While we welcome President Robert Mugabe’s calls for more effort towards convincing apostolic sects, in particular, to send their children to school and access modern medical care, we do not buy into his manufactured claims of failure.
Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe and the iconic pictures of him clad in the sect’s regalia a few years ago and pleading for their votes remain etched in the hearts and minds of Zimbabweans. He can do better than persuade only “mutumwa wekwaMarange” to send his children to school.
Hundreds, if not thousands of the sect’s children unnecessarily die of malaria, the six killer diseases and other tropical ailments in Zimbabwe every year. These are diseases that have long been consigned to history books elsewhere in the world.
Yet the country’s number one citizen wants us to believe that he is powerless to, at the very least, issue an order that could save the lives of those defenceless children.
There are reports of rampant child marriages among these sects that have become fishing ponds for Mugabe and his Zanu PF party during election time, hence he has entangled himself in a web between the proverbial rock and hard place.
He cannot dare antagonise these people lest he loses substantial votes. He would rather have these children die and be sacrificed all on the altar of political expediency.
Really, Mr President?
We all know that Mugabe and his administration can use and abuse State apparatus when it suits them most for power retention. Anything to retain power, but not to save lives, right?
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Kudos to child president Samuel Nyarenda for taking no prisoners. “Religion must never be used as an excuse for camouflaging criminals. We are tired of criminals hiding behind religion and ignorance while we watch,” he said.
This coming from a teenager should have made Mugabe cringe with shame. It is the kind of language one would expect from the country’s First Citizen. But alas, held hostage by the politics of succession and power retention, we have a quivering and cowering leader who cannot condemn criminality even if it were to hit him square in the face.
Compare this with: “It is not always easy to persuade people that to go without education is disastrous for their lives when they have their Bible, tenets and principles of their religious group.”
It is a naked illustration of the failure of leadership that has brought our beloved motherland to its knees. If anyone had asked Mugabe to speak on the so-called Western sanctions, or political opposition and those accused of trying to take away his “throne”, then we would have seen him in vintage style telling all who care to listen “ndinokudashura namai Bona”.
Can we not have him using the same intensity and force when it comes to social issues that protect the very people who sustain his throne on a daily basis through their blood, sweat and tears. It is the least Zimbabweans can expect from you Mr President.
