Zimbabweans must do something NOW!

26 November 2008

By Promise Mkwananzi



The time has come for Zimbabweans to take matters into their own hands and save themselves, their children and future generations. It would be a pity if Zimbabweans cannot defend their children from ZANU PF criminals. This would mean that if someone got into their houses and raped their daughters or maimed their sons, they would just stand idly and cowardly and watch while their children perish.

Today the people and their children are under attack from their erstwhile liberators. I shudder to think if the current generation will just watch while everybody and everything perishes. This will be the greatest sin before God. The international community will only be able to support and respond to our own initiatives.

There will be no peacekeeping force in Zimbabwe because the so called statesman/international community don’t realise that there is a silent war going on. Silent war is worse than real war, because people perish without anybody noticing.

It is like a spouse that keeps quite when their partner is abusing them. Such a scenario sometimes leads to gruesome deaths which could have been avoided or mitigated. I would like to charge here that Zimbabweans must now spring up to action and save themselves.

I chose to write this on a Tuesday because of a special reason. The NCA has called for civil protests to force ZANU PF to act responsibly-I would argue that the situation in Zimbabwe now warrants any action that is necessary to prevent further madness from Mugabe, Mnangagwa and their fellow criminals.

The so called talks about nothing must be given an impetus on the ground by people of Zimbabwe who should demand that their voices of 29th of March be heard. Otherwise, the talks must now be abandoned and people must begin to think in other terms. You cannot solve a problem democratically when you are dealing with a callous tyrant. You just cannot cure syphilis with cafinols; you simply need the right medicine. This is the situation which confronts us today in Zimbabwe.

If nothing is done at the earliest possible moment, millions of people will perish while a few gluttons wine and dine. Zimbabwe is our country, we are the Zimbabweans and we should now more than any other time show that we are proudly Zimbabweans by showing that we are able to defend ourselves and our country from a Malawian who happened to be born in Zimbabwe and became a marauding despot.

We are running out of time, we are running out of options: We need to act and act quickly. The consequences of cowardice have become greater than those of courage. The latter is now the only option and we should take it before it also runs out.

Zimbabwe must be free!

Promise Mkwananzi is the former President of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU).