“Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?” – Let’s start to change the question
November 18th, 2008
“Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?”: it’s so easy to say, isn’t it? In fact, so easy and obvious that one wonders why Zimbabweans themselves haven’t thought of this already and, why haven’t they kicked up their heels and done this mysterious ‘something’ that is the solution. The mutterings about the need to ‘do something’ grow with frustration. We hear it in our family, between friends, people in our community, and it has filtered through on more than one occasion via the comments on this blog. I’ll bet “Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?” is right up there in the Top 5 topics of conversation around rare meals and rarer braais.
Everyone has an opinion on exactly what it is that needs to be done, including: mass action on the streets, giving SADC time to resolve the issue, work stayaways, launching a civil war, boycotting work – you know, you’ve heard it all before too. Everyone also has on opinion on why Zimbabweans do nothing: apathy, hunger, fear, the communication vacuum, a crisis of leadership, the fact so many have left, etc etc.
Rarely, does the conversation swing into the topic I am really interested in; and that is, ‘Well, what can we as a group sitting here right now do? Let US do something!’.
Many of the people I know who ask me “Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?”are people who are not doing very much in the way of activism themselves. When I hear this question, my knee-jerk response is: “Well, tell me what YOU are doing”. I get blank looks along with replies like, “There’s nothing I can do!”, or “It’s not up to me, it’s the majority who have to react and respond”.
The majority. Those wonderful amorphous faceless people who hold our salvation in their hands but never step forwards. Everyone thinks they know who the majority are, but it seems to me that it depends very much on who you are talking to. If its a middle-class black businessman you’re talking to, then ‘the majority’ are likely to be the informal traders living in the high -density areas (presumably with informal free time on their hands). If it’s a white person, then the odds are that they mean black Zimbabweans. If its a rural person, struggling to eke out a living from nothing, the majority probably means those in the towns who seem to have just a tiny bit more. For the elderly, its the young people. If its a Zimbabwean in the diaspora, then the odds are that they are probably talking about Zimbabweans in Zimbabwe. And so on.
I am consistently struck over and over again by the way people who ask this question make very little room in the discussion for the words ‘Me’ or ‘I’ or ‘Us’. In fact, I think the question “Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?” is fairly easily answered, and I think it probably stems directly from the missing ‘Me’ or ‘I’ or ‘Us’ in the question being asked. It may be that in asking the question, the questioner fails to see that they themselves are a critical part of the problem they are so furstrated by.
When it comes to big headline grabbing results, we all know what we want to see. Yes, it is true that if every single Zimbabwean took to the streets and marched on State House peacefully and with determination, that it would be a big positive step towards our future.
But this next bit is also true I think: if everyone -everyone – been as committed and had worked as hard over the years as some of the activists I know (who are all very ordinary people), things would also probably be quite different now. For example, what if everyone, not just a few, wrote to SADC and bitterly complained? What if everyone wrote to the African press and made sure that the media new how deeply and seriously angry the public were with the ineffectual fools determining our futures? What if every time something went wrong, there was a marked and significant response from the public everywhere? I can’t help but wonder how would that impact on the morale and energy of ‘the majority’?
So how does a person start doing something? Honestly, you just make up your mind and get on with it. I loved the way the New Zealand lady who collected all these medical supplies started by saying “Stuff it, I’m going to send something”. Start there.
The next bit is harder – WHAT to do? I appreciate that for many this can feel a little bit like being given a blank sheet of paper under exam conditions and told to produce something that needs top-marks, but requires you to produce both the question and the answer at the same time. We want to be told what to do; we crave direction and leadership. The problem is though, that if we sit around and wait for leadership, direction, instruction, we could be waiting forever. Working alone can also feel fruitless, even if it isn’t. You may find yourself asking yourself, ‘Am I wasting my time doing this?’.
So I have a proposition.
I propose that this blog audience works together, on one project at a time, being very focussed and pulling together, pooling resources and ideas, and making it happen.
I propose the ideas come from YOU (don’t wait for us to tell you what to do). I have today set up a side-post blog asking what projects people think can be achieved via this blog audience – use the comments on that post to put your idea forward and to lobby for it (as always, proposals for war / violence etc, will not be published). We will decide on a shortlist suggestions at the end of the week, and put up a poll on this blog that you can then all use to vote for the one idea we will all work on together. Once we’ve nailed down your first project, we will set up a forum where you can discuss and work together privately and securely, without the delays caused by comment moderation. This forum will only be accessible to those who sign up to use it. We’ll participate when we can, but making your project happen, will be up to YOU. We’ll do what we can to support in the way of resources, and chip in ideas and comments as well, but the success or the failure, is yours.
I never ever ask the question “Why don’t Zimbabweans do something?”. It isn’t that I don’t think it is a relevant or interesting topic of debate, it’s just that the question doesn’t naturally come to the top of my head. Years of being an ‘accidental-activist’ has shifted my focus: the question I always stew over and the one that I discuss with colleagues is more along the lines of: “Right guys, things are getting much worse, what are we going to try and do next?”.
Let’s try change the question.
November 18th, 2008 21:28
The MDC have to accept that the talks have run out. There is nothing to be gained and everything to lose by joining this corrupt and evil regime.
STAY OUT OF THE COUNTRY Morgan. Form a Government in exile. FRANCE, CANADA, The UK, America….any of them will assist.
But first, get your colleagues out as well. otherwise they will be in danger.
November 18th, 2008 22:45
There is quite a lot of frustration I feel when it comes to getting essentials to friends and family in Zimbabwe.
