I was very happy when Robert Mugabe became the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Though I did not know much about him, I was happy that the country was now free. I looked forward to a better Zimbabwe and a lot of changes that the majority of people would benefit from. In the early 1980s Mugabe became the people’s choice and indeed a household name. One would freeze everything and listen attentively to a live broadcast of his speech either on national radio or television. The young, the old, the poor and the rich black people liked him.Over the years he made a lot of promises that were supposed to be fulfilled by the year 2000 and benefit Zimbabweans. We expected real change on issues that affected the people on a day-to-day basis such as education, employment, health and sanitation, human rights, taxation, infrastructure development and many more. Over and above the non-delivery of the expected changes throughout his tenure in office Mugabe has also been feeding us with a diet of hate language. He has made anyone he feels is a threat to him an enemy of the state including whites, opposition parties and the West. For far too long Mugabe has dwelt in the past. While we need to be conscious of our history and the liberation struggle, we cannot spend 30 years preaching hate language everyday and doing so little to address real issues that need urgent attention.Mugabe’s promises over the years are not coming to fruition. We are tired of being fed a diet of hate. We need to see change in a positive direction. Honestly speaking, Mugabe is no longer the man we need to rule us. We definitely need change. Zimbabwe is a blessed nation. God knows that the change we need is certainly coming. People now know the truth and who to vote for. Even our dear brothers and sisters in the rural areas have now been greatly enlightened thanks to the private press including this newspaper.
Madzaura,Harare.
