Cry my beloved Zimbabwe cry

I got a very disturbing call from my contact at Arnold farm saying the mothers and their babies in Mazoe are now sleeping in rain soaked blankets in open space.

This is really disturbing considering that yesterday we were celebrating independence day which is synonymous with Zimbabweans reclaiming their land which was forcibly stolen by colonists.

In the National Sports Stadium, the once revolutionaries who liberated us were lambasting the imperialists for stealing our land. But will we ever hear these pan African leaders condemning Grace Mugabe for stealing land and forcing fellow black Zimbabweans from their homes?

Double standards and glorification of strong egoistic personalities over institutions have proven to be our greatest undoing unto ourselves.

Zimbabwe deserves better and we are the ones we have been waiting for to transform our independence into freedom for the people.

We all need a Zimbabwe that is responsive to the needs of all its citizens despite economic class, political view, religious beliefs, race and tribe.

Linda T. Masarira

Change starts with you

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the change that we seek. We are the ones we've been waiting for. I have no doubt that we, Zimbabweans, are the difference between what it is and what it could be.

We are the missing link in the struggle for positive change in our country. Zimbabwe's political and economic quagmire requires our participation. We know in painful detail and through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.

No one gives up his priviledges without a fight and president Mugabe won't be brushed aside easily like dirt. We have to play our part as Zimbabweans. Zanupf will never reform themselves our of power. We have the generational mandate to reform them out of power. Only a united people with one common shared vision can remove this gerontocracy from power. We are the missing link.

You are the change you have been waiting for. What are you waiting for? Be part of the change you want to see. Together we can.

A new Zimbabwe is possible in our lifetime.

Zimbabwe will be there after Mugabe is long gone

In the midst of the political confusion that has gripped our country many people are wondering if we have come to the end of Zimbabwe.

The answer is simple: the thing called an "end" does not exist, not in relation to a country. Zimbabwe will be there long after Mugabe is gone.

What Mugabe has done is to make us come to the realisation that ours is colonisation by our own fellow brothers. From the frying pan into the fire.

Towards the end of March, innocent Zimbabwean citizens were illegally evicted from Arnold farm in Mazowe. ZRP acting on the first lady Grace Mugabe's instructions defied a high court ruling against the evictions at Arnold farm. Houses were demolished and the little property they had was ferried off the farm by police vehicles and they were dumped on the roadside of river farm.

These displaced families are surviving on wild fruits and sleeping in the open for nearly two weeks now. I am trying to understand why a mother and a woman would do that to other women and children? Principalities in Africa manifest in strange ways. This is an abhorrent violation of human rights.

We must all thank Mugabe for revealing our true African character; that the idea of rule of law is not part of who we are, and that
constitutionalism is a concept far ahead of us as a people.

How else are we to explain the thousands of people who flock to stadiums to clap hands for a president who has violated their
country's constitution? Such people have no idea of constitutionalism.

Now that we have reclaimed our place as another African country, we must reflect on and come to terms with our real character, and imagine
what our future portends.

In a typical African country, ordinary people don't expect much of politicians, because people get tired of repeated empty promises.

In a typical African country, people have no illusions about the unity of morality and governance. People know that those who have power have
it for themselves and their friends and families.

The idea that the state is an instrument for people's development is a Western concept, and has been copied by pockets of Asian countries.

Africans and their leaders don't like to copy from the West. They are happy to remain African, and do things "the African way".

The African way is rule by kings, chiefs and indunas in a setting of unwritten rules. Is there anyone who has seen a book of African
customary laws?

The idea that a commoner can raise questions about public money spent on the residence of a king is not African.

Asking a ruler to be accountable is a foreign - Western - idea. In a situation where there is conflict between a ruler and laws, Africans
simply change the laws to protect the ruler. This is why no single white person has called for King Dalindyebo to be released from jail.

The problem with clever blacks is that they think they live in Europe,where ideas of democracy have been refined over centuries.

What we need to do is to come back to reality, and accept that ours is a typical African country. Such a return to reality will give us a
fairly good idea of what Zimbabwe's future might look like.

This country will not look like Denmark. It might look like Nigeria, where anti-corruption crusaders are an oddity.

Being an African country, ours will not look like Germany. Zimbabwe  looks like Kenya, where tribalism drives politics.

People must not entertain the illusion that a day is coming when Zimbabwe  will look like the US.  What will become of our future when
one ruler is more powerful than the rest of the population. Even if  someone else were to become president, it would still be the same, if we do not change our mindsets.

