Life for the ordinary Zimbabwean is getting progressively worse with ED at the helm

Ordinary Zimbabweans experienced one of the bleakest Christmas periods this year since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. Commodities like coca-cola that were once a staple for many households during the festive period were sourly lacking this year. Added to that long fuel ques could be seen with people spending hours in the ques trying to get fuel. All these shortages have been blamed on the shortages of foreign currency that the country has been experiencing.

What I don't get though is that ED continues to make decisions that are detrimental to the country starting with the decision to have the Motlanthe Commission of Enquiry, investigating the 1 August shootings. If this commission of enquiry had led to arrests and compensations it would have been welcome but instead the commission found out what people already knew with regards to the army being responsible for shooting 6 civilians death and on top of that this commission was paid a staggering $US1.15m in total to come up with their deductions. Not only did this commission waste people's time and waste the country's money but no one was brought to account for the murders that were perpetrated by the army. Instead we were told that disciplinary measures would be conducted internally by the army and to add insult to injury the commander in charge of these murderers was promoted by President Mnangagwa. Given that the government had to set up a GoFundMe page to help combat cholera I'm disgusted that they were able to come up with the money to pay for a sham enquiry that yielded nothing that would benefit the families of the bereaved and the nation at large.

One of ED's mantra's during his presidential campaign was that there would be better health care under his leadership. Well clearly that was not true as hospitals are ill equipped and the doctors are not being paid a fair wage. At least 500 doctors were recently suspended for asking for a better wage. It amazes me that the government would rather suspend the doctors instead of paying them especially after forking out the $US1.15m to the Motlanthe Commission of Enquiry. The domino effect of these suspensions have led to patients being turned away from Parirenyatwa hospital as there are not enough doctors to treat patients. Whilst ED and his people are prioritising inconsequential things, people are dying due to lack of medical care...but then again what do they care because they can always jet out of the country if they need medical care.

ED and his people talk a lot about all the improvements that they are bringing to the country and all the investments that are coming in but the reality is far from this. There are no jobs, there is no adequate food, there is a clean water crisis, the hospitals are ill equipped...in a nutshell most Zimbabweans who are not benefitting from the chaos that ED has brought are very unhappy.

How is Zimbabwe faring a year after the 'coup' with ED at the helm?

On the 24th of November last year the people of Zimbabwe celebrated what they thought was the end of tyranny in Zimbabwe but after almost a year of President Mnangagwa's reign it's sad and heart breaking to acknowledge that tyranny is very much alive and thriving in the country.

It has been a year filled with disappointment after disappointment as the promises that President Mnangagwa made on his inauguration have fallen way short of the mark. We had a cholera outbreak this year that killed at least 50 people and what makes this situation so heart breaking is that these deaths could have been avoided if the government had prioritised the needs of the people by providing safe, clean drinking water and better sanitation services. To top it off the government started to crowd fund because they didn't have enough money to help eradicate this disease which is ironic because the government had enough money to hire a private plane to pick up Grace Mugabe from Singapore so that she could attend her mother's funeral. President Mnangagwa pledged that he would be a President to all Zimbabweans but his actions and those of his government have proved otherwise. The health service in Zimbabwe is so crippled that those in government don't even trust themselves into its care. It is hypocritical that Vice President Chiwenga had to jet off to South Africa to receive private medical care especially after ED pledged that there would be improved health care under his government. I take it that he was paying us lip service and that his VP knows better that that pledge was a lie.

In February and August of this year we had numerous deaths at the hands of the police and the security services, when they fired live rounds of ammunition into crowds of people. In February when people were shot the police Commissioner said that they were investigating but nine months later we are still waiting for the policeman who did the shooting to be brought to justice. We are also still waiting for the perpetrators of the August shootings to be brought to justice whilst in the meantime contending with the farce of the Commission of Enquiry that was put in place to discover why the shootings happened. Does it take a Commission of Enquiry to know who did the shooting when there were numerous photos and videos of people captured whist the army was running rampant in the city shooting people? Over the year of his reign ED has been proving that he is not concerned with the welfare of the lives of the ordinary Zimbabweans and will do whatever is necessary in order to remain in power just as his predecessor President Mugabe did.

President Mnangagwa also pledged to stamp out corruption in his government but to date no one has been brought to justice. We have had a few ex-ministers who were arrested but like everything else that ED and his government do those convictions came to nothing. On the other hand we have had numerous people who have been arrested for undermining the authority of the President and in my view it appears as if ED is more interested in his reputation as opposed to actually running the country in a way that will bring a real change in Zimbabwe that will benefit all Zimbabweans.

To conclude I just want to point out that ordinary Zimbabweans are worse off today than they were a year ago as prices have escalated to such an extent that many people are failing to feed themselves and their families. Everything seems to be falling apart in Zimbabwe from the roads to the care in the hospitals, and instead of focusing on the rebuilding effort, those in government have been patting themselves on the back for doing such a great job and are keen to reward themselves with brand new cars and yet when it counted and people were dying of disease the government had no money to take care of its people. Is Zimbabwe better off with ED and his government at the helm?...I think not.

A new low for the Zimbabwe government....crowdfunding to combat Cholera

President Mnangagwa guaranteed better healthcare under his leadership during his presidential campaign and yet people are dying unnecessarily from Cholera whilst the government stands by watching. It is heartbreaking that the government has prioritised frivolities for themselves and their peers at the expense of ordinary Zimbabweans.

President Mnangagwa was quick to charter a private jet to pick up Grace Mugabe, who was having private treatment in Singapore, so that she could attend her mother’s funeral and yet when the cholera pandemic is taking lives the government does not have enough resources to combat it. It’s an insult to the people of Zimbabwe especially with an unemployment rate of at least 90% that the government is now crowd sourcing to cover the bill to eradicate this pandemic. The government has spent millions of dollars buying luxury cars for rural chiefs and ministers but when it comes to the ordinary man whom they are supposed to be governing, they don’t have enough resources to help him. Once again we are experiencing the selfishness of our leadership only this time the price being paid by our people is their blood...surely this cannot be allowed to continue.

'Improved Health Care under ED' my foot.

One of President Mnangagwa's campaign promises was that there would be improved health care facilities under his leadership but the reality that is being experienced by the masses is a far cry from all that he promised.

It's unbelievable that in a country where President Mnangagwa was busy rewarding chiefs with expensive twin cab vehicles, expectant mothers at Harare Hospital are being forced to sleep on the floor due to a shortage of maternity space in the hospital. Not only is this demeaning to the women who are about to give birth but it also puts them at risk of contracting diseases as a result of the their proximity to the floor.

On the other side of the country we have had yet another outbreak of typhoid that has already claimed the lives of at least 9 people in Gweru and Masvingo and is spreading to other parts of the country. Obviously the health care of the majority of Zimbabweans who rely on the services provided by the government hospitals is not a priority to the so called 'New Dispensation' as people are no better off as they were under the rule of President Mugabe. Health care should be a priority to any government but in Zimbabwe the government hasn't made it one since they and their relatives can afford to get private health care in the country or even fly out to other countries to have their health care needs met.

We have had a lot of talk from President Mnangagwa about him being the President to all Zimbabweans but from where I'm standing  it appears as though all Zimbabweans are equal in his eyes but that some are more equal than others...

Another senseless shooting at the hands of Mnangagwa’s government

I can’t brlieve that we have had yet another senseless shooting of innocent people at the hands of President Mnangagwa’s government. Do lives mean nothing at all to them that it’s so easy to pull the trigger then defend the action as having been provoked?

If the lives of the Zimbabwean people mean nothing to Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government then I can only assume that his leadership is self serving as these killings are not benefitting anyone other than Mnangagwa and his government by instilling fear in the hearts of any people who dare to oppose him. These shootings have robbed families and friends of people who are precious to them. In February 2018, three people lost their lives at the hands of the police and the policeman who did the shooting was never brought to account. Now this August at least 4 people have lost their lives at the hands of the army. It seems like the killing of Zimbabwean people has become a habit for Mnangagwa and his people and I find it very ironic that the government are always quick to offer assistance in the burial of these innocent victims acting like they are very concerned about the loss of life and yet they are the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Is there any help that can be had for Zimbabwe and her people if blood thirsty individulas like President Mnangagwa continue to rule?

NO to political violence and NO to political coercion

Since his inauguration, President Mnangagwa has been preaching the gospel of his government being a new dispensation and that the violence and intimidation that was experienced under President Mugabe's regime is now a thing of the past. Contrary to his words however several instances of intimidation and coercion have been reported over the past few weeks. In some areas children have been pulled out of schools and have been forced to attend Zanu PF political rallies whilst in other areas adults have been loaded up in lorries and have been coerced into attending Zanu PF rallies in neighbouring areas. Recently people were captured on a video that was taken at a Zanu PF rally in Bindura fleeing and being pursued and beaten by members of the armed forces. This callousness in stifling the political freedom of people in Zimbabwe is unacceptable.

