Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Zimbabwe needs informed political debate

Zimbabwe needs informed political debate
By: Sihle Dube
Posted: Tuesday, May 4, 2010 5:14 am

DEAR EDITOR - I have noticed a tendency amongst Zimbabweans to undermine each other whenever a political opinion they do not agree with is expressed. This has become a disease in our society.

Last month I wrote a piece for Talk Zimbabwe in which I criticised the MDC-T party and its leadership for abandoning their Matabeleland supporters. I also criticised the prime minister for failing to rein in and publicly reprimand Minister of National Healing, Sekai Holland, for he reckless tribalistic comments on Lobengula. I also said the appointment of Bulawayo Agenda's Gorden Moyo was nothing but window-dressing.

While, I made my criticism as a concerned Zimbabwean, the barrage of criticism I got from readers was shocking. All of them did not criticise the content of my piece, but questioned why I dared criticise the MDC-T party.

All of the people who wrote in response to my article said I had no moral authority to criticise the MDC-T whilst resident in the United Kingdom. I cannot believe the naivety and ignorance demonstrated by our people sometimes. Does one have to be in a particular country to criticise a political leader in their own country?

Using the same logic, US President Barack Obama or British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and residents of these countries have no moral authority then, to criticise President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, if they are not in Zimbabwe. This is the ignorance that has characterised us. We cannot look at issues, but dwell on trivialities that do nothing to better ourselves.

Mr Tsvangirai is not God. He is a fallible being who does not know everything, and is quite capable of making grievous mistakes and wrong judgments about issues. The mistakes and gaffes he has made before he even assumes office are too many to be ignored; and I do not believe anything he says anymore.

Those people, especially Zimbabweans, who are ignorant to think that one should be in Zimbabwe to support President Mugabe should also realise that they do not have the moral authority to support Tsvangirai from Britain, US or the West in general.

Using the same logic, the government of Zimbabwe should deport everyone who criticises President Mugabe from Zimbabwe; and all journalists and so-called commentators who write/report falsehoods about Zimbabwe should be banned from the country.

Surely what is good for the goose should be good for the gander.
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Sihle Dube writes from the United Kingdom. She can be reached via sihledube *** hotmail.co.uk

Labels: MDC, POLITICS

posted by MrK @ 3:33 PM