…Hopes for better health, jobs, schools, compensation
By Vusumuzi Sifile and Bertha Shoko
THE Marxist revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, once said: “Against brute force and injustice, the people will have the last word, that of victory.”
Che's words, once described by Nelson Mandela as "an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom" appear to be coming true for Zimbabweans after Zanu PF's 28-year stranglehold on power was broken last week.
Though President Robert Mugabe remains in State House, waiting for a run-off, Zimbabweans already have high expectations that a new Zimbabwe has been born.
In bars, churches, workplaces, markets and homes, people from all strata of society are talking enthusiastically about what a new Zimbabwe will be like.
At Market Square bus terminus in Harare , on the day the final House of Assembly results were announced, Clever Manhanga, a commuter asked why commuter omnibus operators were still charging high fares when Zanu PF was out of power.
“We thought once Zanu PF was out of power, all things would be back to normal, but so far, there are no signs this will happen,” Manhanga said.
Others felt nostalgia for the good old days when Zimbabwe had been newly-liberated from colonialism.
Mathias Thohana, who trained at the University of Zimbabwe as an accountant years ago, recalled how he managed to send his two brothers and a sister to school on his college payout between 1995 and 2000.
“Life was good back then. I remember I asked my mother to stop cross border trading as soon as I started college,” Thohana said.
“She was having problems with her legs, after carrying heavy loads, for a long time, for resale across the border. But with just my university payout I was able to provide for the whole family. But now it's a different story.”
Thohana says in the new Zimbabwe he wants undergraduate students to have that dignity restored, to be able to provide for themselves and even for their siblings.
“Nowadays college students go begging from one relative to another because they cannot take care of themselves. These people are supposed to be future directors and chief executive officers of companies.
“Female students are now forced to resort to prostitution or high-risk relationships with older men to take care of themselves.”
The secretary general of the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) Lovemore Chinoputsa said although they were pleased the MDC had won the House of Assembly elections, they were “not celebrating yet”. ZINASU is a key MDC ally.
“We have celebrated but we will not be overwhelmed by the win. This is the time to ensure that the promises made are fulfilled,” he said.
“We will continue as a watchdog to the new government. We need to play a proactive role in rebuilding, reconstruction and reconciliation. The education sector is currently dilapidated and there is an urgent need to revamp it. We need all the students expelled on political grounds back in school.”
Like Thohana, Chinoputsa said they expected the new government to “prioritise” the welfare of all students, particularly those at tertiary institutions who have lost dignity because of their poor lifestyles.
Qhubekani Dube, a survivor of Gukurahundi, said he wanted Mugabe tried for ordering the death of innocent civilians in the early eighties.
Dube said:” We definitely want Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Sydney Sekeramayi and Enos Nkala to be tried. We also want everybody who was involved in Gukurahundi named, so that we know who was responsible for what.
“We basically want the truth established first then we can talk about compensation for survivors like myself. The culture of impunity must be broken in Zimbabwe . Everyone should be held accountable for their actions.”
Dube says he lost many relatives during Gukurahundi. Mugabe has said the disturbances were an “act of madness”.
Enia Muzambara of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a victim of police brutality, said in the new Zimbabwe she wanted members of the uniformed forces tried for human rights abuses.
“I know the people in the police force who beat me up. It’s a pity they did not kill me because when the right time comes I will fearlessly point them out. They must be tried. They must rot in prison.”
On the health delivery system, Nyasha Nyamaropa from Hatfield said the new government must prioritise the provision of free or affordable Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for those with HIV and Aids.
Nyamaropa said there must an urgency to revamp of the entire health sector with special focus on improved child and maternal and affordable specialist care.
“We do not want to travel to South Africa for specialist care or pay high bills for it in the private sector,” Nyamaropa said.
“Some kidney patients are dying because they cannot afford haemodialysis in the private sector. I am hopeful that the new government can deliver this.”
Ruth Nziramasanga, 78, a former teacher, said she hoped the new government would introduce “money that is not difficult to count”. She said counting many bearer cheques makes her “dizzy”.
She said: "Each time I go to buy something these high denominations confuse me and I always have to be assisted by till operators. Do you know I managed to send my four children, who are now in the United Kingdom , to boarding school on a teacher's salary? Today teachers sell maputi at school.”
But Brian Kagoro, a political commentator and lawyer, said he believed it was too early for people to expect things to change.
“There is an expectation that opposition forces are now moving from opposition to proposition,” Kagoro said. “The type of leadership required to change a regime and the type of leadership required to transform an economy are different … We are on the verge of either a proper transition or a failed transition.”
