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#Thread - I don’t comment as much on politics of late, for reasons I will explain at the end of this thread. But here is a once off and what I think about July 31.
Point #1 - The issues and concerns raised as drivers for this protest / demo / movement are legitimate and honest.
Point #1 - The issues and concerns raised as drivers for this protest / demo / movement are legitimate and honest.
2. Corruption is endemic in 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇿🇼" title="Flagge von Simbabwe" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Simbabwe"> right now and across the divide. Its biggest drivers and beneficiaries are state actors who occupy high offices.
The standard of living is decreasing dreadfully. More & more people are failing to feed their families & by no fault of their own.
The standard of living is decreasing dreadfully. More & more people are failing to feed their families & by no fault of their own.
3. The economy is free falling and poverty is growing. Zanu Pf is yet to deliver on many of its election promises and its average voter is suffering.
Life has genuinely become worse in 2020 than it was in 2017 when Mugabe was removed. We can debate but this is the reality.
Life has genuinely become worse in 2020 than it was in 2017 when Mugabe was removed. We can debate but this is the reality.
4. There are several arguments about whether the suffering is bitter medicine meant to correct 37 years of casino economics but that is purely academic. There are terrible decisions being made today in the name of recovery but that just hurt the common man. Nothing to do with Bob
5.
- Looting of Cyclone Idai relief.
- Looting of covid-19 relief funds.
- Police demanding bribes & daily traffic fine targets.
- Policy flip flopping & rules by decree
- City Land barons
And many other things are not part of any magical plan to turn Zim around.
- Looting of Cyclone Idai relief.
- Looting of covid-19 relief funds.
- Police demanding bribes & daily traffic fine targets.
- Policy flip flopping & rules by decree
- City Land barons
And many other things are not part of any magical plan to turn Zim around.
6. #Point2 - There is a lucrative economy for commercial activism in Zimbabwe. There are several regional and international groups that handsomely fund / assist resistance movements in Africa and this has created a demand for commercial activists who can put up a spectacle.
7. These activists often latch on to legitimate causes with tje goal of antagonising a state that honestly behaves badly.
Arrests and beatings are seen by funders as impactful resistance and line the pockets of those who lead the movements in 5 figures and above.
Arrests and beatings are seen by funders as impactful resistance and line the pockets of those who lead the movements in 5 figures and above.
8. Many have gone from GV to Avondale. Budaz to Borrowdale. Fio to Mabelreign. From maKombi to shiny Mercs. When Promise fell out with his Cdes, the heated exchanges revealed a simple matrix of beatings & arrests for cash - except Promise’s Cdes said he took the loot alone https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤨" title="Gesicht mit hochgezogener Augenbraue" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit hochgezogener Augenbraue">.
9. Stan Zvorwadza was another, with his vendor group. When they fell out, the script was the same. Money.
By the end of it, guy drove a poshy car and packed a pot belly. Not that $ wrong. Its the source of these funds & the arranged spectacles that are bitter in the mouth.
By the end of it, guy drove a poshy car and packed a pot belly. Not that $ wrong. Its the source of these funds & the arranged spectacles that are bitter in the mouth.
10. #Point3. The problem with points 1 and 2 is that, the common man’s situation is lost and his material circumstances don’t change
The govt proceeds to ignore his legitimate concerns because they insist (and with credible reason) that its just commercial activism.
The govt proceeds to ignore his legitimate concerns because they insist (and with credible reason) that its just commercial activism.
11. The common man loses ownership of his struggle, his situation & his voice.
In fact while his suffering is subject of the conflict between activists & govt - he is excluded from benefiting anything off it. His situation deteriorates. Its deteriorating.
In fact while his suffering is subject of the conflict between activists & govt - he is excluded from benefiting anything off it. His situation deteriorates. Its deteriorating.
12. The government swears it is only going to dig in. It has found a scapegoat in funded spectacles
Meanwhile the situation gets worse. People will protest with good reason but the activists will pocket more dollars and sterling & the government threatens to be brutal once more.
Meanwhile the situation gets worse. People will protest with good reason but the activists will pocket more dollars and sterling & the government threatens to be brutal once more.
13. I will reiterate that the state is delinquent and all failures rest on the footsteps of the collective leadership. If the debate is that most of the problems are not of their making then the problem is their speed in fixing these. People have a right to legitimately expect -
14. - a govt that offered itself on the ballot to fix the mess and swiftly. And as I said, away from the legacy debt & maladminstration issues, there are new seeds of theft being sowed that will only make recovery a pipe dream.
15. Mugabe cannot be an excuse for the new ‘technocrat’ ministers setting up kickbacks under family members names & looting whatever little money is left. Its just making a bad situation worse. Not only that, even the state’s main pillars are feeing the effects.
