The Zimist Manifesto

[XXPANTHAXX]

THE ZIMIST MANIFESTO


Running dogs can only bark as far as their leashes can take them!
Background

The struggle in Zimbabwe today can be dissected into many forms:

1) The struggle for survival by the government of Zimbabwe
2) The struggle for control of mode of production by the western world
3) Struggle for power by the beneficiaries of the government
4) Struggle for power by the beneficiaries of the west
5) The struggle for survival by the people of Zimbabwe.

When the government of Zimbabwe resolved in 2000 to seize land from the minority of British (Western) descend and allegiance it was a clear challenge to the influence of the world super powers. The situation in Zimbabwe prior to this sweeping tilt was such that the West controlled the mode of production whilst the government controlled the political establishments of the country. As long as the government respected the interests of the West its needs were catered for without much ado. However because of this control on the mode of production the West could advance the policies that secure its establishments without consideration of the responsibilities of the government.

In the capitalist world there is no responsibility whatsoever over the deeds and welfare of the brother next door. The government therefore was not supposed to show any compassion to the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans, rather it was supposed to be happier with the status of the economy in which profits would be made every day. That way the government would get a portion of the profit whilst the West gets a bigger chunk. The responsibility of the government was simply to administer the funds allocated to it in such a way that there is no clear disparity between the production and the internal investment in the country.

In a capitalist setting it is the market forces that run the economy. The government is not obliged to make education accessible to all, neither should it make health available to all; rather individuals should work hard or even harder to make themselves able to afford the costs of all these. Thus subsidization or price controls are not tolerable in such a setting.

Now, the government of Zimbabwe had gotten power through the help of the East whose ideology and system of governance was based upon the principles of communism and socialism. Under this system the government has an obligation to close the gap between the poor and the rich. To protect the poor from the maneuverings of the rich. For twenty years the government of Zimbabwe was trying to bridge the distinct ideologies without compromising its relationship with its old and new friends at the same time avoiding disappointing its people who expected sympathy and protection.

The West’s intentions were clear: to continue the dominance that they had on African states before independence. A new form of colonialism based upon economic imperialism began in which the west influenced the forces in economies so as to get conformity from governments. For example, the Economic Structural Adjustment Program which the IMF and World Bank (American Bank) recommended for Zimbabwe in 1991. One of the prerequisite for foreign funding and donor aid was the restructuring of the economy which included liberalization of the economy, privatization of all national institutions and abolition of collectivization. This resulted in the phasing out of free education policy, free health policy and subsidy of basic commodities. The eventual corollary of this reform was, increased vulnerability of the poor coupled to overwhelming profits by the rich. The government had relinquished its responsibility to protect the poor while ensuring a viable environment for business.

Today Africa as a whole is about to undertake the same reforms as those undertaken by Zimbabwe in 1990 in a program called New Partnership for Africa’s Development whose main objective is to oversee the implementation and to monitor the use of overseas aid especially from the Industrialized North (herein referred as West). The conditions are typically the same, and definitely a cosmetic surgery by African governments to get aid from the West. No wonder why Zimbabwe is skeptical of the whole program.

Now by seizing the mode of production it meant that the West had lost its influence on the events within the country. It meant less access to cheap resources then meaning a loss on investments then subsequently a skewed balance of payments and eventually a negative tilt in the economy. This is dangerous for any country whose economy is driven by external investments. Now imagine what would have happened if all African countries had done what Zimbabwe did; western economies would collapse.

So to maintain internal stability, the West had to necessitate the transfer of power from hostile hands to those of friendly personalities. How then do they do it?

1) Destabilise the functions of the government by strangulating all efforts to interact with the west. This way the trade balance is maintained at zero in zero out. Thus a government which is not self-sufficient would be affected by shortages. This shortage would translate into a testimony of incompetence on the part of the government. This is precariously a dangerous situation which can ignite civil disobedience and ultimately regime change.

2) Destabilise the country politically by financing opposition forces. This may include support for terrorist activities and acts of sabotage so as to create an atmosphere conducive for looting and plundering. Usually the government would become too preoccupied with survival to monitor the movement of the country’s resources which the opposition would take advantage of to finance their motives. This was typically the case in DRC, Angola, Sudan and even the Middle East.

