Freedom and Justice through a united people

I guess everyone has been taken by the wave of people change taking place in North Africa. It is not easy to keep telling people that western sanctions and policies are affecting service delivery and the creation of employment opportunities when you as a leader are busy glob trotting and selling the country’s raw materials for personal benefit and to bribe senior officials responsible for law and order into supporting biased and unfair policies that only benefit a few in society closely linked to the leadership and a particular political party. I’m not sure anymore what type of world people want to live in, but it seems some are happy to see these long serving leaders enrich themselves and commit acts of violence against their own in the name of freedom and empowerment.

The Egypt and Tunisian public protests have probably taken world leaders by surprise. The already struggling global economy may face renewed recovery challenges as the price of oil ($90/Barrel) is pushed up by this uncertainty surrounding the out-come of the very unstable oil producing regions. As we watch men and women across the Arab world demonstrate for freedom and basic rights, we must point out that these matters are no less urgent in Zimbabwe and many other African countries where leaders have refused to accept the outcome of elections.

What further baffles and infuriates me is the selective application of law enforcement. In 1998 during the election campaign run leading to elections so many supporters of the opposition movement for democratic change were murdered by ZANU PF militia and youth but none were arrested and charged for the crimes committed. Violence, aimed at opposition members, civil society actors and the population in general, has continued to escalate in varying amounts with the most recent one being the arrest of 68 Activists alleged to have been planning to topple the Zimbabwean government through protest action incited by the Egyptian peace protests.

Looking at the two scenario’s, the foiled alleged peace protest (2011) and the bloody election violence of (1998) leading murders of hundreds of innocent supporters, who should be in prison? Where then do we draw the line to freedom of expression? What then should people do if their election requests have not been met and their views acknowledged by  leadership?