As I explained in my previous letter, a correspondent who wants to get the feel of the country travels quietly around the country.
Don’t wear a press jacket. Ask questions. Then whenever opportunity arises, retire into a toilet and jot down some notes-to be expanded at night when safely at home.
So, I sneaked into the country quietly during the festive season.
Zimbabweans are generally garrulous, and the Christmas season would have made them even more so; but I found a certain reserve everywhere.
The burning issues were around the constitutional amendments and a certain liberation hero, namely Blessed Geza and another man carrying the title of Gudo Guru.
Jonathan Moyo entered the debate later.
In summary, Zanu PF leadership, in its wisdom, has decided to extend its tenure in parliament from five to seven years.
Secondly, the president will appoint ten (unelected cronies) to the senate. Thirdly, the president will appoint judges-again, presumably his cronies or party stooges.
Fourthly, the seating members, through a two-thirds vote in a stooge parliament, will pass these far-reaching amendments and benefit themselves.
I will not take the usual arguments against these arguments-except to challenge one suggestion made by Moyo.
Moyo argues that the people of Zimbabwe will benefit from these changes because they remove the “toxicity” that is embedded in the forever election mood caused by a five-year cycle of elections.
Zimbabweans will share cold comfort by realising that Zanu PF’s behavior is natural to all political parties.
Allow me to share my US experience. What has brought about toxic politics, to the extent of almost destroying the US Republic can be traced to Barak Obama (2008-2016) and Joe Biden (2021-2024).
Wishing to make the Democratic Party the natural ruling party, these leaders opened voters roll to every Jim and Jack, whether they were citizens or not. In some states, same day registration and voting on election day is legal.
Asking whether such a person (or a student in college cities) is a citizen is considered racist and punishable by jailtime. In the four Biden years, Republicans opened borders to allow 30 million immigrants.
Democrats, however, concede that the number could be 18 million. These immigrants were directed towards eleven states considered swing states, Florida, Texas and Wisconsin to name only a few.
The desire, by Zanu PF to create a situation in which it becomes the natural ruling party (forever and a day) is the root cause of toxicity.
The prostitute mentions a climate of stability in 34 Commonwealth Countries-South Africa, Canada and Australia, to mention a few.
The stability in those countries can be attributed to the fact that the electorate is able to swing its love from one party to another at will.
Zimbabwe’s toxicity is worsened by the fact that Zanu PF leaders openly declare that the opposition parties are wasting their time.
This is supported by the military-General Vitalis Zvinavashe (2002) issued this declaration. “The army will not salute a person outside the liberation struggle.”
This declaration is further strengthened by the presence of stooge opposition parties, such as one led by Sengezo Tshabangu.
There is more. Blessed Mhlanga (February 17) a Zimbabwe journalist told a story of persecution at Geneva inter-parliamentary convention last week.
He had just been released from a dirty jail-house, in which he had been incarcerated for 73 days. At one time, the judge canceled a hearing. At another time, the crime document was missing. And yet for a third time, there was “something” (there was always something) to interfere with a court hearing.
Keeping a citizen (he voluntarily reported to the police) in a jailhouse contradicts the terms of the constitution. Any citizen, accused of a non-violent crime, who poses no danger of escaping, should be allowed bail.
Members of the inter-parliamentary assembly wept-when they heard his story.
The story of Job Sihkala, before the same Geneva conference drew similar responses. Sihkala had been in a jailhouse for more than 595 days, had stood before judges 70 times, but at no time was he ever found guilty of anything.
I am convinced that no government, at this time in history, has found a proper response to YouTube or social media.
The broadcasting of such activities is what creates a toxic environment.
Today’s social media outpaces the public media by ten times and can reach faraway places formerly unreachable by newspapers.
As I travelled, I became aware of a certain cloudy countenance over the faces of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Give the devil his due, a lot of economic growth has taken place over the last five years. A lot of people have made “pots of money.” But there are two issues which bedevil Zimbabweans.
There is a mood of uncertainty-a bad feeling the Scots fall “fey”-an expectation before a storm.
My shoe maker would look around before he spoke, and if a stranger passed by, he whispered or kept silent until the stranger passed.
Zanu PF can do whatever it wants. But, I felt that the garrulous Brother Paul Tungwarara is taking the silence and ululations of his audiences for agreement.
Zimbabweans are treacherous. Just before the 2017 coup, Sister Grace Mugabe breathed fire and brimstone, making herself to be a great one.
A personal testament.
Before leaving the US, I got two telephones, one from an Apostolic bishop.
“Ken, have you bought your ticket?” he asked.
I could hear his breathing. And he paused. There are times when messages are transmitted without words.
“Yes Sir!” I said. Pause. Heavy breathing.
“Ken, masamba asiyana kuno!” The Bishop said. A minute seemed like a long period. “I am supposed to attend Ibbo Mandaza’s meeting on Tuesday!” I replied.
“Did you hear what I said?” The Bishop repeated himself.
Two days later, I heard that Mandaza’s conference center had been fire-bombed.
I have nightmares. I still hear the Bishop’s words in my sleep.