The greatest benefit for the West in Zimbabwe is the abundant agricultural and mineral resources scattered across the country. War in Zimbabwe would mean destabilization of agricultural activities in the country ensuing reduced benefits for the West. Thus the West would rather opt for less drastic measures so that it doesn’t lose out on the products of the targeted country. Under such circumstances the aggressor coins different intervention strategies which enable it to influence the course of events in the country. In the Zimbabwean case, the first ploy is to starve the government of any financial aid whatsoever; this means that the government has to scavenge for resources, sacrificing other projects while prioritizing others. There is definitely a blatant effect of these changes on the outlook of the country. The second ploy is to starve the government of revenue from its internal resources by creating new trade routes with local middlemen (who we shall heretofore refer to as zvimbwasungata). These collect resources from the masses and circumvent government systems and then supply them to the West. The benefits of trade are theirs and the West is not worried as long as its quota is fulfilled. The eventual consequence of this scenario is the creation of a class of Zimbabwean bourgeoisies which we call Zvimbwasungata class.

Now Zvimbwasungata milk the country on behalf of the West. They peg and control the market forces because they have baseline capital in abundance. They can horde and create artificial shortages so as to up the demand and consequently the prices. They today are the barons of the black market in Zimbabwe. In actual fact, this Zvimbwasungata class controls the economic destiny of the country and if they go unchecked will definitely control the political character of the country.

So, what happens when a government decides to fight back and not succumb to external pressure?

With political power at stake, the need to survive becomes the paramount objective of the government. The government begins to strive to maintain grip on political power while seeking to circumvent the economic impediments put for it by its enemies. Primarily the government tries to seek solace or sympathy from the masses of the country. In the case of Zimbabwe, this was done through the redistribution of land and other populist policies which definitely appeased the disadvantaged of the society. This however creates a crop of loyalists based upon the fear of reversal of what had been gained already.

Secondly the government seeks to punish all beneficiaries or sympathizers of the west. This is done firstly to show them who is in power and secondly to destabilize their grip on the economy. In this regard the government passes laws that promote its agenda while suppressing the activities of the beneficiaries of the West. It seeks to use its control over state machinery against any voice of dissent. Another strategy used is sabotage of the enemy through drastic decisions made without prior warning. For example, the government may choose to change its currency overnight without warning to the enemy although having hinted it to its sympathizers such that it is only zvimbwasungata zvemabhunu that lose out.

Finally the government creates a crop of its own beneficiaries. Those whose tummies are fed by patronage to the government. These people create another class equal to that of the Zvimbwasungata zvemabhunu. This class is called Zvimbwasungata zvehurumende. The purpose of having this group is typically the same as the motives of the West.

1) To collect resources from the people on behalf of the government

2) To be role models to the masses that if you support the government (make the right choice) you will benefit and become prosperous as this class.

3) To be the ears and eyes of the state and suppress any genuine voice of the masses wanting to have a taste of the national cake.

These are typically the same functions of the beneficiaries of the west. Both though are running dogs, zvimbwasungata and are in constant struggle with the masses.

So who is fighting the people of Zimbabwe?

Apart from the struggle between the government and the West there are many other struggles going on in the country. These are caused by the need to maintain territories and the ambition to get more especially by the zvimbwasungata class. The zvimbwasungata class is benefiting from either the government or the west. There is constant struggle between zvimbwasungata and Rudhende (masses) to benefit from the government and the West. Greedy forces zvimbwasungata to push down rudhende so that they maintain their benefits.

Some masses believe in their government as their sole messiah and they constantly seek to get close to it but beneficiaries of the government often create barriers and impediments for them such that it takes more effort by the masses to get to the government than it does for zvimbwasungata. The biggest obstacle though is that the government and zvimbwasungata zvehurumende are hard to differentiate. Those who govern the country during the day usually mutate into beneficiaries by night. So it makes it impossible for the government to dissociate itself from the acts of zvimbwasungata.

For example, when the government of Zimbabwe amended the constitution to allow for land redistribution it was viewed as a noble idea meant to empower the people of Zimbabwe. Unfortunately because the government at atomic level is made up of zvimbwasungata, they abducted the program and made sure that they benefited first and left only token tracks for rudhende. This is a fact considering that most if not all members of cabinet at the time got fertile tracks of land while rudhende got only in semi-productive areas.

In the same context, zvimbwasungata zvemabhunu also seek to create a blockade between the masses and the little that the west may be intending to reinvest after collecting profits from the country. An idea which comes from the people aimed at emancipating them is rejected with contempt because it is the wish of these beneficiaries to maintain supremacy over the masses through its leashes on finance.