Ends//
Che's words, once described by Nelson Mandela as "an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom" appear to be coming true for Zimbabweans after Zanu PF's 28-year stranglehold on power was broken last week.
Though President Robert Mugabe remains in State House, waiting for a run-off, Zimbabweans already have high expectations that a new Zimbabwe has been born.
In bars, churches, workplaces, markets and homes, people from all strata of society are talking enthusiastically about what a new Zimbabwe will be like.
At Market Square bus terminus in Harare , on the day the final House of Assembly results were announced, Clever Manhanga, a commuter asked why commuter omnibus operators were still charging high fares when Zanu PF was out of power.
“We thought once Zanu PF was out of power, all things would be back to normal, but so far, there are no signs this will happen,” Manhanga said.
Others felt nostalgia for the good old days when Zimbabwe had been newly-liberated from colonialism.
Mathias Thohana, who trained at the University of Zimbabwe as an accountant years ago, recalled how he managed to send his two brothers and a sister to school on his college payout between 1995 and 2000.
“Life was good back then. I remember I asked my mother to stop cross border trading as soon as I started college,” Thohana said.
“She was having problems with her legs, after carrying heavy loads, for a long time, for resale across the border. But with just my university payout I was able to provide for the whole family. But now it's a different story.”
Thohana says in the new Zimbabwe he wants undergraduate students to have that dignity restored, to be able to provide for themselves and even for their siblings.
“Nowadays college students go begging from one relative to another because they cannot take care of themselves. These people are supposed to be future directors and chief executive officers of companies.
“Female students are now forced to resort to prostitution or high-risk relationships with older men to take care of themselves.”
The secretary general of the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) Lovemore Chinoputsa said although they were pleased the MDC had won the House of Assembly elections, they were “not celebrating yet”. ZINASU is a key MDC ally.
“We have celebrated but we will not be overwhelmed by the win. This is the time to ensure that the promises made are fulfilled,” he said.
“We will continue as a watchdog to the new government. We need to play a proactive role in rebuilding, reconstruction and reconciliation. The education sector is currently dilapidated and there is an urgent need to revamp it. We need all the students expelled on political grounds back in school.”
Like Thohana, Chinoputsa said they expected the new government to “prioritise” the welfare of all students, particularly those at tertiary institutions who have lost dignity because of their poor lifestyles.
Qhubekani Dube, a survivor of Gukurahundi, said he wanted Mugabe tried for ordering the death of innocent civilians in the early eighties.
Dube said:” We definitely want Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Sydney Sekeramayi and Enos Nkala to be tried. We also want everybody who was involved in Gukurahundi named, so that we know who was responsible for what.
“We basically want the truth established first then we can talk about compensation for survivors like myself. The culture of impunity must be broken in Zimbabwe . Everyone should be held accountable for their actions.”
Dube says he lost many relatives during Gukurahundi. Mugabe has said the disturbances were an “act of madness”.
Enia Muzambara of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), a victim of police brutality, said in the new Zimbabwe she wanted members of the uniformed forces tried for human rights abuses.
“I know the people in the police force who beat me up. It’s a pity they did not kill me because when the right time comes I will fearlessly point them out. They must be tried. They must rot in prison.”
On the health delivery system, Nyasha Nyamaropa from Hatfield said the new government must prioritise the provision of free or affordable Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for those with HIV and Aids.
Nyamaropa said there must an urgency to revamp of the entire health sector with special focus on improved child and maternal and affordable specialist care.
“We do not want to travel to South Africa for specialist care or pay high bills for it in the private sector,” Nyamaropa said.
“Some kidney patients are dying because they cannot afford haemodialysis in the private sector. I am hopeful that the new government can deliver this.”
Ruth Nziramasanga, 78, a former teacher, said she hoped the new government would introduce “money that is not difficult to count”. She said counting many bearer cheques makes her “dizzy”.
She said: "Each time I go to buy something these high denominations confuse me and I always have to be assisted by till operators. Do you know I managed to send my four children, who are now in the United Kingdom , to boarding school on a teacher's salary? Today teachers sell maputi at school.”
But Brian Kagoro, a political commentator and lawyer, said he believed it was too early for people to expect things to change.
“There is an expectation that opposition forces are now moving from opposition to proposition,” Kagoro said. “The type of leadership required to change a regime and the type of leadership required to transform an economy are different … We are on the verge of either a proper transition or a failed transition.”
Ends//
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