Tough Choices in 2018
My decision not to contest in 2018 has been met with a lot of mixed feelings and naturally some disgruntlement and departure by a few members of our party. It was something expected when people hopes are dashed, i wish i could perform miracles, that way everything I wished for would go according to plan. The good thing though is most are in for the long haul which is very motivating and encouraging.
In some instances I was even called a coward and told I do not know anything about Zimbabwe politics just because of the difficult choice I made after my field assessment of the political terrain and economic conditions in Zimbabwe. With current poor economic conditions our political environment is very ripe for vote buying and if truth be told the better resourced participants will be the winners in 2018 elections, be it Councillor, MP or Presidential candidates.
What I have learnt since accepting the interim role to lead Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe Party is most people join political parties expecting the party to somehow get a windfall of donations to fund the party's activities. In some cases I suspect a few presumed that as a person who is linked to a prominent name in history i must have some serious wealthy connections out there that would offer our party the financial resources to implement its vision, mission, principles and values.
Sadly I am just an ordinary citizen who is also struggling in my own corner and who works hard to make a living just like everybody else.
When my father's generation left Rhodesia and went into exile, they too did not willingly just leave the country but were forced by circumstances beyond their control. Some of them used the opportunity to pursue higher education, whilst others sought work to send money back to feed their families and fund the liberation struggle.
The liberation movements were fortunate to have sympathetic partners from China, Cuba, Libya, Zambia, Mozambique and many others to train their fighters and technocrats in preparation for an independent majority ruled nation that they were all committed to working to accomplish.
Today new political parties and leaders are facing a completely different enemy which appears in all kinds of deceiving forms. the game of chess has become a reality with the same pieces (leaders) being used to play the game. Perhaps our only hope for this game to end is for those pieces to ware out and be thrown away into the dustbins of history.
Yes i am talking about corruption, entitlement, hero worshiping, recycling, prosperity gospel preachers which have all become variations of dictatorship that some seem to be happy to continue entertaining.
The truth is not all of us will cross the finish line in the time that we expect or is expected of us. That said it should not be reason to stop believing in what we have set out to achieve. Some struggles take a few years, some are accomplished over-night but in truth our struggles as human are a life time experience.
Today we have people who want to dismiss Zimbabweans coming from the Diaspora and offering to serve our country, yet they seem to not know our history, that some of our past and current leaders also came from the Diaspora to serve their country. Is it now wrong for any citizen to leave the country seek ways to fully unleash their potential? Don't those citizens deserve equal recognition as they also made sacrifices in order to empower themselves with knowledge and skills that have the potential to contribute to a more progressive society?
I am yet to come across someone or an entity that was formed and they started big. Kumhanya hakuzi kusvika, ukugijima kayiskho ukufika.
There is an African Proverb saying "if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together". I will expand on that and say but don't just go with individuals who keep bringing you down, always explore different routes and you will be exposed to new learning experiences.
We cannot expect to do important things in a short period of time. We must do what we can and leave room for others to continue where we left off until its Uhuru.