There is also a struggle between the two zvimbwasungata classes. The struggle is for control of the masses. This is usually done through exclusion on certain activities. However, these classes avoid direct confrontation rather they measure their gains over the other through the number of masses showing allegiance to each group. For, example zvimbwasungata zvehurumende chose to allocate land to itself and mostly their sympathizers thereby marginalizing zvimbwasungata zvemabhunu and their sympathizers. In the same way, zvimbwasungata zvemabhunu also choose to give food aid to their sympathizers excluding the other side. All this is a struggle for supremacy between the two strata of the zvimbwasungata class. In Zimbabwe the winner of the two is supposed to be shown during tithing in church, at bars, golf courses and during elections!

So how can the rudhende emancipate itself from zvimbwasungata?

Given that the West operates through Zvimbwasungata and that the government is made up of Zvimbwasungata it becomes clear that the enemy of Zimbabwe is not the West per se nor the government but the zvimbwasungata class. The following points should be noted.

- There are two centers fighting for influence
- There is constant pressure on the masses to join at least one of the forces
- There is also constant fighting in each group to reach the core of the centre.
- Those with more resources and influence have better chances of making it to the center.
- The only resource that the masses have is manpower.
- It becomes necessary that masses unite to free themselves.
- They should create another center for them away from these two and pull in their direction.
- There is power in unity!

What type of government do we need?

1) The government should be a reflection of the wishes and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe
2) The government should be a true representative of the people of Zimbabwe
3) The government should be one that is directly accountable and answerable to the people of Zimbabwe
4) The government should be elected by popular vote
5) The government should be appointed by the people and be removable by the wishes of the people.

What type of governance do we need?

If the government of Zimbabwe is defined within the above confines, then how should it govern the country


- The distribution of Zimbabwean resources should be a true reflection of the demographic distribution of the people of Zimbabwe. (More resources should go to where more people are settled.)
- Priority should be given to uplifting the lives of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. In this respect, the government should give priority to provision of basic needs before thinking of profit.
- The transactions of the government with the people of Zimbabwe should not be aimed at making profit but to provide for them- profit comes from foreign interactions.
- It is the obligation of the government to ensure the protection of the poor from the machinations of the rich.
- The government should have an obligation to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.
- The government should only be a trustee and steering committee to administer the country’s resources and diligently and impartially distribute them to the people in a manner transparent and acceptable to the people.

The seven policies we need

- One man one vote
- Multiparty democracy
- Free education
- Free health
- Free access to land
- Equal access to employment
- Workers should benefit from their labor.

How would the government implement these?

One man One vote

- There would be representation of the people from the village committee up to the national structures.
- The parliament should be made up of people chosen by the people of a given constituency
- The drawing up of constituencies should be based upon the following
• Common neighborhood
• Common lifestyle
• Common welfare
• Common beliefs
- Elections are run by an independent commission that is funded from the coffers of the government and made up of respectable people/individuals of good moral and social standing. All classes of people should be represented and the choices should be endorsed by the people through their representatives at microcosm level.
- Every man’s vote would be counted as equal to everybody else’s.
- Representation of the people would be ultimate and by popular vote, this would mean;
• A minimum of 66.6% of the electorate should vote in any election; if less than that this number turns out for any election, then the result would be null and void a rerun would be done after further education and lobbying of the electorate.
• The winner of an election should be a convincing representative of the people of his constituency. In this case he/she should garner more than 50% of the cast votes. If there is no one with a simple majority then the elections should be rerun between the top two representatives.


Multiparty Democracy

- There would be no repression or suppression of political views, ideas or beliefs in which every citizen would be allowed to participate politically in any national agenda as allowed by agreed laws of the country.
- Every party would be granted equal access to state facilities like media, security etc
- Every party would be allowed unreserved access to the people as is acceptable by commonly agreed laws of the country.
- Every party would be allowed access to state resources based upon the percentage of the electorate it represents.

Free education

- there would be free access to basic education
- the government would subsidize secondary and tertiary education, the amount of subsidy should be such that every child who wishes to continue with education would do so without stress.

