President Mnangagwa's matra 'Business before people's lives'

Whist people like President Macron of France have decided to cancel their trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos due to unrest in his country, President Mnangagwa has decided to proceed to this conference despite the unrest in Zimbabwe and the many who have been killed at the hands of his government forces. For someone who says that he is concerned for the welfare of the country his actions signify that he is more concerned about his own status and the need to make money other than the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.

In my opinion it almost seemed as if he timed the fuel increase announcement to coincide with his departure so that he wouldn't have to deal with the blow back that was definitely going to come as a result of his announcement. You don't have to be an expert to know that the increase of fuel would have a domino effect over other expenses like food, transport and health care. I don't know how President Mnangagwa and his people thought that the increase was a great idea especially considering that salaries have remained static. This just goes to show that they cannot relate and do not care about how an ordinary Zimbabwean is surviving from one day to the next.

The shootings that have occurred over the stay away are the third such incident of shootings that have occurred since President Mnangagwa and his government took office. In both the February 2018 and the August 2018 shootings that left civilians dead, no one was ever charged for these murders. It's devastating that after the sham commission of enquiry, we are now faced with yet another similar situation where the government has not shown restraint but have chosen to shoot and kill civilians. By staying abroad whilst all the mayhem is taking place at home President Mnangagwa is putting his stamp of approval on the actions that the police and army have taken in killing and maiming citizens and is also saying he doesn't care about the ordinary Zimbabwean. This cannot be allowed to continue. ED and his people should be held accountable for all these atrocities....enough is enough

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.