Mr. Speaker, I rise here to debate and dedicate my debate to the memory of two great sons of the soil. One of them is Lookout Mafela Masuku – a man with impeccable liberation war credentials. He liberated this country from the yoke of colonialism, came back to Zimbabwe and was incarcerated by Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The court found him not guilty, but Robert Mugabe decided to keep him in detention. He was released and barely one week after his release, he died. Robert Mugabe denied Lookout Mafela Masuku, a man with impeccable liberation war credentials, to be buried at the Heroes’ Acre and he lies buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo.
Mr. Speaker, I dedicate my debate to the memory of 32 year old Itai Dzamara. Mr. Speaker, Itai Dzamara disappeared for one reason and one reason alone – that Mugabe must go. I had the privilege to talk to Itai Dzamara on the Thursday and then he disappeared on Saturday and he told me to say, “Mukoma James, we are on the dawn of a new era”, and sadly, Itai Dzamara cannot be with us today to witness this momentous occasion – very sad.
Mr. Speaker, I then go on to the man called Robert Gabriel Mugabe. As William Shakespeare said, ‘With one smiling eye and one drooping eye, I am saddened’. It did not have to come to this. Had President Mugabe listened – he did not listen because he thought that he knew it all. Had President Mugabe listened, we would not be here today – he did not listen and I repeat this. Whoever is going to come after President Mugabe, please, do not go this way. You must listen to the people of Zimbabwe. One man holds a country and 15 million people created in the image of the same Lord that created him to ransom. One man Mr. Speaker, cows an entire nation – he incarcerates at will, he fires wantonly.
Mr. Speaker, R. G. Mugabe had become a source of insecurity in this country and I will explain why. In a space of four years, he dismisses two Vice Presidents whom he appointed himself and he accuses them of wanting to kill him. He dismisses a total of more than two dozen Ministers for plotting to kill him. Ironically, barely two years later, he reappoints two of those Ministers into Cabinet without having them go to court. I am talking here of Hon. Shamu and Hon. Dr. Chimedza. They were dismissed for plotting to kill him, yet three years later; he brings them back into Cabinet before they could go to court. What I am talking about is that the man Robert Mugabe has a very poor sense of judgement and it is that poor sense of judgement that he must be shown the exit. I cannot wait to see his back.
Mr. Speaker, when President Mugabe took over this country in 1980; the Zimbabwean dollar was at par with the American dollar and come to the British Pound, and the British Pound is the strongest currency in the world. Barely 25 years later, we do not have a currency – it has disappeared and we are using the US dollar. President Mugabe presided over a crumbling economy and not a single day did he say anything that would pluck this country from the doldrums. All he was interested in was personal power. President Mugabe was interested in his personal power, the safety of his children and wife and everything else followed. He was not interested about the people of Zimbabwe and for that reason, President Mugabe must go.
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