If anyone knows of secure, efficient ways to send smaller amounts of foreign currency or food, maybe we can get together and help co-ordinate deliveries. I know we can’t feed the whole country or any part of it, but perhaps could respond to specific needs. For instance, if we “adopt” a clinic or hospital, offer moral support to the staff personally, and try to help with supplies?
What about sponsoring a show on, say shortwave radio, where Diaspora Zimbabweans can send loving messages to their families and make requests. That serves two functions – keeping the suffering of families in the public eye, and giving some small comfort to those who are missing their loved ones.
The lobbying thing is difficult – I’m still doing it, but somehow the energy has gone out of me and I’ve become discouraged. So seldom does anyone bother to reply; you end up preaching to the choir or (more likely) being ignored. I can still give time to lobbying but need to be sure that my message will count. Postcards may be better for lobbying than emails, because then someone has to deal with the things physically. Maybe we can design a selection of printables, then print onto thin card for posting en masse?! We could call it the “red card” campaign!!
November 19th, 2008 00:14
It is true that the MDC have matured somewhat politically during 2008 and shown the patience of Job. They won an election in March, they secured a signed Agreement in September in view of the world’s press, with Mugabe and Tsvangirai shaking hands, and Mbeki as pleased as Punch at the outcome of all the toing and froing. But at what cost to the Opposition members, their friends and families, and all those brave supporters who dared show such bravery and guts for their ideals?
Surely it must dawn on any political opposition that all those interminable meetings in air-conditioned Hiltons are simply a waste of time. The simple fact is that he who controls the army, lock stock and barrel, controls the reins of power. History shows that, with or without niceties between rivals beforehand, whether it be between monarchs and commoners, rebels and rulers, black liberators and white colonialists, whomsoever it be between; if power has to be wrenched away, if the struggling and subjugated masses cannot, or will not revolt, you must live, and possibly even die with the tyranny. But yes, you can hope that your torment will end of its own accord, that it will dissipate. But usually in life when something is drastically wrong, only something drastic will correct it. That is the law of nature.
November 19th, 2008 01:26
Well said, Hope.
Like Sally D I too am disheartened when emails sent to most African leaders either don’t make it or aren’t replied to. (I have had fantastic responses from UK, Europe, Canada and USA). Perhaps post cards would be better, I like the red card campaign idea.
I am also at a loss of how to get aid and supplies to a rural mission our church has historical links with. They have no cell phone or email. Any suggestions that do not involve high levels of risk. I send regular small parcels, but would like to do more.
November 19th, 2008 02:09
i think the diaspora people should concetrate on what you have mentioned informing world press about the true picture of what is happening in zimbabwe.
Pictures attached to emails should be sent to press sadc au leaders to show the surviring of zimbabweans.
Although sending medicines food etc would be a good idea my fear is it will still end up in hands of corrupt people and not get to the people who really need it if not properly planned.
Remember nurses now sell medicines at home.
The talks should be abandoned as i feel they are serving zanu pf to say they are dealing with things when they dont have a clue what to do. so ditch the talks then we see what zanu pf does next.
Or maybe we juss need to go to the streets because waiting for the world to help doesnt seem to be helping that much. At what point do we say enough is enough? Is it fair that people are dying from cholera as they world just watches and then we expect them to do something.riots stay aways what ever works but i agree we now need to make our voice not the sadc leaders voices.
November 19th, 2008 03:09
Zimbabweans are not as passive or as inactive as some commentators would like to suggest…The call ‘what are zimbabweans doing’ is valid …it demands that to address a problem requires intelligence and the right answerrs.
The main problem is Zanu PF are confronted by forces whose experimental protest methods destroy more Zimbabweans than they save…history and time has shown that acts of commission by Zanu are only equalled in brutality by the mindlessness and arrogance of people who think that actions like …sanctions and appeals to corrupt institutions like SADC and UN work. Or that EU /US are guided by anything other than self interest.
Unfortunately .certain recognized public forums professing..’opposition’ to the Zanu PF’ actually assist the survival of the regime and the abuse of Zimbabweans via their own policies and practices or unstated hidden agendas and orders from principals…
(The highlighting of continued death and suffering being the means by which these bodies gain funding and an audience…vested interests preventing much good work taking place.)
If willing to communicate and help organisation supporting Zimbabweans in Southern Africa
contact… [email deleted]
or contact [website address deleted]
Comment from Sok: Anon, your comments are ending up in our spam queue because you are adding email addresses and links. Your email address has been published many times on this blog in the past when others haven’t; please be advised that we will not continue to make an exception for your address and if you keep adding it to your comments it is likely to stay in the spam queue going forwards.
As far as links to other websites – we do not endorse or support fundraising sites where we do not know the people involved (or know of them via other groups), or if the site is not linked to a registered and audited charity.
November 19th, 2008 08:16
I think it is simple….. its not up to our leaders to waffle on and on in different directions. The people need to speak out not just complain about the poor state of affairs. How many times to we hear …. “Ah but it is tough here, we are going to die!” Why don’t we die as heroes as opposed to from hunger.
Solution
We should be targeting the people who are claiming to be in the top positions of Ministry yet are failing completely in their tasks. This could include the self appointed Minister or the Senior Secretary in the Ministry. We have been targeted as individuals yet they haven’t. Shall we take the rule of fear to them
1. Bank Queues should be encouraged to demonstrate at the Ministry responsible – Finance where there must be a presence as seemingly the chefs are still fuelling their life styles. Where is the RBZ after last weeks false promises . . sorting out the cash problems! It is RBZ themselves that are controlling all the cash with their endless runners operating on the streets.
