'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!!!