The Zimbabwe Constitution clearly states that every Zimbabwean citizen has the right to make political choices freely and has the right to be a member of any political party of their choosing and to participate in peaceful political activities organised by their party. If Zimbabwe is indeed a new dispensation then every Zimbabwean citizen should have the freedom to participate or desist from participating in any political activities freely. As we head towards the general elections on the 30th of July 2018 it is imperative that every Zimbabwean citizen be granted their political freedom and be in a position to exercise this freedom to vote for whatever party they choose without the fear of intimidation or reprisal.

'NO' to showing partiality when it comes to upholding the law

It has been 97 days since Zepheniah Nhamo, Annatoria Kaseke and her unborn child and were shot and killed by a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. To date the perpetrator is still free to roam the streets and justice has not yet been served despite the dozens of witnesses who saw the policeman pulling the trigger. The Deputy Finance Minister Terrence Mukupe abused his authority and defamed his public office by violating another persons privacy in disclosing that they took ARVs thereby implying that they had the HIV virus. Despite this gross violation, Mr Mukupe is still holding his post in office.

John Mahlaberi posted a comment about his political opinion on his private twitter account but has been accused by his employer, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, of showing loyalty to Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition party and disloyalty to President Mnangagwa and is therefore being disciplined. I find it unbelievable that Mr Mahlaberi is being disciplined and yet a murderer and wayward Minister are not being held accountable for their actions.

Since his inauguration President Mnangwagwa has preached endlessly about how his government is a new dispensation and how they are doing things differently. With all these gross violations on Zimbabwean citizens occurring right under his nose, his inaction to stop these things makes him complicit in these abuses. Its time President Mnangagwa started walking the talk because with every inaction his government is looking more and more like the government that President Mugabe ran...the only difference right now is the captain at the realm of the ship.

ED you've dropped the ball with our children who are in the tobacco farms.

Tobacco is a multi- million dollar industry and is Zimbabwe's most valuable export but underneath all that wealth lies the hidden story of child labour and the exposure of these children to nicotine poisoning or Green Tobacco sickness.

Tobacco companies in Zimbabwe generated US$933.7 million in 2016 but they have no regard for the health and safety of the tobacco farmers and their families, especially their children. Given the amount of money that these tobacco companies make you would think that providing adequate training and ensuring that the farmers had protective equipment to protect themselves against nicotine poisoning would be a priority for them, but its not.

In his inauguration speech President Mnangagwa stated that agriculture would be a key pillar of the government's plans to revive the economy but currently this is being done at the expense of the health and safety of not only the farm workers but their children who also work in these tobacco farms. Every child has the right to be nurtured and to be protected against exploitation but a great disservice is being done to these children and those in positions of authority are not moved by the plight of these children as long as the tobacco keeps rolling in and in turn the money generated from it.

The Zimbabwean government has a Ministry of Health and Child Care dedicated to the welfare of children and yet no one is doing anything to help these children in the tobacco farms. These children are the future generations of tomorrow and they deserve every much the same care that the Ministers of Zimbabwe give to their own children. There should be no child who is more deserving of better care and protection than another and all those in the Ministry of Health and Child Care have a duty of care towards these children and are responsible for their plight....and because you're their leader ED you're responsible.

Ed's promises don't mean a thing

As the weeks slowly tick by more and more Zimbabweans are becoming disillusioned by Emmerson Mnangagwa and his promise of 'the culture of government changing and changing now'. To the common people on the ground nothing has fundamentally changed between how Robert Mugabe was running the country to how Ed is now running things. The same problems of unemployment, cash shortages, a severe lack of drugs in hospitals and a lack of an end to the corruption in government still permeate.

Time and time again our Zimbabwean leaders have failed us. They have made promises but have failed to deliver on those promises and yet they expect to remain in power indefinitely. In releasing the list for all the people who externalised funds from Zimbabwe there was a glaring omission of some of Ed's buddies like Obert Mpofu from that list. It looks like corruption is still very much alive in this 'new government.'

It's been 25 days since the doctors started striking and yet the government has not prioritised resolving their grievances in order to get them back to work. People are dying in the government run hospitals and the only ones affected are the common man who cannot afford to go to the private hospitals or fly out of Zimbabwe for medical treatment. Ed and his government ministers are not affected by the strike because they and their loved ones have the money to receive medical care elsewhere....To everyone looking at the current situation in Zimbabwe without the benefit of rose tinted glasses there is nothing new about this current government from that which Robert Mugabe ran except the face of the person now running the show.

Is this the better Zimbabwe that you promised ED?

People celebrated you when you seized power from Robert Mugabe. We all held our breath and hoped that this was the dawning of a better Zimbabwe that we had all been praying for...a 100 days on and we are sadly realising that not much has changed, at least not for the common man.