Demonstration will be as follows:
- inability to access own funds which in an inflationary environment is not healthy
- lack of local cash to operate on the streets
- loss of buying power of the ZWD whilst under tight RBZ controls!
2. ZINWA – we need to show the bosses there that they have failed to perform. Continuous visits by many people showing anger at their performances demanding to see the bosses would be good. The bosses must show their faces and take responsibility for poor performance.
3. Ministry of Health – I believe the thug Pari still claims this position. Catch him as he leaves his house and bounce his car a bit!! Tell him his Ministry has failed!
4. RBZ Governor – GG. Bounce his car peacefully as he drives into work. Get sufficient people there to do so peacefully by watching his movements, giving the call to get there and then stopping his movements. Tell him he is not doing a good job and spark a bit of concern in his life!
5. Parliament. Where are these people. We should ignore the top level positions. Lets get Parly going again. Lets go and stand peacefully in Unity Square and call for Parliament to open.
6. ZANU PF – perhaps we should go and demonstrate there as so called party Members. It is after all them that are “running the country†………. And have done so so successfully for 28 years now that we are now completely desperate!
How do we all get to town? If we must walk we should do so. we have lots of people living in a close radius to town. Lets be peaceful but demanding. Let the cameras know what we are doing so the world can watch.
November 19th, 2008 09:01
Mugabe has obviously lost the plot. According to reports he is now in denial about losing the March Presidential election .It is said there is a very fine line between a brilliant mind & madness & I believe Mugabes’ mental state has crossed that line . He should be put in a “straight jacket” & taken to Ingutcheni Hospital . No sane person would let his country , its people & its state institutions decay to this extent. Has no-one in ZANU got any moral fibre or any shred of decency running through their veins . Are they all so greedy & corrupt they don’t care ? Or is it fear of retribution as what goes around comes around.What started out as nothing more than insane jealousy of the whitemans supposed wealth has backfired big time – any white who managed to build wealth did it on the back of incredibly hard work – something which has not been recognised by the “fat cats ” hence the absolute stagnation of agriculture on illegaly obtained farms.
November 19th, 2008 09:17
Zimbabwe, you are twice betrayed. First, by white colonialism, now by black socialism.
Until the people come to understand and appreciate how their freedom has been twice betrayed–and by whom–the country will languish in the impoverishment of nihilist ideology. Zimbabwe, you are an honored part of the Anglosphere; where are your books written over the past three centuries by the freedom-lovers in Scotland, Ireland, England, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand…and South Africa?
Until Zimbabweans come to value ‘freedom’ as much as ‘peace,’ they will have no freedom, and simply have to live impoverished under the thug’s version of ‘peace.’
Every mention by Zimbabweans of the natural desire for the ideal of ‘peace’ plays into Mugabe’s and the ZANU-PF’s hands. Start instead talking about your love for the morality of ‘freedom,’ and watch your society transform.
November 19th, 2008 11:35
Thank you for this blog. i am in zimbabwe (and desperate to leave ). I’ve been patient but now i’m fed up. As a family man, i cant leave my family without resources for at least 3months(ie food, rentals etc). Although its difficult even in my presence, i feel i can cover the gap which a woman cannot. I’ve seen wives of collegues ending up being of loose morals in the absence of their men in diaspora.
Now to the question of what must be done….. the problem is we have cowards amongst us. I remember during my days at varsity, we used to call for demonstrations and a few carders would come. But when the authorities respond eg give us money, those same students who’d have snubbed your demos will be at the front of the queue to get money.
We have youths whom we know support MDC but in June we saw them beating up fellow MDC supporters, why, because ZANUPF either threatened them or lured them with beer. That is the kind of society we have, COWARDS.
I THINK TO CURB FEAR, OUR UNIFORMED FORCES NEED TO HAVE AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR STARTERS. WE DON’T WANT WAR, BUT THEY TOO LIVE IN GETTO’S LIKE US, WE BUY FROM SAME SHOPS, WE ARE ALL DYING OF CHOLERA BUT WHEN THEY ARE TOLD TO GO AND BEAT A DOCTOR AND NURSE WHO’S WORRIED ABOUT HOW TO SAVE US, THEN OUR SITUATION GETS SORRIER.
THERE MUST BE AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR THE PUBLIC TO WORK WITH POLICE AND ARMY, REMOVE BARRIERS. IF FOR INSTANCE NURSES AND DOCTORS WANT TO DEMO, THERE SHOULD BE AN UNDERSTANDING ON BOTH SIDES THAT POLICE WILL GUARD THEM, BUT ARREST VIOLENT PROTESTERS PEACEFULLY, AND THE PROTESTERS SHOULD ALSO NOT PROVOKE THE POLICE OR TURN VIOLENT. I DONT KNOW HOW AS A SOCIETY WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT MINDSET……..
November 19th, 2008 12:29
Zimbabwe is a tragic story and the truth is that many of us feel so helpless as sometimes the task ahead is so huge. It is sad that the fight is all about Power and control. Yes the Ministry of Home affairs decides who holds the power seat, but are we so naive to believe that if it changed hands it would be for the betterment of the people? I do not recall MDC coming to the people and asking what are the priorities. Inasmuch as I can understand why they compromised themselves to signing the deal, did they or rather do they believe they can actually work together.It reminds me of the story of the frog and the scorpion. The Scorpion asked te frog to carry it across a flooded river, the frog said not because you will sting me, the scorpion assured hi that he had changed and he would not do that as he had to et across. The frog against his better judgement agreed, half way through the river the scorpion stung. In dying the frog said you promised you would not sting, the scorpion responded that is my nature. you cannot change the character/nature of something through compromise. DC must reveal their true motives? o they really have the peoples interest at heart and we the people are we prepared to sell ourselves just for the sake of change at any cost?