The idea that a president can resign simply because a court of law has delivered an adverse judgment is Western. Only the Prime Minister of
Iceland does that; African rulers will never do that. The idea of an African president resigning because he is too ill to rule is for Doug Ferguson former president of Canada.

Analysed carefully, the notion of Zimbabwe coming to an "end" is an expression of a Western value system - of accountability, political morality, reason, and so on.

You are the change you have been waiting for

You are the change you have been waiting for.

Make a difference. One of the most powerful quotes that I have kept inside of that treasure chest near my heart is from Mahatma Gandhi. "Be the change you want to see in the world". Let that sit with you for minute. I use to be that man blaming the world and the people in it for everything that went wrong. I was literally out of control, paying no attention to the true difference and change I could make by being in control of my thoughts, habits and behaviors. Remember that thoughts shape our habits and the habits shape our behaviors. Behaviors become who you are and what you do. This determines the change you want or don't want. It's up to you Champion.

Stop trying to wait for people to change. Stop trying to wait for the fear to run away from you. Stop trying to get that lucky break. Stop trying to wait for problems to disappear. Every moment, you have the power and undiscovered abilities to create your own changes by changing how you approach every scenario. The most powerful tool you will ever have is your ability to "choose". There is no other creature on this ever changing planet that has your kind of freedom. Freedom to live as you want, but to get that you have to be the change. No excuses. Get to it and work on changing your situation daily! Believe in the Champion in You!

Human Rights day message

Human Rights day message

On 10 December 1948 at a place called Palais de Chaillot in Paris progressive representative of varied nations gathered and resoundingly voted for a very important document for both the body politic and also in socio-economic circles, this document is known as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.The UDHR is one of the most pivotal International instruments for upholding human rights and the fundamental freedoms and liberties in national constitutions, Bills of Rights and municipal/domestic laws.

After Zimbabwe progressively noted that living within the boundaries of set rules and laws separates humanity from animals and all other living organisms, and as a result gives men dominance over everything created, on 16 March 2013 the people of Zimbabwe voted for a brand new constitution of Zimbabwe with a comprehensive bill or declaration of rights under chapter 4, which domesticates almost all provisions of the UDHR. All these have been plausible actions on paper and plan, but taking a cursory audit of the intended versus reality, the opposite is absolutely true.

I seek to remind the present and future governments to be truly committed on the implementation and respect of human rights as enshrined in the supreme law of the land, in the best interests of protecting the masses in our society.The status quo and the status quo-ante of the country since independence on 18 April 1980 has been a grave mismatch of desires and what actually is being practiced by the government.There is a bloody history of human rights abuses emanating from the lines of tribe,race, political affiliations and divergent views, this history being a function of an intolerant and notorious government.

Some tribes have been vociferously attacked and human rights crushed by their own government without proper protection of human rights from the government, some races have been attacked over property issues resulting in many families being displaced, some people have been displaced from their homes evidenced by the ongoing shenanigans in Mazowe as I type, thousands have been killed due to racial hate.On the 11th of this same month in the year 2007, we witnessed the brutal attack of opposition leaders including Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Lovemore Madhuku, Arthur Mutambara, Nelson Chamisa and so many valued and progressive Cdes for the simple reason of being advocates of justice and sanity to prevail. The following, year there was a bloody crackdown on opposition supporters which led to the unforgettable June 27 brutal massacre of innocent civilians.

Human rights continue be a sacrosanct and treasonous topic to discuss in our country 36 years after independence.Many opposition activists have been tortured, incarcerated punished and even abducted, burnt alive and have property destroyed and looted.As I type, there are some activists missing, injured and some saving bogus jail sentences, speak of my revered sister Yvonne Musarurwa and team, they are behind bars over politically motivated judgments. I have been barred from enjoying my constitutional rights to demonstrate for 5 years, a judgment that I consider diabolic, wannabe and being an instrument of perpetual repression and continued dictatorship, doing community service everyday from 08:00h to 16:00h everyday, my crime being standing up against injustice. As a mother, how do I look after my children with these conditions?God forbid!!!, this country needs more prayers and more action.

I condemn in the strongest sense the failure by government to come up with an independent, competent and impartial judiciary, and the will to implement constitutional provisions on human and social rights, rights to health, education, clean water and shelter. I condemn the ongoing evictions in Mazowe where more than 100 families are being moved to satisfy the interests of the first family. I however wish to thank many Civic society organizations for the priceless effort the are putting towards the democratization of political spaces, I also would wish to thank Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights fr all their works to defend human rights defenders.

