professional community.

It is likely that we are part of several communities. Communities are made up of individuals who choose to identify themselves with that community. For that community to succeed and prosper, it requires the members to take ownership and contribute to the betterment of that particular community.

The same goes for a country. For a country to succeed and improve, it's citizens must take ownership and responsibility for its affairs and participate actively in its development using their skills, abilities and expertise. Only when we begin to take ownership of our country, will we begin to see the country that we want.

As a S. T. A. R. Fellow, committed to servant leadership, I am humbly requesting every Zimbabwean to start being responsible and cultivating a nature of ownership.

1. Don't throw garbage on the roads/streets.
2. Don't spit or urinate on roads and walls.
3. Don't write on walls and currency notes.
4. Don't abuse and insult others, rather be patient tolerant and controlled.
5. Save water and electricity.
6. Plant a tree.
7. Obey traffic rules.
8. Honor and take care of your parents and grandparents, take their blessings and always respect them.
9. Respect women.
10. Give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
11. Treat your neighbor in a way you would want to be treated.
12. Do not seek for corners to cut in anything you do.
13. Be intentional in honesty and integrity.
14. Fear God in a way that is demonstrated in your lifestyle.
15. Respect every individual regardless of race, religion, tribe or status. We are all God's creation.
16. Always seek to be part of the solution and not the problem.
17. Grab every opportunity to be kind and helpful.
18. Be conscious of setting a good example for the younger generation.
19. Be content and grateful for what you have more than lamenting over what you lack.
20. Be proud of being a Zimbabwean by focusing on the positives and acknowledging that God does not make mistakes.

We need to change ourselves and not the country. Once we change ourselves the country will automatically change.

If we want our children to live in a clean, safe and prosperous environment then pledge to follow these pointers every day.

No one person or leader can change the country alone. Change starts with you and me. We can change our beloved nation's status by changing ourselves first and our mindsets.

In conclusion stop asking what Zimbabwe can do for you and start acting on what you can do for Zimbabwe.

Be inspired to influence change.

#ThisIsMyHome #TogetherWeCan

Zimbabwe needs a welfare state not rice donations

Earlier today I was in Eastlea. ZanuPF was creating cell groups and giving out 2kg of rice.
One lady told me that during the voter registration at Eastlea shops everyone who was given a form VR9 proof of residence was supposed to leave their cell number. She was surprised last week to find her number added into a ZanuPF WhatsApp Group.

I strongly believe that people should be taught how to fish and not be given fish. You can't trade your future for plastic rice. We need a conducive environment for job creation and investment not to be given rice. Zimbabweans need full freedom. Freedom from need and fear. The ZanuPF government should be prioritizing social policy programs and nurturing a welfare state which will pursue job creation, pensions, quality Healthcare, quality and affordable education and proper housing and sanitation.

As a result of the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009, Zimbabweans have faced a lot of challenges including persistent high levels of unemployment, erosion of traditional family structures, rising public debt and increased inequality. All these issues cannot be addressed by buying votes with rice. We need more comprehensive social protection systems, regulated labour markets ensuring decent salaries and decent pension payouts to the senior citizens.

VOTE for a candidate who will ensure that key policy areas such as the tax system, unemployment insurance/basic income security, decent pension systems, quality Healthcare, quality education and quality water are addressed and implemented. Your livelihood matters. Your HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS is key to your success. #TogetherWeCan #PurpleCampaign #teamJacaranda #Register2Vote

2017 reflections Part 1

Today is the last day of 2017. I just gave myself four hours of 'me time' I the morning reflecting on the year which was a tough year for me and most Zimbabweans. It's hard enough balancing fighting personal struggles which carry a heavy burden on my life since I was laid off at NRZ and standing firm and resolute in rebuilding Zimbabwe against all the odds.

I spent eleven months going to court at least three times a week and that wasn't easy and it left me failing to make ends meet as I spent most of my time in court rooms. That didn't derail my struggle for a better Zimbabwe.

January was a very difficult month as I was trying to ascertain how the year would be like. I spent most of my time chasing my outstanding terminal benefits as NRZ was dilly dallying in paying out my outstanding salaries and terminal benefits. It just didn't make sense for me anymore to chant the Mugabe must go mantra. After meeting with some like minded colleagues and cross pollinating ideas, we decided to have a campaign which started on 1 February 2017 which was dubbed #21DaysofActivism.

#21DaysofActivism was a campaign to protest against former President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash as he turned 93 years old on February 21,2017.

The campaign highlighted  21 human rights issues which affected the Zimbabweans during Mugabe's regime and which are still affecting citizens under the current government. The demands were that, former President Mugabe had to address 21 issues  before he ate the birthday cake.

The 21 issues were as follows: eviction of vendors from streets, corruption, electoral reforms, women’s rights, unemployment, access to natural resources, presidential age limit, student welfare, national peace and reconciliation, cash crisis, state of prisons, alignment of laws to the constitution, disability issues, human rights, access to health care, service delivery, devolution of power, media and freedom of expression, police brutality and constitutionalism.

Year in and year out, former President Mugabe’s birthday approach was characterised by the ruling party’s youth league, under the banner of the 21st February Movement, fundraising and praising his supposedly iconic status, ending as usual with thousands of buoyant supporters watching the cutting of a huge cake in a stadium.

For me and my fellow  challengers of the government’s 37 year record which included human rights abuses, we felt that it was critically important to tackle the bull by its horns in our quest for the democratization agenda to be fulfilled.

On the first day, Wednesday February 1, 2017, we handed over a letter to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Parliamentary Portfolio on Small and Medium Enterprises and the Mayor of Harare, against the proposed eviction of vendors from the streets.

We kept on writing letters to parliamentary portfolio committees and relevant ministries until the last day of the #21DaysofActivism and government ministers and parliamentary portfolio committees did not bother to respond.

On the 25th of February 2017 when Mugabe was celebrating his birthday, I was with fellow activists at Parirenyatwa Hospital where Doctors were on strike, patients were not being attended and fuel for ambulances had been diverted and donated to Mugabe's birthday bash. Governments response was police brutality and subsequent arrest for trying to expose the former Presidents shortcomings to the world.

I spent the first two weeks of March recuperating from the assault by the police. Couldn't walk for about a week. Towards March monthend Arnold farm villagers were evicted from Arnold farm by former first Lady Grace Mugabe. The evictions were a real eye opener of how Grace would do anything to amass wealth. To be continued...