What we can do is begin to take responsibility, start holding people accountable. and ?????? for within the problem lies the solution.
November 19th, 2008 13:36
Sokwanele the calcified psychology never stops but to still amaze…You have no solution beyond the head shaking and hand wringing and empty tears and prayers thecontinuation of promoting people email angry words to uncaring institutions and yet also seek to PREVENT people networking.
The pity here is you dont see reality beyond your opinion…it is a pity you people STILL believe that you alone are the sole conduit of interaction of parties concerned with the Zimbabwe issue…all is allowed so long as people do as you deem worthy…since when was saving life less important? The idea that you still havent got your head around the fact that you are not GOD is very sad.
Pity all those that could have been saved just if only Sok Admin hadnt had their head so far up their own dubiuos censorship policy.to see commonsense..
We can only try to re educate…
[email deleted]
November 19th, 2008 14:40
we Zimbabweans have to free ourselves from this bondage.
peaceful measures will never archieve that goal. i am not advocating violence but what i call real and practical solutions.
as long as us Zimbos think we will change things by sitting down and writting on blogs, we are wasting our time. it is such misinformed thinking that lead others to believe that Bob can go through prayer! it has never happened in the world.
i am proposing action not propositions. for as long as we are reluctant to step out there and emancipate ourselves, we may as well be writting on these blogs till kingdom come!
November 19th, 2008 15:23
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My heart goes out to Zimbabwe. I hope to go back home when the situation has changed for the better. The sad thing is that I live in the UK and am of mixed race originally from Zimbabwe. I now realise that I am an African, having being brought up there and having spent 7 years her in England.
However, the Mugabe regime feels that everyone who is not black cannot be Zimbabwean.
In the UK (and US), if you’re not white you’re black. In ZImbabwe it appears that if you’re not black you’re white. Crazy isn’t it?
A luta continua.
Josephat
November 19th, 2008 17:42
So what is the point of inviting readers to suggest and submit something tangible we could do as activists to extricate our country from this mess yet you do not publish it? I send an article this morning that I thought would go a long way to help in resolving the impasse in the country yet you didn’t bother to publish it. For your own information I wrote an article based on that school of thought and it was published in reputable web based papers like the M&G, etc. Readers were quite welcoming to the idea. I find your style hypocritical in a way.
November 19th, 2008 19:39
@NdizvoMoyo – We haven’t received an article from you this morning? Please re-send. When we do receive it, it will be circulated to other members of our group before we publish. Alternatively, you can leave it here in the comments. If you leave your thoughts via the comments, it will be published immediately provided it is not in conflict with our core principles. Please also allow us some time to get back to you.
November 19th, 2008 19:56
@Anon – I respect that you do not agree with the Sokwanele approach and you are entitled to your opinion and you may express it via our comments provided your comments are not in conflict with our core principles.
You may also continue adding your email address to your comment if you wish. But please be advised that I will no longer manually retrieve it from our spam queue – this is the last time. Please be advised that over time, if your comments continually end up in our spam queue, this could potentially jeapordise your ability to comment on other websites using that same address (see here for more details: http://akismet.com/faq/).
As to your accusation that we are seeking to PREVENT people from networking, please re-read the post you are commenting on, especially the last few paragraphs.
Respectfully – from our perspective, its baffling trying to understand why you are so anxious to persuade people who are loyal to our blog to not work together here, and instead go elsewhere. It’s even more baffling that you think we should support your attempts to do this.
November 19th, 2008 21:55
indeed i say lets do something!time is of the essence and dialogue has proved to be void with this regime.”where there is a will there is a way”and i know my fellow zimbabweans agree with me.this is a direct and simple propositon to digest.we all need to come together and say NO! to this nonsense.enough is enough!lets do something and i know each and everybody of us knows exactly what we are getting at.
tirivanhu
November 20th, 2008 00:59
“Comments containing… expressions of violence will not be published on our site.”
Therein lies the problem. The Zimbabwean propensity for peace at any cost relegates the people and the country to a perpetual state of servitude to the likes of ZANU-PF. Zimbabwe owes ZANU-PF nothing – if they refuse to play by the rules of democracy then they must be kicked out by force. I can’t imagine that the majority of the populace has anything of consequence to lose and everything to gain by rejecting Mugabe’s tyranny.
November 20th, 2008 01:53
I believe that there is a lot that Zimbabweans can do if we are organised as you are saying.
For me I think the first question is what really do we want now after the failure of SADC to come up with a clear resolution?
If we still believe in salvaging the deal then the first option is to look at the MDC’s options in the deal. Either they go in protest for the good of Zimbabwe. If this the option we need to lobby the MDC so that they understand that they are not leeting the people down by going in but rather they are doing it for the greater good. Then there is need for work on how the MDC survives in this kind of relationship. I am saying this bearing in mind that it is a painful compromise.
Secondly, if the MDC has decided that they will not go in then they need to get out of this deal and stop keeping people’s hopes pinned on this stillborn deal and they need to do it now. Then the nation can decide on how to move forward. Please remember zanu pf doesn’t care even if this takes forever.
Mu challenge is how to help those people that are in Zimbabwe with things like clothes which I can buy in large quantities but at times cannot afford the cost of sending them to help people back home. If there is a responsible church organisation that can distribute these to the displaced and all.
Other initiatives are things like getting just simple drugs, painkillers, bandages etc to Zimbabwe.
Can we hink around maybe establishing an ngo that caters for some of these things instead of some of the current ones who just focus on their membership only which at times is mostly in urban areas and does not get to the rural areas. Churches can be used as entry points in such initiatives.
