Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. –Rabindranath Tagore (Indian poet)

Talking about TALKS – WOZA/MOZA’s view – ten steps to a new Zimbabwe

WOZA has been reading and hearing about ‘the talks’ and wish to express our views about these.
Firstly, we would like to know exactly what South African President Thabo Mbeki, Tanzanian President Kikwete and our SADC brothers and sisters want to achieve by their mediation. Is their role to bring about a new government without any political, economic and social reform? Or is their objective something more meaningful? To establish themselves as genuine mediators, they should secure the cooperation of the present government in allowing the transitional process to go ahead without interference and press them to step down from office to allow for an effective transition. We shall continue to pressure them to do this, thereby paving the way for a Zimbabwe where all Zimbabweans can enjoy equality and live with dignity.

What is our role as ordinary Zimbabweans, carrying the heaviest burdens and finding it impossible to survive?
Our role can be described in this way. We know where the fireplace is and that there is a pot boiling. We have not been consulted about what is to be cooked and who is to eat the meal when it is ready. While waiting to be called to the table to share the meal, we are busy collecting firewood and bringing it to the fireside so that those currently doing the cooking see it and put it in the fire. If the fire starts to go out, it will be our firewood that is used to light it again so that the pot can keep boiling. When the meal is cooked we will demand a place at the table to share in the meal cooked with our firewood. If the meal is badly cooked, we will refuse to eat and ask them for a better recipe. And just a reminder that mothers make the most memorable meals!

We can go further to say that those mediating the talks, and the politicians involved, should be thinking of the following ingredients if the meal is to be delicious and enjoyed by all Zimbabweans:

1. Violence, in all its forms, should be stopped to allow for a transitional process that can begin the healing process.
2. An all-stakeholders’ conference should be convened with the following participants: all political parties, non-governmental organisation, churches, labour, business, youth and women all meeting on an equal basis. Their agenda is to devise a transitional process consisting of putting in place an interim authority and outlining a process of constitution making. The interim authority should undertake the following:
3. Assume legislative power; repeal oppressive legislation against freedom of expression and assembly such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). We also call for an end to the selective application of other laws.
4. Conduct an audit of civil servants, the judiciary and law enforcement agents as to their professional and non-partisan conduct. Offenders should be sent to re-training/community service or for prosecution. The youth militia should be disbanded and the defence forces should be confined to barracks for retraining.
5. Begin the process of re-engaging the international community with a view to rehabilitating the economy aimed at job creation.
6. Carry out a land audit to lay the basis for a permanent and equitable solution to land reform, while promoting immediate resumption of food production.
7. Initiate a constitution-making process, including a plan for transitional justice, consulting all Zimbabweans both at home and abroad.
8. Take the resulting constitutional and transitional justice proposals to a referendum supervised by Southern African Development Community (SADC).
9. Prepare for elections, including reconstituting the Registrar General’s department, preparing new electoral laws, appointing an independent electoral commission and delimitation commission to prepare an electoral roll and prepare for the election. We will be saying good riddance to Tobaiwa Mudede and his crooked systems.
10. Ensure elections are conducted according to the SADC protocols and under international and regional supervision with international and local observers. The interim authority will then hand over to the winners of the election.
—————————————————————————————
KUTAURA NENYAYA YENHAURIRANO MAWONERO EWOZA NENZIRA GUMI DZEKUPINDA MUZIMBABWE ITSVA
WOZA yaiverenga nekunzwa nezvenhaurirano inodawo kutaura mafungiro ayo.
Chekutanga, tinoda kuziva kuti chinangwa chemutungamiri weSouth Africa Thabo Mbeki, newe Tanzania Kikwete nehama dzedu dzeSADC vanoda kuburitsa chii panhaurirano iyi. Kuvapo kwavo kunounza hurumende itsva here pasina zvemetongerwo enyika, upfumi nekugara kwakanaka kana kuti chinangwa chavo chinoreva zvimwe zvinopfuura izvi kana kuti tivati vayananisi vechokwadi. Hurumende iripo inofanira kurega hurongwa uhu huchienderera mberi pasina kuviringidzwa uye kuti ibve pachigaro kutendera hurumende itsva. Ticharamba tichivakurudzira kuti vaite izvi kuti tiwane mukana wekupinda muZimbabwe itsva, vanhu veZimbabwe vachagara vachifara vakaenzana uye vane rukudzo.
Chinangwa chedu ndechei sevanhu veZimbabwe vakatakura mitoro inorema tichikundikana kurarama?
Chinangwa chedu chingatsanangudzwa nenzira iyi. Tinoziva pane moto uye kuti pane poto irikufashaira iripo. Hatina kubvunzwa chekubika neachadya chikafu chacho kana chaibva. Takamirira kudaidzwa kuti tigowane chikafu, tiri mubishi kutsvaga huni nekudziunza pamoto kuitira kuti avo vari kubika vaone kukuchidzira moto, kuitira kuti kana watanga kubvira dzinenge dziri huni dzedu dzaita kuti ubvire zvakare kuitira kuti poto irambe ichifashaira. Kana chikafu chapera kubikwa tichakumbira nzvimbo patafura kuti tigowane chikafu chabikwa nehuni dzedu. Kana chikafu chakabikwa zvakaipa, ticharamba kudya, tokumbira nzira imwe iri nani yokubika tovayeuchidza kuti vanamai ndivo vanogona kubika chikafu chinogara chichirangarirwa!
Tinogona kuenderera mberi tichiti, avo vari kuyananisa munhaurirano nevematongerwo enyika vari mazviri, vanofanira kunge vachifunga zvakashandiswa pakubika chikafu kuti chive chakanaka nekufarirwa nevanhu vese vemuZimbabwe:
1. Mhirizhonga munzira dzose inofanira kumira kutendera nhaurirano kuti pamwe ingapodza zviri kuitika.
2. Vose vane chekuita mumusangano uyu vanofanira kubvunzwa nevamwewo vachipawo pfungwa dzavo vakaita sevanotevera: vose vematongerwo enyika, mapoka anozvimirira, machechi, vashandi, vemabhizinisi, vechidiki nemadzimai, vose vachiwana zvakayenzana. Chinangwa chiri chekuti panoitwa nhaurirano paiswe vanofanomirira kuchigadziriswa bumbiro. Vamiriri ava vanofanira kutambira zvinotevera:
3. Kutora masimba ezvemitemo toenda kune vasinga kwanisi kutaura zvavanofunga uye kuita misangano yakaita sePOSA nemukana yekuva neruzivo nekuchengetedza zvakavanzika (AIPPA). Tinoti ngazvipere zvekusarudza mitemo.
4. Kuita wongororo yevashandi vehurumende, magweta, nevezvemitemo nezveruzivo rwavo nevasinei nezvematongerwo enyika. Vanobatikana vanofanira kuendeswa kunodzidziswa kana kunobvunzuridzwa, vanoona nezvekuchengetedzwa kwemitemo, mapurisa nevechidiki vanofanira kubviswa voendeswa kunzvimbo yavanofanira kunge vari.
5. Totangisa kudzorera venharaunda dzekunze kwenyika netarisiro yekudzosera upfumi kuita kuti mabasa awande.
6. Kuita wongororo yeivhu kuti kugadzwe zvino zvisingazobviswe kuitira kupedza dambudziko rekushaikwa kwechikafu.
7. Kugadzirisa kunyorwa kwebumbiro kusanganisira hurumende yenguvarefu tichibvunza vanhu vese veZimbabwe vari muno nevari kunze.
8. Kwava kutora zvabuda pabumbiro remutemo nehurumende yenguvarefu toisa mumagwaro anotungamirwa uyezve akawongororwa neSADC.
9. Kugadzira sarudzo kusanganisira kumahofisi evanopa zvitupa, kugadzira mutemo mutsva wekuvhota, kusarudza akazvimirira kukomiti yesarudzo kuti igadzirire bhuku rine vanhu vanovhota nekugadzirira kunovhota. Tinenge tava kuti kuna Tobaiwa Mudede nehuori hwake zvatibva.
10. Toona kuti sarudzo dzaitwa zviri pamutemo weSADC nyika dzemhiri kwemakungwa nedzakatikomberedza nevatarisi vemuno. Vamiriri ndivo vanozotaura vanenge vakunda pasarudzo.

Join WOZA by sending your application letter to P.O. Box FM 701 Famona Bulawayo. Tell us who you are and why you want to join WOZA. Write in any local language. Send us a self-addressed with postage stamp for us to send your Sisterhood Promise. Once you have signed this and posted it to us we will send you your membership card in the second self-addressed and postage paid envelope. We will then bring you into our WOZA family.

Get used to a free Zimbabwe where we can speak out without fear, tune in to…
SW Radio Africa is Zimbabwe’s independent voice, broadcasting on shortwave 4880kHz between 7 – 9 pm. For all the news you need to know.
VOA Studio 7: Evenings from 7 pm to 8 pm on 909 AM, and at 4930, 11975 and 17895 kHz shortwave. Studio Seven in the Morning broadcasts for a half hour Monday to Friday beginning at 5:30 am on 909 AM and at 4930 and 6080 kHz shortwave.