Good day Mr President: By Fadzayi Mahere
DEAR President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Your Excellency, at the start of this year, the people’s president, Nelson Chamisa presented our Zimbabwe Agenda 2021 address in which he announced our big idea for 2021 — namely that we would create a platform around which citizens all over Zimbabwe would converge for change.
Your Excellency, we are heartened by the momentum that the citizens have generated around this idea and the rate at which the masses in all corners of the country are galvanising around it.
What distinguishes this idea from the zero-sum politics of your party is that it creates space for citizens all over the nation to participate in building a Zimbabwe of which we can all be proud of, that serves many and not a select few.
The inspiration behind our convergence model is the fact that Zimbabweans are facing worsening poverty, chronic unemployment, an acute public transport disaster, eroded wages, skyrocketing prices, poor public health delivery, an education crisis and a complete breakdown of the social contract.
Your Excellency, it is urgent that we come together because the people have been left behind as the political elite in your political outfit, Zanu PF, places its selfish interests and its insatiable appetite to loot the nation of its resources ahead of the plight of the masses.
Unlike your murderous, violent and corrupt regime, we have chosen to stand with the people and champion their cause under our people’s agenda.
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Your Excellency, there can be no government of the people without the people. The people must be at the centre of all policy decisions and governance.
In this light, we are pushing a reform agenda that calls for fundamental political and economic reforms and a return to legitimacy and democracy.
Deep systemic reforms are our best foot forward in ensuring that we have an undisputed, free, fair and verifiable election in 2023.
Our electoral reform agenda, in particular, will be the focus of our advocacy as we advocate for an election that complies with basic Sadc guidelines and good practice.
Our principles for reliable and inclusive elections in Zimbabwe set out in clear terms the basic minimum standard we expect to be upheld to ensure a free and fair election.
We have also put forward a governance agenda which proposes alternative policies that will drive economic growth and prosperity for all.
Our global advocacy agenda, for its part, saw us inter alia travelling to Zambia to witness the historic victory for the UPND, our sister party from which we draw huge inspiration. Zambia did it.
We are sure to do it too in 2023.
Your Excellency, when all is said and done, your regime is in panic mode and you have every reason to be because your days are numbered.
To be sure, in line with our broad alliance agenda, a broad alliance of citizens is forming in both urban and rural areas throughout all provinces to win Zimbabwe for change.
No attempt to hijack the people’s big idea, whose time has come, will succeed.
Young people are registering to vote en masse to take us to our six million voter target.
Your Excellency, we have witnessed an unprecedented attempt to decapitate the main opposition by your Zanu PF party and its proxies.
We expect more — the use of puppet political parties, the violation of democratic freedoms and the abuse of the legal system.
Yet, we remain unshaken. You thought you had destroyed us but you have only succeeded in making us stronger as we embed ourselves in the cause of the people and the aspiration of a better Zimbabwe that serves the people.
At the appropriate time, we will unveil the new name of our party.
And there will be no confusion became the people know who their leaders are.