November 20th, 2008 09:12
Thought just appeared in my mind as read the post. How about telling everyone you know to meet you in the center of town, whatever is the closest town all over Zimbabwe, and find way to feed each other, and just have sit in until Mugabe government agrees to resigns all government positions. Sleep there and educate each other as wait for the government to give up.
Remember, the Shah of Iran had the 5th most powerful military in the world, and when sufficient numbers of Iranian regular citizens went to the streets he left. And I’m sure his secret police were much higher paid then those in your country.
Don’t worry about who will take over afterwards, the will take care of itself.
Read Gandhi. Non-violent peaceful protest by ordinary people works.
All the best.
November 20th, 2008 20:54
A year ago I faced a similar dilemma – I’m British, my wife Zimbabwean and our two sons are British. I bit the rein and moved to the UK over a year ago with the one son, and have been involved in a continuous struggle to get UK authorities to see reason for my wife and other son to join us. (Do not believe that UK is actually a forefront champion of human rights, equality and fairness!- but then I’m currently biased). Take heart, though. If you’re serious enough about changing your situation, it can be done. Fight for it and persevere. Like Zimbabweans should be doing.
Yes, I agree with Hope that there are a number of armchair activists who provide easy solutions from their own comfort zones. I recall a similar discourse whilst in Zim when I had said to my wife ‘why don’t Zimbabweans get up and do something instead of whining.’ Her reply was ‘OK let’s demonstrate… why don’t you? Would you like to be shot?’ I guess I copped-out by saying that being white I would be an easy target. And there my argument died. Nonetheless her fear of reprisal as a reason for non-action did not entirely convince me. I now act the best way I can in the circumstances.
This blog does not permit expressions of violence – and I do not subscribe to such action in any case. But civil disobedience is a different matter altogether. That civil expression can perhaps result in violence is surely the action of the repressive regime of ZANU-PF, and any one who is the victim, even in the forehand knowledge that violence might be the outcome, cannot be castigated or accused of creating the violence.
There is still safety in numbers. Police might weild a baton, but let him try to do it when hemmed in tightly by twenty close packed people. They don’t even have to raise a hand against the uniform. Safety lies in numbers – every mackerel, zebra and penguin knows this to be a natural fact.
I’m amazed that NCA announced that they would be holding mass prostests every tuesday. Why not give the authorities complete routes, times, numbers, and names and addresses of all taking place as well! They got the idea about mass co-ordination, but are faulted in implementation. It takes time for riot police to mobilize. Hold your protest, and disperse quickly, and time it so that another takes off at a different location. You’ll lead the police a merry dance. And get very few bruises.
Civil disobedience does not lie solely in street marches. I’m sure a bank teller can ‘lose’ a minister’s account from the system and blame it on ‘computer error’. A highly placed politburo member can find his car service to take longer than usual and blame lack of parts. be imaginative. Sure, the country gets even more run down – how low can you go? And it seems that it’s going to get about as low as it can get no matter if people sit around doing nothing.
If civil disobedience is ‘incorrect’ then all Zimbabeans will have left is their voice – sotto voce and unheard. It is those in the diaspora who shout on their behalf, including those of us who contibute to this and other blogs. We raise awareness, even through nothing more than our comments and opinions.
But, I see no other recourse than for Zimbabweans to SHOW Mugabe that they will not be taken for granted, pushed around, sidelined and ignored. It’s no good simply telling the man in round about ways. He plainly listens to no-one.
And lets not just stop at Mugabe. It seems that Tsavgirai is clinging onto election results as the one and only mandate for his continuance. Zimbabweans, you owe it to him to give him more support if you expect the party to do something for you. Politicians sometimes have the memory retention of a two year old or cling onto long past adages. They need constant reminders.
Parties determine their popularity by numbers at rallies. Show others their unpopularity in the street and workplace.
November 20th, 2008 22:46
Just a small point – MDC missed the opportunity to form a Govt in exile when they were prevented of forming a rightful government at election time. Their right and argument to form an exiled government falls away seeing that they are now not actually excluded from the offer of governance, such as it is. They have done nothing more than to refuse. That’s how it’s going to be argued.
November 21st, 2008 14:27
Sok ADMIN
I typed a masterpiece but got a HTTP 500 Internal error…so here is the edited version
YOU STATE…
1 As to your accusation that we are seeking to PREVENT people from networking, please re-read the post you are commenting on…
2 Respectfully – from our perspective, its baffling trying to understand why you are so anxious to persuade people who are loyal to our blog to not work together here, and instead go elsewhere. It’s even more baffling that you think we should support your attempts to do this
MY RESPONSE…
Sok ..You do what you do ..respect and more power to you…HOWEVER…there is no right of free speech on your blog and you actively censor comments that you do not approve of or you deem could harm the reputation of the site.
(you are within your rights to do so..but…)
In relation to Comment 1 PREVENTING NETWORKING …Several times people have sought a wider discourse and have had comments deleted…when they should have been debated…
As previously stated I post links to communicate elsewhere as a means of productively using those human resources…so those debates can be expressed…rather than have people correct themselves just so their expressions can meet your approval and be published.
As much as you propose the path of MLK and Ghandi..neither faced Zanu PF…The WORK you mention of the revolving door of calling on SADC UN AU EU etc….is fine for some but isnt for everyone.
Finally comment 2 is pure ego… that Zanu has lasted so long is because it has exploited the support my tiny enclave tendency in so many who call themselves ‘Zimbabwe opposition’…
No one is ‘disloyal’ for networking outside of your site Sok…the demands of the Zim situation are far too grave to make such a petty arguement.