Free health

- There would be free access to health facilities
- Every person would be granted specialized health care at a cost that would be sustained by the government of Zimbabwe. ( Every Zimbabwean has a right to the resources of the country, when the government sells the country’s gold; there is a percentage of it for everybody thus this percentage should go towards sustaining the livelihoods of the people of the country)

Free access to land

- Every Zimbabwean citizen would have access to land depending on the type of lifestyle of that person. In this regard, those in the urban areas would be given building stands free of charge, which shall be theirs and for their families. Those in rural areas whose life is sustained by agricultural activities would be given land to farm on reasonably fertile lands which can sustain them and the nation too.
- The purpose of the government is to oversee that the land is equitably distributed based upon need and to ensure that no one owns benefits at the expense of others.
- Commercial agriculture would be encouraged and the lands reserved for such would not be interfered with in the process of land redistribution.

Equal access to employment

- Every Zimbabwean who has reached the age of majority and wishes to be employed would be employed based upon his/her ability and qualifications.
- People of the same qualifications would have equal opportunity for any job.
- People doing the same job at the same establishment with the same qualifications would be entitled to the same treatment.

Workers should benefit from their labor

- The government would put policies that ensure that workers benefit from the profits of their labor. This particularly includes:
• Gazetting from time to time realistic minimum wages in line with the costs of basic needs.
• Stipulating a certain percentage to be shared from every company’s annual profits by its workers.

- There would be laws enacted by common agreement to protect the workers from abuse and misuse.


How do we organize ourselves towards this type government?


- A movement of the people should be formed
- it is the responsibility of the intelligentsia of the society to strategize and educate the people on what needs to be done and why it is supposed to be done.
- The people should own the revolution and through public agreement choose their own leaders.
- The leadership of the movement should abide by strict conduct and seek to uphold the values and principles of the revolution
- Education is the greatest weapon against the facets of oppression; therefore in the anticipation of the revolution the movement should put more effort on educating the people of Zimbabwe.
- Every Zimbabwean has a responsibility to sustain the revolution.
- The power of persuasion rather than the power of coercion should be used in all the engagements of the Movement.
- Violence should not be tolerated within and without the movement: We have more to lose in hostility than in diplomatic engagement but ……...


PRINCIPLES OF ZIMISM

Zimism is founded based upon the following principles:


1) Zimbabwe is a sovereign state whose independence shall never be tempered

- The Mutapa, Rozvi and Ndebele states build the foundations of Zimbabwe today
- Colonialism is an unfortunate incident in our history but we have forgiven each other, it is our responsibility now to build a Zimbabwe without a colour bar.
- Many were sacrificed and many sacrificed themselves in the hope of a free and independent Zimbabwe and we should never forget this.
- Nobody owns the freedom of Zimbabwe but every Zimbabwean has an obligation to protect it.
- A Zimbabwean will always be a Zimbabwean and nothing can take that away from him.
- We believe in Western technology but maintaining Zimbabwean dominion.
- Zimbabwe is our country we shall not want

2) Zimbabwe comes first, Africa second and the world third
- We are Zimbabweans, we are Africans and we are also human beings
- We believe in the unity of Zimbabweans, Africans and all human beings
- For anything that Zimbabwe produce let it be for Zimbabweans, if we have in abundance let it be shared with Africa, if Africa has had enough then let it be for the whole world.
- Africa cannot be united at atomic level rather unity of Zimbabweans coupled with the unity of other African states makes it easier for universal Pan-Africanism. So seek yeh first the unity of your nations and everything else shall follow!


3) Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and everyone else is a brother
- The destiny of Zimbabwe is in the hands of Zimbabweans
- The fate of Zimbabwe should be churned by Zimbabweans, anyone else who meddles in it is an enemy of the people of Zimbabwe
- It is only by invitation that brothers may come in and mediate, other than that Zimbabwe remains for those who love Zimbabwe!


4) Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe by virtue of its boundaries, history and culture
- We respect the sovereignty of our country and that of other nations
- We have a history as a people and we respect that history
- We have a culture as a people and we will continue to observe such without fear of victimization whatsoever.
- We shall speak our languages anywhere in Zimbabwe and nobody can deny us that.
5) The voice of the people of Zimbabwe is the voice of God.
- We speak peace, love and harmony
- We speak justice
- We speak the truth
- Our God is a God of Peace, Love and Harmony
- Our God is Truthful and is Just
- So when the people of Zimbabwe speak it is the voice of God speaking, it should be respected by all mortals!


The future is today