Fellow Zimbabweans,
When we began this journey 22 years ago, I was a young
college student alongside my contemporaries. I was part of a generation of
college students that joined veteran trade unionists, powerful women in the
women’s movement, war veterans, civic and church leaders, among others, who
believed that the way Zimbabwe was being governed needed serious
transformation.
We believed that the system over which ZANU PF presided was
only serving a minority of elites who occupied vantage positions within and
around the state, while most Zimbabweans were condemned to suffering. It was
plain that the future was bleak unless progressive Zimbabweans intervened to
change the course. That is why we championed the message of change.
Looking back those days seem like a long time ago. A new
generation has emerged since that time. Babies born in 1999 are now adults.
They have lived their formative years in very difficult circumstances. Times
were different back in 1999, but I remember the energy and passion of every
cadre as if it were yesterday. The idea that was sown in our hearts and minds
has no expiry date.
To be sure, the journey has been gruelling. But I was never
under any illusion that it would be easy. We have lost thousands of cadres
along the way, including our founding father, Morgan Tsvangirai who departed in
February 2018. I was privileged to have a special relationship with him and
from him, I learned a lot under his leadership and guidance. The most painful
losses have been those suffered at the hands of the state, through violence. We
cannot betray the memory of these dearly departed cadres. We must honour their
dreams and aspirations for a better Zimbabwe, otherwise, they would have died
in vain. This is why I have never veered from the course that was set in 1999.
I look back and realize that I have spent more than half of
my life chasing the vision that was designed and shaped by those courageous men
and women who gathered in 1999 to form the Movement for Democratic Change. The
greatness of the idea has not diminished with time, no. It has been
strengthened. Those men and women understood that the fundamental weaknesses at
the heart of government needed not only new leaders but also a fresh set of
ideas and ways of doing things. We remain committed to that vision.
One of the things that please me a lot is seeing a younger
generation coming up and carrying the torch in politics. This is how strong
institutions grow and I want to pay special tribute to the young people of
Zimbabwe whose political consciousness is growing.
The journey has had seminal moments, some positive, and
others negative. Both types have been important learning experiences. Some of
these challenges have been read as representing existential threats to the
organization, but we overcame them. We survived the loss of our founding father
by going on to amass the largest electoral votes in the history of the
opposition and had we not been cheated; we would have prevailed.
It is a testament to the strength of the idea, the abiding
loyalty of the people to the cause, and the abundance of their political wisdom
that the party has withstood severe tests. Even when we have been written off
by our doubters, we have shown our mettle and surprised them, disappointing
rivals along the way.
Many of you have seen what has happened in the past year.
Our rivals have used multiple tricks in the dictators’ handbook, in a
calculated and relentless effort to undermine our party. Using apparatuses of
the state, and under the cover of what has been described as lawfare, they have
robbed us of our legislators, councillors, and funds that were due to us under
the law. In a direct subversion of democracy, they have even catapulted into
Parliament undeserving individuals whom you as voters rejected in the last
election. The assault upon democracy has been vicious, but we are undaunted.
As a party, we know that the purpose of these strategies is
not just to undermine us, but it is also intended to obliterate us from the
political landscape. ZANU PF has never been comfortable with strong opposition.
They aim to build an opposition that they control. This is the sole purpose of
the project that they have moulded with our erstwhile colleagues. These were
deliberate acts of provocation, designed to lure us into conduct that would
justify violent repression during the pandemic. We have remained calm and
resolute, not because we are unable to respond, but because we know the game
they are playing. We also remain true to our founding principle: we are committed
to achieving change through peaceful and non-violent means.
We have remained composed because we are confident that
progressive fellow Zimbabweans are solidly behind us. We know this because of
all the love, support, and encouragement that they have shown us during these
testing times. We trust the gift of discernment that is given to Zimbabweans,
which enables them to distinguish between right and wrong. They can tell when a
bully is abusing power and they know how to punish this abusive behaviour, which
punishment will be exacted through the ballot box.
Significantly, Zimbabweans can tell the difference between
genuine opposition that is challenging repression and enablers who are aiding
and abetting repression. This is not the first time that the people of Zimbabwe
have encountered this situation. During the last days of colonialism, the Smith
regime tried to hoodwink people by promoting people like Bishop Abel Muzorewa,
ahead of the true nationalists who were fighting repression. Smith preferred the
likes of Muzorewa because they were lackeys who would do his bidding while
Muzorewa and others were eager to join the gravy train to serve their
interests. However, the people of Zimbabwe saw through this elaborate ruse and
rejected it.
This may have happened over 40 years ago, but history has
an uncanny habit of repeating itself. Zimbabweans can tell who is genuine and
who is not, by the way, the ZANU PF regime treats them. They can distinguish
between the true and fake opposition by the way the repressive regime deals
with them. ZANU PF’s preference for its surrogate at the expense of the MDC
Alliance is an obvious giveaway. They will gang up against us, throwing
brickbats at us from their unholy alliance. We are not moved, and we remain
resolute and focused.We are even more emboldened.We are stronger and more
resilient.
I shall be communicating with Zimbabweans more regularly
this year, sharing our agenda and programs. There is so much to do and a lot of
energy and commitment to do it. Unfortunately, we are in the middle of a deadly
second wave of the COVID19 pandemic. Common sense behoves us to treat the
pandemic with an extraordinary sense of vigilance and in this regard, to do
everything necessary to keep it at bay. This means we have had to suspend most
of our programs. It can’t be business as usual. The lives of all Zimbabweans
matter.
Let us continue to pray that things get better for us and
the rest of the world. We want to work with everyone to ensure that we get the
vaccines and other support that we need to safeguard our communities. I know
that the lockdown is extremely hard for many people. Ours is now largely an
informal economy and when people are stopped from working, they have no means
of earning income. If it were up to us, we would have offered more creative
ways to support people during this difficult time.
We would also have done more to support our frontline
workers in the healthcare sector who are in harm’s way as they carry out an
important national duty. The billions that are lost through corruption and
patronage can go a long way to support our healthcare sector which was already
in bad shape long before the pandemic. Our people are paying the price of high
level incompetence over the years.
I wish to conclude by reassuring you that your party, the
MDC Alliance, remains solid, undaunted, and emboldened. I would like to thank
you for your continued support and encouragement even as we have been attacked
from all directions by the regime and its enablers. These enablers will present
themselves as the opposition’s opposition. You know that they are not genuinely
the alternative. You know that they have relied on the abuse of state
institutions to steal from us – your MPs, councillors, money, and party
property – and in doing so, they have undermined trust in politics.
But you also know that there are some things that the
repressive state and its surrogates can neither command nor steal: your loyalty
and support. They cannot force you to support what you disagree with. They
cannot command you to divert your loyalties. I am personally humbled by the
knowledge that you have trusted us with these precious gifts, and I
re-emphasize my commitment to honour and respect them. Do not be perturbed by
the fog they have created because it will soon clear.
We will win Zimbabwe for change.
We shall overcome!
God bless you.
God bless Zimbabwe.
God bless Africa.
Sincerely,
Nelson Chamisa
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