Anyway to avoid the spam box…Any blogger interested in pro Zim discussion beyond certain limits… please contact..
[email deleted]
Peace and may your good work continue.
November 21st, 2008 15:22
@Anon – We have maybe deleted 10 comments in the entire time this site has been run. Most of those were due to racism.
We do not permit people to use our site as a platform for racist, homophobic, sexist or any other forms of hate speech. We do not allow people to use our site as a platform to promote violence or to advertise sites or groups about which we know nothing. This may seem to be contradictory to ‘free speech’ to you, but to us its in keeping with promoting transparency, unity, equality and a non-violent society.
Those are the only limits on this site.
If you have ideas that fall within these boundaries, then please feel free to share them here. You may freely network with people here.
If any of your views fall outside these boundaries, then I respectuflly suggest you seek another platform on one of the many open forums where comments are not moderated.
Alternatively, you could set up your own website, register it with Google, and if people share your views they will come. There are no restrictions on your free speech on the Internet.
Sokwanele is often cited in the media. Recently Sokwanele comments were featured on the BBC website and the comments were attributed to ‘Sokwanele bloggers’, not to outsider commenters. If we allowed our site to be a vehicle for what we do not support or endorse, or for what we do not know about, even in the comments, it is very possible that those views would be ascribed to our group and our work, or we would be seen to be tacitly supporting other sites. It is not unreasonable for us to seek to preserve our own reputation and our own focus.
I hope this explanation finally clears things up for you.
November 21st, 2008 20:39
I am a US citizen and want the people of Zimbabwe to know that I pray at least once, and often many more times every day for the people of Zimbabwe. I was on my knees and in tears on 29 March hoping and praying for change for the people of Zimbabwe and seeking protection from the ruling party and its supporters. I am a Christian and I have enlisted prayer support from my Pastor and the congregation on a regular basis. I would love to be a partner, through this forum, to help. Although you could rightfully argue that my country provides assistance because it is in our national interest, I believe we also do it because of a sense of moral responsibility and a real desire for people around the world to live in peace and prosperity. I know a number of US citizens who live and work in Zimbabwe, giving their all to help meet the needs and bring peace and freedom from fear, hunger, disease, and poverty to the desperate victims of Mugabe. Enough about us, though.
I do believe that as long as the people of Zimbabwe silently suffer and die, the world simply won’t be as seized as they should be. Even with the serious risks, the world needs to hear from Zimbabweans themselves about their pain and suffering. When I get pictures and stories from my friends in Zimbabwe, I try to get the word out, but my network is extremely limited. And, because of the nature of my work which largely revolves around Zimbabwe, I can’t be construed as being a representative of my employer. I would love there to be an anonymous space where we could share reports, pictures, etc. so that others can pick it up and get it out there. I know the US government and a number of human rights organizations have published reports in graphic detail that could be sent to regional governments and others – I think SADC, for all its stated intent to resolve the problem, and giving them credit for some outspokenness, should be overwhelmed with information and outcry.
I agree that we need to be very careful about getting resources to the right people in Zimbabwe and avoiding government confiscation and interference. I know of a number of good organizations that we could work with – I’m sure others do, too. There is a website that I’ve used before which is designed to make information readily available to potential donors large and small regarding worthwhile projects. The actual recipient of donor assistance can remain anonymous, but the project would need a sponsor.
Although I’m all for feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, I see these as temporary relief without much hope. I like the idea of adopting a clinic but they’re in such a sad state at this point I’m not sure how far our assistance could really help. Many of the doctors and nurses can’t afford transport to get to work anyway.
I think lobbying is really important, but can’t personally, directly get involved in a visible way. I do have good sources for public, but not well distributed, reports for others’ use. I like the “red card” campaign.
I’ll keep watching and thinking and praying and encouraging others. I want to do my part, and I so badly want to see an end to the nightmare.
PS – while I understand people’s dislike of the expensive fancy meetings the MDC is undertaking to seek resolution, I do think that they 1) are trying to keep the transition peaceful (at least for their part), 2) must not give Mugabe any ammunition in terms of who is the real problem in realizing the change needed, and 3) know that once change takes place, the international donor community is ready to help in a big way to begin to reverse the horrible effects of the current Mugabe-led “government”.
November 21st, 2008 20:49
I’m sorry, but can I just say that this important Zimbabwe dialog should not continue to be a forum for debating the merits of Sok’s policies. It is a waste of valuable time and energy and it distracts from the initial intent – to help the people of Zimbabwe.
@Anon -
November 21st, 2008 23:50
Ah Sok …
Its always fun to watch you tilt at windmills here but time is short..
The contradictions in your statement were obvious but I will just point to two.
You deleted my.. [edit] …. link it was not racist , violent..etc
You cannot say communicating within boundaries is allowed then still delete stuff that infringes no boundary…
I would be a happy dissident in the society you claim you wish to bring forward ..it sounds like NWO controlled heaven…no passion no misbehaviour …aluta continua but … people cant be directed to any other site TO NETWORK if you carry on like that. Contradiction 1) HELPING NETWORKING by deleting contact details ???? (…I dont even think Einstein could explain that one)
People wish to discuss more than the limited options you present that have proven so ineffective…
Secondly the part re BBC and comments atributed to YOUR bloggers…(sorry it hurt my head reading it)
We all like fame.Sok..some prefer infamy but here is a quote for you to remind you about just what the Zimbabwe opposition true purpose should be about rather than your imagined rep…
The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.
