WHAT I HEARD PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE SAY!

Today I want to submit the wishes of the people of Zimbabwe which I have heard them say over a long time. Friends I have often said and still do say that we have an obligation to the people and the land that brought us. Growing up in Bulawayo the second capital city of Zimbabwe, a city which prides itself with people from all walks of life. If ever Zimbabweans needs to learn diversity, they must pay a visit to this great city. Let me make it clear that I went to school with a lot of Shona speaking friends. Let me specify that from as long as I can remember we have always had Nyanja , Shona, Kalanga, Tonga and other unique neighbours from different tribes.

Let the reader understand that I played, worked and prayed with Shona speaking people. These are people who love and cherish the culture of the City of Kings. While Bulawayo has always been the Ndebele capital, history has it that the city has always been home to many tribes and races. In Ndebele tribes there are Nguni, Xhosa, Zulu, Shangani, Kalanga and Sotho . More than ninety percent of Zimbabwean do not speak English at home. This is the reason why I took time to mention various tribes above .Matabeleland has honestly cast a vote of change for many decades now.tnew comwers rn around.

Given that background I must safely say that I know better about Zimbabweans than my most of my Harare counterparts who only think Zimbabweans speak one language, Shona. Shame! These are the people who say Zimbabwe is Harare and vice verse. Sadly this is where our "national leaders" are suppose to come from. Today I am not willing spend my time on the pathetic and ignorant. Let me be clear that I know the difference between the Zezuru, Manyika, Vitori and Karanga. I understand a few Zimbabwean languages even though I cannot speak all of them. I testify that in my lifetime I have heard Zimbabweans speak. I heard them talk in buses and emergency taxis. In churches and synagogues. On the streets and on bicycles. On trains stations and bus stops. In the town hall meetings at the Bulawayo Large City hall. During my job as a waiter at the Bulawayo Service Station restaurant. During the Matabeleland Water Project fund raising's. In 1999 during the Constitution Referendum days. Reading and contributing to various newspapers both govt and independent. One cannot be more Zimbabwean than that.

Let us face it, the Harare culture of promoting instant riches has killed the economy of the country. Tell me if a forty five year old man could be so rich that he can "host the world cup" when he has no history of working. We saw the rise and fall of Boker Auction floors empire.We saw the emergency of the money clubs. We saw the Willogate scandal. Corruption at the Harare City council. This is just to mention a few known instances. We have seen tenders given to briefcase companies in the name of Black empowerment. Nepotism is rampant. You have know somebody. You have to buy beer for the boss. Corruption in the government is sickening. If we are to organize Zimbabwe we surely need to clean Harare.

For as long as I can remember the average working people of Zimbabwe have longed for leadership that listens to them. People have lamented the lack of leadership among our own black government. The peace loving Zimbabwean who fought for the liberation of the country have often been heard lamenting the deterioration of standards in public places. Talk about beer gardens, parks, public transport, ranks and roads. All the development that was left for us at Independence. The quality of life. The abuse of the taxpayer's funds .The poor workmanship in public services. We all witnessed the corruption of the country we loved. Despite three or four presidential candidates Zimbabwe still needs a different type of leadership. For a long time we have been led by people who takes us for granted. Our elected officials cannot handle criticism. They are the type who know it all. I have heard people say they are ashamed of having fought for this country. By the way its a sin to criticize a black government. You become an agent of the colonialist.

We cannot put new wine into the old wine skins . We need to restore the federal government. Restoring accountability to the public system. We need to have non partisan officials who will run the cities professionally. True leadership is by the people and for the people. Running a country does not take a rocket scientist even though we can always use one. A government with a broad national and international outlook is long overdue. Changing the face of the government will equally do us no good. We need to purge or overhaul the whole system.