Zviripai |
Zimbabweans who have fled economic hardship and political
problems to fend for their families in South Africa have lost interest in the
affairs of their country.
They did not care who was sacked by President Robert Mugabe
or who was appointed to his newly reshuffled Cabinet, saying their country’s
woes required economic policies that would ease the hardships faced by their
families back home.
Zimbabwean Chenjerai-Patson Muzvidziwa said: “I am sick and
tired of the Zimbabwean question. What matters now for my wife and me is how to
ensure that our children go to school and get them food, clothes and proper
healthcare.
"Otherwise, the issue of who is reshuffled, expelled
or appointed in Zimbabwe is no longer any of my business.”
Muzvidziwa said he used to follow developments back home
with keen interest in 2008, when South Africa’s then president Thabo Mbeki
attempted to mediate in the Zimbabwean crisis.
At the time, Mbeki’s efforts led to the September 2008
government of national unity between Mugabe and his arch-rival, Morgan
Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
Although it was short-lived, the settlement temporarily
boosted Zimbabwe’s economic stability with new investments.
The quality of life for its citizens also improved –
out-of-stock hospitals got the drugs they needed; safe water could be found in
most communities; and supermarkets were full of commodities.
Compared with the current acute shortages of basic
commodities and cash, it was a golden era.
“Since Mbeki left government, I also lost hope,” Muzvidziwa
said.
“I am just praying that South Africa’s department of home
affairs gives me and my family permanent residence in this country so that I
completely disown Zimbabwe.”
During the interview, Muzvidziwa was sending groceries to
his home town of Masvingo through the “malayishas”, an informal courier
service.
Zimbabwean Farai Ncube, originally from Binga, a district
in Matabeleland North, said he was selling items in Braamfontein to generate
money for his parents back home.
“I send the money using malayishas. I cannot send it
through formal means as I do not have documentation,” he said.
A significant portion of the population in Ncube’s home
province relies on goods and remittances sent by family members outside of the
country, mainly from South Africa.
Onisimo Zviripai, who works for one of the bus companies
plying the Harare-Johannesburg route, was also unconcerned about the Cabinet
reshuffle and other political problems.
“At least I don’t commit a crime or steal from other people
but eat from my sweat,” he said.
Advocate Gabriel Shumba, the executive director of civic
organisation the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, said: “Very clearly, the reshuffle is a
political and secessionist manoeuvre that has neither the current economic
interests of Zimbabwe nor its long-term future [at heart].
“A cause for serious concern is the new ministry of cyber
security. In the execution of whatever mandate will be accorded, it is likely
to clash with some provisions of our Constitution.”
Shumba said Zimbabweans were more concerned about
bread-and-butter, as well as developmental, issues that were sacrificed at the
altar of political expedience and personal aggrandisement, adding:
“The country needs to reinvent and re-articulate its vision.”
Ngqabutho Mabhena, the Johannesburg-based general secretary
of the Zimbabwe Communist Party, lamented the appointment of the ministers of
scholarships and of of cyber security, arguing that they should have been
absorbed into existing ministries.
“Unfortunately, without a clear economic and political
programme, this Cabinet reshuffle is meaningless as it will not address our
economic, social and political challenges,” Mabhena said.
He said the need for a new leadership that would unite the
polarised and distressed nation was the biggest challenge facing Zimbabwe,
along with the looting of resources by the “parasitic bourgeoisie”.
Luke Dzipange Zunga, secretary general of the Zimbabwean
Civil Society Organisations, said while Mugabe had the liberty to change his
Cabinet, the reshuffle confirmed that Zimbabwe was not run by Parliament or
central government.
Instead, it was run via intelligence operatives.
Zunga said following the reshuffle and the elective
congress, Mnangagwa risked being arrested to sideline him from presidential
contention.
He further predicted that the 2018 elections would see
poverty-stricken villagers frog-marched to the polls to vote for the ruling
Zanu-PF party.
Zunga went on to forecast that after those elections –
which Mugabe would win if such machinations worked – he would install Defence
Minister Sydney Sekeramayi as his successor and Grace as the deputy, while
another deputy would come from the former Zapu party, in accordance with the
1987 Unity Accord it signed with Zanu-PF. – CAJ News
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