- Sun Tzu -
November 22nd, 2008 04:11
For God’s sake, Anon…. put up, or shut up! How much clearer does it have to be spelled out to you?
November 22nd, 2008 10:59
There you go Hope, 30 responses and hardly a decent suggestion amongst them! So typical of Zimbabweans who are great at talking and complaining, but not very good at being effective.
The reality is 3 million of probably the best talent and most proactive Zimbabweans are now in exile outside the country, leaving the burden of change to just a handful of true activists.
But perhaps there is a solution there too… if individuals continue to vote with their feet and leave, taking their families with them, then once in exile they can more loudly protest against Mugabe and pressurise the SADC states to be more effective. Civil disobedience doesn’t just have to take place in Zim, let’s try it in SA too.
For those inside Zim, I like the idea of sabotaging anything to do with ZANU ministers bank accounts, cars etc. It will at least make you feel better, and who knows…
The annoying ones are those in commerce who try to carry on business as usual – in fact they may be as much to blame for propping up Mugabe as anyone. The old adage refers: if you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem!
And for those outside Zim, remember sending forex back to Zim is just perpetuating your troubles. Stop sending back money, instead get your families out. Oh, and tourists, please stop going there. You are not helping.
As for the MDC, who seem to have got themselves stuck with nowhere to go, all I can say is to quote Benjamin Disraelli: “The most dangerous way to cross a deep chasm is in two small jumps”!
November 22nd, 2008 12:56
@ UK Diaspora
‘Put up or shut up…’
Putting up is deleted…Shutting up is censorship.
What do you see as so clear?
November 22nd, 2008 15:40
@Anon –
It is obvious to any outsider that the situation is worsening at an increasing rate, yet that Mugabe is not going to change his policies at any price.
His regime seems to survive on sequestering the countries hard currency earnings to pay the leaders in the administration and security forces. If this happens to be sufficient to maintain enough able bodied soldiers and policemen to control the population, this can continue until the last ordinary citizen dies of hunger or of cholera. My hope is that the amount is only available to comfort a small minority in Zanu
Normally in a failing stste the population is driven by desperation sufficiently to surge onto the streets en masse in sufficient numbers to overwhelm the officers controlling the instruments of repression. This happened in East Germany when party secretary Honecker realised that shooting all those gathered in the square and streets of Leipzig would lead to his police being physically overwhelmed by the crowds and torn to pieces. In Moscow it was touch and go until Boris Yeltsin climbed on to a tank blockading the pariament and rallied the masses, particularly the soldiers sent out to kill, which had the same effect as in Leipzig.
The hope for Zimbabwe must lie in the possibility that enough police and soldiers have starving families for them not to stand in the way of the MDC when the crowds finally turn out in despair, in volume. Otherwise, or in any case there may well be 100,000 murdered before the soldiers turn, and the game is seen to be up
Perhaps on that day those seeking to punish Mugabe will find that he has had a jet standing by for a week, and that he and his chief goons are already half way to Hong Kong, and their hard currency bank accounts.
I can see no flexibility or enough humanity left in African politics for any other ending.
South Africa should be arming and training the able bodied quarter of the 3m refugees to return en masse to retake their stolen country but it is not going to happen.
God help Zimbabwe – though if there was a God neither Auchwitz nor this, which is suggested by two horses of the Apocalypse, bringing Death from Famine and from Disease, could ever have happened.
November 22nd, 2008 15:58
You know, Sokwanele, I don’t think we’d all be in too much of a moral quandry if you didn’t publish Anon’s ramblings. Some might even thank you for it.
November 22nd, 2008 22:04
After reading all of this I would just like to add that Zimbabweans have to make a choice now : It is clear that the talks have failed and a coalition government with Mugabe will not work, we all should know that half marxist dictatorship and the other half for democracy just cannot work. The choices that are over would be to get enough police and army people that are also suffering on the MDC side and whoever necessary that would be capable, and go and take what belongs to you as you won the election allready and now you just have to go and make it yours. I do not stand for violence but it seems history has shown us that as long as we are sitting and pondering on an idea, nothing will change.Maybe then, when the world sees that enough is enough they may come in and help.I know everyone would like to donate groceries, medicines and toiletries,I certainly am more than willing, but it will never get into the right hands and get confiscated at the border as well.So we have to wait until there is a peaceful stable democratic government in place.How sad to feel so helpless when there is so much that can be done, but with Mugabe in place I am afraid it is an impossible task.
November 23rd, 2008 08:00
The art of communication is to get one’s message across clearly to others.
I’m more than happy to listen to different viewpoints but, unfortunately, Anon, your communication, in English at least, just comes across as pure gobbledy-gook.
Maybe try it in another language?
November 23rd, 2008 16:34
@Graham
If you try and understand it …rather than try hard not to understand it…the ‘gobbldy gook’ will become clearer. Almost like your own proposals.
@Anonymous
Your point is well taken the Zimbabwe issue can be solved…Mugabe is no genius those around him are not supermen but the opposition to Mugabe is in need of honest review …because their methods dont work.
Research ‘COLOUR REVOLUTIONS’ and the principals and donors and history of many so called ‘anti-Mugabe’ groups… you will see ..that the people have two fights on their hands…one against regime tyranny ….the other against a false opposition leading them nowhere…backed and created by outside vested interests…people who pretend to be pro Zim. who make sure the people have no real discourse, agency, resource or ground organisation. People could come together and work but its not in certain interests to let this happen.
Question the credibility of the stance of groups claiming to represent the issue of Zimbabwe who promote methods of opposing the tyranny that time and evidence and precedence in places such as BURMA and TIBET have proved over and over ..DONT WORK …Worse still question their denying the need for people to even open a conversation about any changes in method.
