daniel chigunwe
Rev Dr Gwinyai Muzorewa
CONGRATULATIONS to fellow Zimbabweans for exercising our constitutional right to vote, and we did so peacefully.
Credit goes to His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, who, although he was also a candidate, appealed for peace nationally, prior, during and after the elections.
We should truly be proud of ourselves as Zimbabweans. That the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) delivered ballots late in some few wards, was unfortunate.
This glitch was repaired by extending the voting time in the areas affected so all people willing to vote could do so.
All the same, a 68 percent voter turnout was commendable.
However, the nation must now move on.
Wisdom tells us to remain united as one sovereign State, indivisible under God.
A win-win Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe did not lose in this election. Rather, individual candidates lost the vote they anticipated. For example, a candidate who had prematurely announced victory before not even half the electorate had voted, displayed immaturity and emotional assumption.
His intent was to arouse anticipated supporters’ emotions. That action borders on being a breach of the law.
Fortunately, Zimbabweans kept calm through it all, as a mature democratic sovereign state.
All the 11 presidential candidates who were presumably hoping to bring progress to the nation should unite and share their leadership skills for the benefit of the nation.
The more than 2.3 million people who voted for the winner, President Mnangagwa, and the over 1.9 million who voted otherwise, together with the 92 000 [spoiled ballots], and those in absentia, including the diaspora community, all desire to see national development and economic growth, stability and development.
As Zimbabweans, let us unite for the sake of our sovereignty. As the power to vote was in our hands, the power to make national progress is also in our hands, not the President alone.
The nation should not be tempted or lured to spend the next five years living in perpetual polarisation, litigations and castigations. Let us go back to work.
For the nation to succeed, we need leadership that facilitates that work ethic by creating a political atmosphere conducive to economic growth, stability and development.
If we decide to follow the path to unity, in a reconciliatory spirit and national progressive attitude, most people will be better off in due course.
Uniting for change and nation-building calls for co-operation with various stakeholders in the country.
Our national challenges like unemployment and corruption call for team work, focusing on national priorities. The Shona proverb is true — “Gunwe rimwe hari tswanyi inda” which translates into “one thumb cannot kill a louse”.
Now is the time to unite the nation for nation-building.
This five-year term the nation should focus on turning the economy around, nationwide, not just for a few elites.
As opposition parties whose existence is solely to make a difference, will strive to rectify the deficiency nation-wide. United, we stand, divided we fall.
Shared national resources
Of course, this can take various forms of governing style, as long as whatever style creates an atmosphere conducive to economic growth and national development.
Peace and prosperity will prevail when our national resources are shared in kind, among the citizenry.
It is commendable that Government under the leadership of President Mnangagwa has solved the problem of fuel, using the nation’s natural resources, and so no more queues for fuel.
The almost complete dualised highway from Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu, serving the SADC region, is another excellent example of the use of national resources for the benefit of the people.
Irrigation schemes in various communities like the Bubi-Lupane irrigation scheme in Mpofu village, are commendable, and should spread to other drought-stricken regions of the country.
A father-figure model is one that comes naturally as it welcomes diversity as well as unity.
It also has a way of dealing with cases of insanity in the “family”. Yet the father remains the father. The majority of Zimbabwe has given you, President Mnangagwa, the mandate to lead.
The good news is, there are some political parties that believe in nation-building (beginning with national priorities) and they are ready to work with you for the betterment of the nation and beyond.
Together, we will rise beyond the revolutionary party to being the revolutionary nation, a shining beacon of Southern Africa.
Fellow citizens, let us not allow political shenanigans to ruin our lives.
It is unfortunate that some politicians/political leaders seek to live off of the politics of human manipulation.
The goal of politicians who are self-centred is self-aggrandizement, not nation-building and prosperity.
I have heard it said, “politics is a game of numbers”, which means whoever has the largest numbers “wins” the election. That may be so.
However, leadership is not a game of numbers but “a game of content, maturity, wisdom and vision.”
The community of believers; those who believe in God the Creator (whether Muslims, Traditionalists or Christians), let us continue to pray for God-fearing leadership, peace, unity and goodwill toward people of all walks of life.
We prayed for peaceful elections, and God answered our prayer before, during and after the election.
President Mnangagwa appealed to the nation for peaceful election and we successfully complied with his plea.
In that spirit, may we also ask for a peaceful and productive five-year period ahead of us.
Word of wisdom from our guest of honour on the August 22 at the Crown Plaza, the retired former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, one who made exceptional contribution to the liberation struggle in Southern Africa, and was instrumental in transforming Mozambique into a thriving democracy, was: “you love peace, you are peace”.
The Holy Book also says, “blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9). As we will soon hit half a century of independence, peace, unity, prosperity and security should be our way of life.
Fellow Zimbabweans, may we continue to be the instruments of national unity and peace for our country.
Remember, “every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Mat. 12:25).
Join this commitment to national unity, security, social institutions, good governance, peace and justice which are the critical building blocks for a democratic state.
May the Lord continue to guide us in this path as we treasure our sovereignty and work for our national prosperity.
Rev Dr Gwinyai Muzorewa was the UANC presidential candidate in the just-ended harmonised elections.
Online Reporter
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