Zimbabwe is now split between politicians who are either puppets of the West or East. Anyone who has been preaching the gospel of democracy and good governance is being labeled a puppet of the West. But still we have the new friends who are exploiting our brothers and sisters, our environment and breaking laws left, right and center while using illegal permits. Who is issuing these licenses? These are now the puppets of the East who sacrifice the country for self benefit.

The function of a civil resistance is to provoke response and we will provoke until they respond or change the law. – Gandhi

This morning I heard a guy say “Ah, that Chris Mutsvangwa is a hard headed fellow.” Pressed by a colleague who asked “What has Mutsvangwa done this time,” the first fellow simply continued, “Ah, he is just impossible!”

I sensed he was referring to Mutsvangwa’s performance at the SAPES Trust public meeting where the apoplectic Cde stormed out during proceedings because the audience and panelists did not take kindly to his comments that all of them should be grateful to Zanu PF for giving them anything from ministerial jobs to the freedom they presently enjoy.

The arrogance was galling.

It was classic Mutsvangwa having given the same condescending remarks live on national television during a debate on the constitution where panelists included Qhubekani Moyo (MDC-N), Jessie Majome (MDC-T), Blessing Vava and Job Sikhala.

Mutsvangwa simply dismissed them, telling them that they should be grateful to Zanu PF for giving them free university education, thank Zanu PF for ending white minority, else they would still be serfs in a white man’s world.

At the SAPES public meeting, the arrogance Mutsvangwa portrayed, and what incensed the guy I referred to above, only highlights Zanu PF’s perverted sense of entitlement and “ownership” of the country and its people.

You cannot own people as if you are some feudal lord, but then the dictatorship of Zanu PF only highlights that indeed the party is steeped in the feudalism of yore where it continues to see everyone as vassals!

How many times have you heard President Mugabe say “my people?”

I certainly ain’t anyone’s person! God’s YES’s, man’s NO!

But then good thing for the SAPES meeting that Paul Themba Nyathi was there to remind Mutsvangwa that he (Nyathi) fought for the country and he certainly ain’t Zanu PF!

There are many lessons to be drawn for Zanu PF arrogance. And these lessons are what the party itself will learn rather painfully!

Yesterday a friend made a remark that puts the coming polls into perspective.

He said surely Mugabe knows he is no longer wanted by the people of Zimbabwe, and even if he loses, he may still simply refuse to accept defeat.

I said, well, hasn’t that happened before?

And with a guy like Mutsvangwa fighting from Mugabe’s corner, we could sure still have a long way to go before we get to the Zimbabwe we want.

And again it does magnify the folly of these rushed polls, because Mutsvangwa and other so-called Zanu PF hawks seem to know they hold the four aces, and these are not hidden anymore! What arrogance.

If this election is going to be based on accountability then all Members of Parliament don’t deserve a second chance to represent the people. Interesting interview on Zi-Fm led to some cursing and shouting of obscenities on radio by the Honorable Tendai Biti when he was asked what he used his US$50 000 allocation of the Constituency Development Fund for. If this were a face-to-face interview someone would have lost some front teeth as the Minister went haywire on a live radio program.

The outrage was sparked by a survey, which was carried out by the Harare Residents Trust, a lobby group based in Harare. Honorable Tendai Biti the Harare East Member of Parliament and also the Minister of Finance claims he still has around US$23 000 as a ‘balance’ in the account and one wonders why he didn’t just use the money to develop his constituency before the end of his term in office. I mean Harare East is not spared from road potholes and I am sure there are clinics, which need some medicine, or he could have just bought some chairs and desks for schools in his area.

By trying to shoot the messenger and dismissing HRT’s report raises some interest in what he used the other half of the allocation for?

The Cde Minister may have handled the nation’s budget but has failed to allocate US$50 000 in his constituency.

Creativity is the power to reject the past, to change the status quo, and to seek new potential. – Ai Weiwei