Letters to t

Invest in education
EDITOR - I am a student of the University of Zimbabwe and I am becoming increasingly worried about the proceedings taking place at the so-called highest institution of learning. After the sudden turn of events which saw students being forced to pay exorbitant fees to get educated, it is surprising to hear government officials claim that education is a basic right for any Zimbabwean when in fact the educational system is now used to ostracise people from poor backgrounds.
The VC seems to have discovered that it is now an offence to get educated and so one should pay exorbitant fees. One thing that is frustrating is that the very people who are charging exorbitant education fees are themselves products of free education.
If President Mugabe could obtain a degree from free education during the so-called “notorious Smith regime”, what’s the logic behind boasting that we are free when in fact it was a change from bad to worse?
Dr Murerwa has the guts to say the government cannot invest in education because it does not generate income, but it is the same education that enables him to define income. Our plea is can the government please come back to its senses and invest in education. The country has a shortage of skilled personnel due to the brain drain. What will happen if the number of people learning falls due to unaffordable education? We need help.
WEMADOGS, Mbare

MDC belongs to us
EDITOR - MDC rebels are now busy fighting Tsvangirai, which makes them Zanu (PF) and Tsvangirai is still fighting Zanu (PF) which makes him MDC leader. MDC rebels said they don’t follow the crowd. Instead they have decided to follow Thabo Mbeki who happens to be Mugabe’s close friend.
MDC belongs to millions of Zimbabweans, not a few power-hungry money launderers. Tsvangirai’s well-attended rallies have shaken both the rebels and their sponsors who have resorted to death threats. Defections by some MDC rebels back to the party means that they (rebels) have seen the light after being taken for a ride.
I salute you Tsvangirai for saving MDC from being hijacked by some Zanu (PF) spies who imported a student to lead them which means that they (rebels) are not capable of being leaders. Student politics and national politics are two different things and Mutambara has since realised that, but it’s too late for him to recover.
ZVICHAPERA, Harare

We need a new Zimbabwe
EDITOR - Thank you for a free forum in which concerned Zimbabweans can express pertinent views about issues relating to our country.
I feel that Robert Mugabe has effectively bottled Zimbabweans into a small jar and excluded us from the rest of the world.
He has encircled himself with those who believe that, by numbers alone, they have a more legitimate stake in the country. Everyone else then strives to belong to this grouping or to have a contact within it in order to survive. That is why people carry a secret Zanu (PF) membership card - to produce it conveniently when seeking certain favours.
The character of our country right now reflects the personal views of Mugabe. It is a piece of land owned and protected by one man. His views are sacrosanct. Only those sanctioned by him or who do not materially differ from him can be tolerated. You cannot succeed in anything through personal effort unless the Godfather is behind you somehow. Otherwise, there must be a white enemy behind your success. No Zimbabwean is capable of success alone.
Let those who have intellectual capacity draw up a new constitution and new laws, etc. to which people can aspire. In this new Zimbabwe:
Let us build roads, dams, schools, dip tanks and factories. Let us carry out progressive farming projects and set up grain silos, canning factories and engineering firms, according to the potential our country has. Let us establish cultural and contemporary arts centres for the eventual explosion of this great talent our country already has.
Let us build hospitals and staff them with qualified and professional men and women who will care for their people. Let us stock these hospitals and clinics with massive medical supplies, etc. Imagine our schools with all the equipment and qualified teachers!
Let us change our independence day to a new date, say, the 17th or 19th of April just to be different from Mugabe’s day. Let us exclude these people from our new Zimbabwe so that they do not hold us at ransom ever again.
Let our children and future generations aspire to develop this ideal Zimbabwe and not only to try and change Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. This will require not only financial resources, but a total mind-set that may take generations to transform.
I am not a Political Scientist but I believe together with such skills among progressive Zimbabweans, a new country can be born. Remember, you can either repair a car engine, re-condition it or replace it with a new one. Let us make our choice. I suggest a new Zimbabwe would be better.
POLOZIM, Harare

Which is the real MDC?
EDITOR - How nice of you to give us two independence celebration messages from two opposition parties leaders who incidentally are in opposite camps!
What it simply shows is your non-partisan approach in as far as the so-called MDC split is concerned. You leave it to the reader to analyze and decide which is the real MDC.
Fortunately the two leaders clearly showed where they stand! Both gentlemen did recognize that Zimbabwe was won through struggle and they indeed should give credit where it is deserved. Both gentlemen allude to the terrible state that the country is in. Mr Mutambara even goes on to give figures to show how things were and how bad they are today. On his part, Mr Tsvangirai, just mentions that the economy is not doing well without further proof. Kudos to Mr Mutambara!!
Unfortunately he loses the whole presentation by failing to identify who he is or represents. In his message, nowhere does he mentions MDC or any other opposition political party for that matter! Does it mean that he does not identify with the party? Who is “WE” that he mentions? Does it mean that his faction is now going to have a new name and save Zimbabwe from further confusion?
Of course he knows better, but inadvertently, Mr Mutambara just let the cat out the bag!! He is not for MDC, was never for MDC and will never be. He always knew but thanks to you and his message, now we all know as well. Once again, thank you for being open-minded. You saved Zimbabwe.
CHICHAKHUUKA, Mutare

We must ALL demonstrate
EDITOR - Following the strong and powerful message of hope from the leader of the main faction of the MDC Party in Zimbabwe, we had a two days meeting as the leadership of the CONCERNED ZIMBABWEANS ABROAD. A lot of issues were discussed but of paramount importance, all the delegates unanimously agreed that WE should mobilize ourselves and show solidarity with whatever the opposition has in store to demand Zimbabweans’ freedom back.
As the peaceful demonstrations start, we expect some vicious retaliation by government machinery. We even expect a lot of casualties and funerals. Therefore as the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe take to the streets throughout the country, we shall picket at the borders, at all the Zimbabwean embassies and consulate offices in the neighbouring countries.
We have already been in touch with our Batswana and Zambian counterparts and they have agreed to take action.
We are, however, having problems with our members in Mozambique who seem to be afraid of the Mozambican government.
If the people in Zimbabwe have decided that enough is enough, let’s give them all the support we can, both morally and financially.
The MDC headquarters have agreed to keep us informed of the dates and activities that they have lined up. We request all Zimbabweans in the diaspora to get ready for action. We shall keep everybody posted of any developments.
We encourage the soldiers and police not to shoot their own brothers and sisters.
Also in the meeting, everybody agreed that the people of Malawi should be applauded for their stance against Mugabe’s visit. They have joined South Africans in condemning bad governance by a regional leader. Remember when COSATU was at the border and at the embassy!
JAY JAY SIBANDA, South Africa

The law as a weapon
EDITOR - President Robert Mugabe recently stated that ‘Anyone who dares to embark on a campaign of violence and terrorist activities to remover government from power will be inviting the full wrath of the law to descend mercilessly on him.’ Statistically the people of Zimbabwe are now shorter-lived, and worse off in almost every respect than they were under a pre-independent regime, but of course we have our ‘freedom’.
It is, however, an odd kind of freedom when the president of the country defines the opposition an enemy, uses the language of war and, as his statement above reveals, does not see the law as an informed impartial neutral arm of justice but a weapon that will be used to defend his regime to the bitter end.
LZ, South Africa