Editorial Comment: Let’s find a happy way of differing

main Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium took President Mugabe’s advice to heart that electoral contests at party and national level be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the wishes of the people who, in the end, are the owners of the electoral process.

We salute the leadership of the three main parties in Government even more for the excellent example they showed yesterday in attending the independence celebrations countrywide sitting and conferring side by side in a clear show of unity of purpose.

Theirs was an example that their supporters should emulate. What unites us is stronger than any perceived divisions or differences we may have. As President Mugabe said as the leadership, they easily relate and spend a lot of time together.

However, when some address their party supporters, they tend to change tune and give supporters bad messages alleging violence against their members.
It is such inflammatory messages that, no doubt, push some to violence against rival party members.

It is said a fish rots from the head down. To this end, we hope the leadership across the divide stands put on notice.
They have the responsibility of reining in the supporters and explaining their expectations ahead of elections.
We hope the police will go a step further by clamping down on all perpetrators of violence to send a clear message to would-be hooligans, that society frowns upon such behaviour.

We urge all progressive Zimbabweans to maintain the spirit of tolerance and maturity shown by the leadership, put shoulders to the wheel to move the inclusive Government forward.

We are aware that there are many, particularly in the West, who are not amused by the prevailing peace.
They badly need violence to trash the forthcoming harmonised elections.

But when all is said and done, when the profits and losses are tallied what does violence benefit the ordinary man, particularly the goons who destroy public and private property?
The answer: A chain of credits in the detractor’s column, and unimaginable debits for you and me, in our scheme of things.
Isn’t it time, we all sat down to weigh the prudence of our actions?

Its time, we all put a stop to the barbarism that believes violence is a form of persuasion.
The one trait that separates man from other primates in the animal kingdom is possession of speech and the ability to solve differences through dialogue.
Let’s find a happy way of differing.