 In your inauguration speech you said that all citizens must feel secure but how can citizens feel secure when the police are free to shoot and kill innocent unarmed civilians. I can't understand how a ban on commuters was lifted but the people who were enforcing that ban were not aware of this new development. This shows a great level of incompetence in both the management and the training of the police and the Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga has to be held accountable for his officers' incompetence.  It has been over a week since the shootings but there have been no arrests other than an apology to the families who lost their loved ones. That apology means nothing if there is no justice.

This is not the Zimbabwe that we want Ed, where people who are fending for themselves trying to feed their families are killed in what the Police Commissioner described as a 'very unfortunate and regrettable incident.....this could have been avoided and we demand justice!!!

Mugabe might not still be in power but his intimidation tactics are very much alive under President Mnangagwa

In his address to Parliament over the fiscal budget for 2018, Patrick Chinamasa, who is the Minister of Finance said, ' As we focus on recovery of our economy we must shed misbehaviours and acts of indiscipline which have characterised the past.' In his budget with regards to the purchase of vehicles for the village chiefs he also indicated that this was not a critical capital expenditure and that the government could not sustain such demands if they were to achieve the objectives towards a new economic order. It is therefore very surprising that in one of his first acts in power President Mnangagwa authorised the purchase of 226 vehicles for the village chiefs...why was it a priority for these chiefs to have these cars?

Mnangagwa and his government have been singing the free and fair elections song ever since he placed himself in power but the reality is that this government has no intentions of these elections being free and fair as is evidenced by the intimidation tactics that the traditional chiefs are exercising towards their constituents. Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) voter educators in Gutu district have revealed that former Chief Serima now the Gutu West Zanu PF chairman for ward 5, Martin Nhamoinesu and John Paradzai , the aspiring Member of Parliament for Gutu West constituency declared during a rice distribution meeting that anyone from the opposition parties would not receive aid from the government...really? It appears as if the 'bribery' in the form of cars have worked wonders in motivating these traditional chiefs to campaign for Zanu PF.

Emmerson Mnangagwa in his inauguration speech spoke about being the president to all citizens of Zimbabwe but I guess what he meant was that he was the president to only those who are aligned with ZANU PF. So much for a new day dawning in Zimbabwe under the leadership of Mnangagwa...

How does Mnangagwa measure up to the anicipated change that the 14th of November 2017 ignited in the hearts of the Zimbabwean people

Now that the euphoria of 'our father Ed' rescuing Zimbabwe has died down, the illusion that was created by the 'coup d'état' of a new day in Zimbabwe with Mnangagwa confidently seating in the seat of power is also dying. On the 24th of November 2017 in his inauguration speech President Mnangagwa boldly stated that the 'culture of government must change and change now' but this is turning out to be just another lip service paid to a desperate and hopeful people.

Mnangagwa had the opportunity to cement his place in the Zimbabwean people's hearts by firstly allowing there to be a coalition government representing the major political parties in the country to transition towards the elections but instead he chose many of the very same people who were responsible for Zimbabwe's current position to continue being ministers. Its ironic that only those ministers who were loyal to President Mugabe are being accused of corruption and yet many of those that Mnangagwa chose were also part of the same government that crippled Zimbabwe.

By choosing Constantino Chiwenga as his vice president Mnangagwa removed the autonomy that the government had and it now seems that the army is part and parcel of the government. On the 31st of December 2017, 10 members of the Mthwakazi Republic Youths were arrested and beaten by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe National Army because of their protest against Mnangagwa's involvement in the Gukurahundi genocide that killed at least 20 000 of the Mthwakazi people. This was a clear violation of their constitutional rights and also marked Mnangagwa as a liar when he declared in his inauguration speech that, ' ...all citizens must feel secure and enjoy a sense of belonging in their land...'. 

Maybe I'm just cynical but the photo opps that President Mnangagwa and his wife have been taking over the past few weeks have left me baffled. Auxillia Mnangagwa made it a point to visit the major hospitals in Zimbabwe highlighting the inefficiencies of staff at these hospitals. My question is where was she all this time?...she was the vice president's wife since December 2014, before her husband's coup, and was well positioned to visit these hospitals and help if she wanted to but she didn't...until now. In my eyes this is just another publicity stunt and is no different to her husband visiting the ailing MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and parading his visit to the whole world. I for one am sick and tired of this window dressing type of leadership and if we want to see real change in Zimbabwe we need to make sure that the people with Zimbabwe's best interests at heart are the ones that are voted for and elected into power in the upcoming general elections....