When questions are raised this faux opposition have their own TROLL POSSE to attack any who dont follow their path with insults and childishness (Zanu PFs own play book)…insult and attack rather than debate the practical reality of why alternatives and new methods that could help save lives are needed.
You can contact me at [...] …but no you cant as no exchange of contact details is allowed…
Were Zimbabwe ..Nazi Germany killing the jews it would be interesting to see the equivalent methods used by Zims opposition used to halt the Nazis.
November 23rd, 2008 19:14
Let me draw out three facts (i.e. not conspiracy-theorist anti-west mugabe-speak clap-trap) about you and your position which has struck me as being suspicious from day 1.
1.You consistently claim your comments are censored or deleted and yet they are constantly being published (even when they shouldn’t be, IMHO). If I were them I would NOT have published your latest comment, and yet they did.
2.You have been politely asked to share your ideas within reasonable boundaries but you fail to produce any ideas that forward the fight for change. (It’s really not hard to share an idea avoiding inflammatory hateful language or vilolence)
3.You have now shifted to trying to say that Sokwanele are western agents and anti-zim or something …
It’s very clear you have a personal (ZANU?) agenda. You must think we are stupid if you think we can’t see that. To me it looks like you care more about your conspiracy theory and arguing for the sake of arguing than you do about the oppressed in Zimbabwe.
Am I wrong? OK. How about sharing those great ideas for change here Anon – the ones you have because you care so much about the people of Zimbabwe? Uhhhh, uhhhh. NO. Somehow I didn’t think you would.
All those in favour of ‘Anon’ buzzing off say ‘Aye!’
November 23rd, 2008 20:19
@ UK Diaspora
ok let us lance your angry over emotional boil of a reaction to what you deem ‘conspiracy theory’
Your fact check is a bit off ..USA DoS..and US Republican Party IRI and others have admitted on the record http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACL121.pdf
to setting up and supporting parts of the Zimbabwe opposition as part of a general program of DEMOCRATIZATION …which occured globally…under Bush /Cheney. 27 organizations by 2007 (how many anti mugabe groups exist?)
2)I stated that networking cant be fully effective as contact details and certain communications were deleted..not what you misinterpreted.3) Information has been shared about issues reasonably its a question of interpretation and explaination whether a statement is out of bounds …so the contributor should be challenged on their idea..not merely censored.
As for the Zanu claim…
very weak sauce TOO EASY.
Yes it would be nice to sit and make angry TROLL talk all day but the issue is bigger than that… You are unfortunately behind the times…Anonymous and a few others have set
a productive course thus a different level of discussion has started …sorry.
November 23rd, 2008 21:25
For the record: Sokwanele’s mission statement reads:
The only ‘censorship’ to Anon’s posts has been to delete his email address and a link to a fundraising site not supported by a registered charity. This has been done transparently and fully explained.
November 23rd, 2008 23:33
Graham, I liked your quote from Disraeli.
How about this one from Martin Luther King -
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
November 23rd, 2008 23:44
Aw Soks
Lets not play whose right or wrong…the issue was closed and the TROLLS were put to bed…As stated a new day has dawned and all is good in the world for progress to be made…(A way to gain and leave contact details has been found)
On another note…The fund raising site you mentioned, would have actually accepted clothes, learning resources and cans of food …the beneficiaries are poor souls in SA and ZIM currently destitute due to the present upheavals (its not always just about money for cold hungry people.)
Sometimes Sok… good people do things outside of the official loop of the AU, UN, SADC, Ford Foundation US Gov. EU…those bastions of ‘registered transparency’ that we write to so often and rely on for so many of our Zim solutions…unfortunately they dont always have the cleanest of hands or all the answers)
Anyhooo having found that this thread (40 comments…) is so popular (I should respond to things here more often)…I shall seek to address any future comments to like minded people wishing to do good things.
November 24th, 2008 01:45
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I think Anon-orak’s hood is on to tight.
November 24th, 2008 15:19
As a “diasporan” one can do a couple of things:
1) Help newspapers like “The Zimbabwean” by paying for subscriptions but asking for the papers to go to Zimbabwe.
2) Save up some money so that you will be able to invest it in Zimbabwe when things do change.
3) Not waste a second arguing with people who enjoy attention and controversy.
4) Not give up.
November 24th, 2008 21:05
@Graham – Ah Graham – isn’t that just the sad truth! The more we help our loved ones left behind, the more we bolster Mugabe’s bastion of evil.
It is widely recognized that Zim’s biggest export is human resource, and that the entire economy is practically now supported by the funds repatriated by this quarter of the population.
The same is true for Aid – which is nothing more than a form of restitution from the 1st World to Africa to appease some sort of ancient guilt. Yet all it really achieves is nothing more than a warped sort of reward system to the Mugabe’s of the world for trashing their once vibrant countries and economies. The people get something to live off, and Mugabe gets credit. How bloody ironic!
The lesson here is that this problem is the same as the cry for Zimbos to “stand up and take what they deserve”. Easier said than done! I know I cannot stop supporting my family back home, and my other contributions to Zim Old Age Pensioner Support organizations.
But I should, shouldn’t I? Because every cent that flows inward is, in essence Forex, “earned†by Zimbabwe. If I stood back dispassionately and viewed the whole instead of the individuals involved, I would not be sending assistance!
What a pickle…
January 18th, 2009 22:25
I think Zimbabwe has lack of food source so that is why they can’t have medical insurence and besides I their stupid president, Mugabe, why do people even want to vote for him again, since he is so bad making people starve and do not let people help their sociaty