Linda Masarira.
Human Rights Defender

International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day 2017 message.

As we commemorate International Women's Day,  let's leverage on the opportunity it presents to have individuals and institutions subscribe to the women's struggle by respecting, promoting, protecting and ensuring progressive realization of women's rights! This should reflect in our daily lives, prior to, during and post the commemoration.

Today we join hands with all the women in the world in celebrating International Women's day. On this day I call upon government, civil society, women organizations, media, individual men, women, girls and boys to unite in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.

Violence against women is extreme and has manifestations of pervasive discrimination against women. A research recently carried out by Zimbabwe demographics health survey shows that 1 in 3 women is assaulted and coerced into sexual activities.

Hundreds of women are trafficked year in and year out and are sexually exploited. Most victims suffer in silence with little or no access to justice care,or support. In 2016, we worked tirelessly to support and bring back the human trafficking survivors who faced sexual harassment in Kuwait.

As Zimbabweans we can do better to protect women and prevent this pervasive human rights violations.
It is a collective effort to seize the opportunity presented by this Day in collaboration with men to denounce and fight against practices that undermine women's participation in politics and national platforms.

We lobby to explore and institutionalise varied and flexible gender roles on men and women as means of undermining gender stereotypes in political and voluntary organizations and the society.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance

The loud silence

The loud silence

I can still hear Julius Malema’s voice echoing loud as he reminded him that his time is up. “Fellow South Africans,  we need each other, there is no country that can survive in isolation, we need each other south Africans, let us not kill fellow Africans, let us refuse the artificial borders imposed on us by colonisers that has led to the division of Africa, Africa we are one.” This was at the height of xenophobic attacks that was perpetrated by a bunch of degenerates who have no place in the 21st century.  In those few minutes Malema managed to espouse the core values of an Africa any progressive youth wants. A borderless Africa, where we are united in our diversity!
Almost exactly the same time last year, hapless women, men and children were fleeing for their lives with a band of blood lust savages running behind them armed with all sorts of weapons, their crime, being citizens of another country. Now hold it right there. This is the 21st century and South Africa strikes me as a country with an efficient justice system.  Are we saying that we have failed to resolve any grievances we have improper channels and we are going back to the mfecane era?  Except maybe the khoi-san, who exactly has always been in the country they now reside? We have all migrated from different parts of the country and ended up where we are now for various reasons. I refuse to see the sense in murdering people from other countries on percieved grievances.
Till when as Africans shall we continue playing into the hands of naysayers by being the savages from the Dark Continent they say we are? African civilisation is older than Europe or America but surely our conduct particularly xenophobia puts such assertions to shame.  Such bloodthirsty as displayed by our fellow brothers and sisters throws spanners in the wheels moving towards the Africa we want as young people. Perhaps before we speak about the Africa we want a very brief reminder of what happened prior to 1994. What stance was taken by African countries like Zimbabwe and Nigeria as far as apartheid going on in South Africa was concerned? They condemned it in the strongest terms and assisted fellow brothers and sisters to fight it! When the great Chris Hani was assassinated, wasn’t it Harare, Zimbabwe he had been offered refuge?  Are we so gripped by amnesia that we forget what happened barely two decades ago?
And in all this chaos and pandemonium, burnings, stabbings, stoning where is the South African government? Of course it has its head firmly stuck in the sand. Its silence is so loud that it can be heard across the world. It’s as if the problem is nonexistent to them, which makes one wonder whether they too have the same amnesia as the actual murderers prowling the street. Isn’t it Bishop Tutu who said “if you are neutral in situations of injustice you are siding with the oppressor, if an elephant has its foot on the tail of a tortoise and you are silent, the mouse will not appreciate your silence.”?  As far as the vision of the Africa we want as young people is concerned, they are doing nothing.  So, what exactly are they busy doing that they cannot address the evil of xenophobia.
There is a Ghananian proverb which says, “The shea butter that laughs at the salt mound during a heavy downpour, should not forget that with morning will come the burning sun.” All the people of different nations in South Africa did not leave their homes out of choice, they fled from different situations, just as Chris Hani, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo did during the Apartheid era. The dismal failure by the South African government to reign in the people killing other Africans will go down in history as a colossal failure by a government, which no one really knows what it is doing apart from facilitating building of amphitheatres and fire emergency swimming pools.  The Africa we want as young people has no room for violence of any kind, tribalism or any form of discrimination. Africa we are one, a single finger can be broken but a fist is invincible. Africans we need each other, and together the Africa we want is a reality!

By Linda Tsungirirai Masarira