Something caught my eye in The Herald. The newspaper leads with the story “Britain steps up regime change agenda, pours in £3.3m”. In writing about the alleged regime change agenda, the writer quotes from a “copy” of a letter allegedly written by the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to the Deputy President of the British Law Society, a Mr. Holroyd. A purported copy of the said letter is published on page 2 of the Herald. In writing about the letter the writer says, “Mr Brown said Britain would continue to do everything we can to cause regime change in Zimbabwe, which remains a priority for this government.” In fact this is a misquote as Mr Brown does not make reference to “regime change” in the alleged letter. It is the author’s very interesting interpretation of what Mr Brown said that had him concluding that the Prime Minister was talking about regime change. What Mr Brown does say in the letter published on page two is;

“We will continue to do everything we can to ensure a better future for Zimbabweans: a democratic and accountable government, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and policies which ensure economic stability and development, not humanitarian misery”

For some reason, the writer has a problem with us having a democratic and accountable government, which has respect for the rule of law and which has a plan for ensuring economic stability and development, not perpetuating humanitarian misery. In his mind, our desire for these things is treasonous; it is a desire for regime change.

But what is “regime change”? It is a term that has been used ad nauseam in the government controlled press. I looked it up on the internet and sources seem to define it as quite literally, the replacement of one regime with another. And regime? It is defined as a form of government; a set of rules both formal and informal that regulate the operation of government and its interaction with society. Used like this, the term itself is quite innocuous. However it is that other interpretation which l suspect, has The Herald writer in a tizzy. My source tells me that the informal use of the word “regime” carries a negative connotation, usually referring to a government considered oppressive or dictatorial, whether it is in power through a consistent application of its constitution or not. Now this is not meant to be a thesis on political terms, all l want to do is ask the writer of the lead article in The Herald and all those other writers in The Herald past and present: You are angry that Britain allegedly wants to engineer regime change, is that an admission on your part that the government we have is in fact a “regime”?

I usually like the view from my office window, but not when all l can see is the human misery as people queue for hours on end for cash.

I have problems with the MDC. People have tried to convince me that the MDC offers a viable alternative to ZANU PF but I am yet to be convinced. There seems to be the sentiment that there should be change for the sake of it. I know a lot of people will view my opinion as almost treasonous given what the ruling party has done to us in the 27 odd years that it has been in power, but I think the truth needs to be said. We need to avoid a repeat of our history under ZANU PF where we were so euphoric after the victory in 1980 that we sat back on our laurels while the country went to the dogs. If we are to vote in the anticipated elections in 2008, then we should do so with our eyes wide open AND we should not expect any miracles. Nor should we let down our guard. Never again should a group of individuals entrench themselves in power the way the current ruling party has done. Ever. Not even the MDC. Or should I say, especially not the MDC.

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Now I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge fan of cricket. I usually find it long and tedious, and therefore boring. Yes boring. I mean it literary takes days on end for the teams to get through a single match. I have a theory about why it was invented but that’s for another conversation. Watching the match between Australia and Zimbabwe was therefore something of an aberration for me, but what an aberration. I will admit l quite enjoyed the Twenty20 format. It’s fast paced adrenaline-filled stuff. None of the sluggish slog of Test cricket. More than the fast paced action, I enjoyed the placards and signs that some of the spectators were holding. One particular one stood out for me. It read, “Masvosve akabatana anovaka churu,” loosely translated “when ants unite, they can build anthills.” We then went on to witness a truly inspired performance by the Zimbabwe team. They played their hearts out against the mighty Australia. They had nothing to lose and they threw everything they had into the game. At the end of it Australia was left reeling from the shock of the defeat against “minnows” Zimbabwe.

The funny thing about unexpected victories is that they get you thinking about new mountains to conquer. Now, we have a lot of giants in Zimbabwe and buoyed by our recent victory, I’m thinking what have we got to lose? Let’s throw ourselves at it and see where we get to. From South America to East Europe and Africa, history is littered with the bones of defeated giants. Think of Augusto Pinochet and Nicholae Ceausescu. It is entirely probable that some of the soldiers in the firing squad that shot him had been trained by him to kill his opponents. Talk about the chickens coming home to roost!

Closer to home think of the oft affable (from our then rose-tinted view) “one Zambia, one Nation, one Nation, one Leader and that leader- Kenneth Kaunda.” Consider if you will Kamuzu Banda. His ruthless exploits were a tragically comic combination of fact and folkloric fiction. Remember how he was rumoured to have fed his opponents alive and kicking to crocodiles? There was nothing mythical about PW Botha and his regime. What about bungling idiot Idi Amin? Or the infamous Emperor Jean Bedel Bokassa the cannibal with the 17 wives and over 50 children! Even our very own “Never in a thousand years” Ian Douglas Smith.

But it is not just the dictators who have been felled by Ants United. It is whole institutions and repression machineries. The Berlin Wall, the Apartheid machinery and the Iron Curtain. Ants of the world unite! You have nothing to lose except your chains (apologies Marx and Engels), but my God, just think!

Dear Sir,

I thought it best to write to you, seeing as I have not seen you or heard from you since the elections. You will agree that we need to keep the lines of communication open.

I have taken this initiative to bring to your attention things that I want addressed, small things, but to have them dealt with would so improve the quality of my life. I also want to formally notify you that I will be writing you a number of letters as and when l feel that there is something that needs your attention, as my elected representative of course.

I live in the Avenues. I would love to walk safely from the shops at Fife Avenue Shopping Centre but in the near darkness that is the Avenues, I cannot without risking life or limb. I would love to walk down the two roads to my friend’s flat for a chat on Friday, but how can I? Many a time I have sat in my office and heard the sounds of muggings and robberies going on in the road below me. I have felt powerless to intervene. I have just cowered behind my desk and heaved a sigh of relief that this time it is not me.

Usually after such an incident, I stop to speak to the security guard at the door on my way out. I used to wonder why all the security guards in the street didn’t do more to come to the rescue of the unfortunate victims, until they told me that if they get involved, the thieves would come back for them. Self preservation, but can you blame them? I have often wondered why we do not have an emergency number to call the police for assistance. But I guess that is a matter for the next government.

Which brings me to my point. What is your party’s position on crime and what do you intend to do to ensure that you improve safety and security for your citizens. And I am NOT talking about interfering with my mail or other Big Brother tactics.

For the time being, I will tell you how this situation is affecting me and others like me. I no longer work late. I do not want to be carjacked, mugged or worse. My best friend no longer goes to the college she used to attend. How would she walk home from the 7:30 lecture without getting mugged or raped or killed? Now how many people are not putting in the hours they need to at work? How many women and men are not furthering their education because they have legitimate fears for their safety? Now what are you going to do about it??

Kindly think about this as you begin planning your re-election campaign.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Makoni
Resident, Harare Central