Alex T Magaisa 🇿🇼 Profile picture
Aug 4, 2020 8 tweets 2 min read Read on X
1. I eventually got round to play Mnangagwa’s panic address to the nation. Tedious and empty as usual. He described the opposition parties as “terrorists”. Coming from a co-architect & enforcer of #Gukurahundi, this label is not to be taken lightly #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
2. By calling the opposition ”terrorists” he’s not only stripping them if their legitimacy but he is also setting up the tone for the brutal treatment applied to opponents. Being called a terrorist is being described as an outcast criminal element deserving of harsh measures.
3. Those who remember #Gukurahundi will know that this is similar to how whole communities in Matebeleland were decimated on the grounds that they were habouring & supporting dissidents. Describing opponents as terrorists was also a favourite method by the colonial regime
4. Instead of acknowledging wrongdoing, recognising victims of his regime’s brutality, apologising and promising to bring perpetrators to account, Mnangagwa went on a customary rant, blaming everyone and everything. Instead of being remorseful, he’s intransigent.
5. Typical of a paranoid dictator, Mnangagwa is seeing enemies everywhere. Everyone is out to get him. He’s schizophrenic. He’s seeing shadows everywhere. It’s ironic that the attacker believes he is being attacked. It’s his men who tortured young Tawanda Muchehiwa.
6. The craziest part is when he says, “The door to the old manner of doing things is shut. The corrupt way is closed”. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. His regime represents continuity. He talks of repealing POSA but police & military behaviour hasn’t changed one bit!
7. Notable is how he went on about Transparency & Accountability, the two key principles behind the recent BSR critique of the Farm Mechanisation Scandal. They might rant, curse & threaten but the truth has a habit of finding its way. Chokwadi hachivhikike. Iqiniso uyinkosi.
8. In short, instead of atoning for human rights violations, Mnangagwa simply issued more threats. His description of the opposition as terrorists is an ominous sign which will be followed by more harsh conduct. He’s already justifying the continued jailing of Hopewell & Jacob.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Alex T Magaisa 🇿🇼

Alex T Magaisa 🇿🇼 Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @Wamagaisa

Apr 28, 2022
Havasi vose vanoti CCC vane chido nayo. Naizvozvo havasi vose vanoti CCC vamuchange munavo pakuyambuka. Vamwe vanoti zvino tinoziva sei? Aiwa, muchaona nemabasa. China manenji hachifambisi, chinomirira kuti mavara acho aonekwe. Mukaziva izvozvo moyo yenyu haizodzimbikani.
It’s not everyone who says CCC who is for it. Therefore, not everyone who says CCC shall be with you at the crossing. Some ask, how shall we know? Worry not for you shall see by their works. A mystery takes time to show its colours. Know this and your hearts shall not be broken
Akusi wonke othi CCC omela i CCC. Ngakho ke, masokumele sichaphe umfula asi wonke ozawela. Sizobazi kanjani ukuthi laba ngabethu laba asibethu? Ungakhathazeki! Okulempondo akufihlwa emgodleni Sizobona ngezenzo. Ungabakwazi lokhu, inhliziyo yakho izoba lokuthula
Read 6 tweets
Apr 28, 2022
1. I’ve read the distress call from journalist @daddyhope arising from the Zimbabwean regime’s attempt to grab his private investment at his rural home. As usual, the regime uses surrogates to create false narratives to justify the confiscation & plunder of private property.
2. For experienced Zimbabwe watchers, looting and plundering is a regime favourite. Edwin Moyo’s flourishing Kondozi Estate was run aground by regime looters. Business people live in fear of losing their investments which is worse if they reveal their political preferences.
3. A businessman who was suspected of funding the opposition found himself facing an unreasonable and vindictive tax bill from ZIMRA. Many more are choked into silence if ever they are suspected of siding with or helping the opposition.
Read 7 tweets
Apr 24, 2022
1. When they say you’re putting the cart before the horse they mean you’re doing things in the wrong order. You want to buy a wedding gown before your partner has proposed! Everything must follow a process. This is why debate over the CCC “Congress” is misplaced & misdirected.
2. I’ve been searching for when the “Congress” became an issue of public debate. I took a break over Easter & I missed its genesis then. Back to the idiom: an event of the nature described as a “Congress” is the culmination of other foundational processes.
3. The nomenclature of “Congress” is a reflection of how ZANU PF discourse has shaped our political thinking. MDC simply copied & pasted the language & processes of ZANU PF. The organs were similar albeit with minor modifications such as “Youth Assembly” for “Youth League”
Read 15 tweets
Apr 22, 2022
1. In an environment where traditional media space has long been restricted, social media can be useful to opposition leaders. But just as it is an opportunity, it is also a risk, the latter of which increases in the absence of proper training and message discipline.
2. I’m surprised that some opposition figures see their twitter handles as “personal”. The fact of the matter is that to the public eye whatever they tweet is associated with their party. They have to think hard & carefully how their output will reflect on the party.
3. Going forward, a social media crash course is necessary for party officials. Tsvangirai used to be so frustrated by message indiscipline. You would open the newspaper & find conflicting messages from party officials. And that was before social media blossomed.
Read 4 tweets
Apr 12, 2022
1. @TrevorNcube I’ve read your piece & there are loose ends that need clarity. You say you supported Mssrs Makoni & Moyo in their political projects. It’s common cause that 1. both failed & 2. you abandoned them. Could you elaborate on why they failed despite the merits you saw?
2. Secondly, you pledge a holy petition that Chamisa “attracts men & women who are far better that him to add content, vision and strategy to his ambitions”, an indirect claim that he has none. Is that how lowly you regard accomplished peers like Welshman Ncube & Tendai Biti?
3. Who might these men and women be that you have in mind so that we can also assess their qualities and your judgment. When you joined PAC were you satisfied that Mnangagwa had men and women of the calibre that you suggest? If so who were they and why did they fail?
Read 4 tweets
Apr 8, 2022
1. Yesterday I spent time listening to young people discussing their attitude to voting and electoral processes. I hope @OpenParlyZw recorded it because political leaders need to listen to it. When I was invited I said no, I don’t want to speak for the youth. I want to hear them.
2. And boy, did they speak sense! I learnt a lot from them which I shall share one day in a BSR but there is one thing that cannot wait. It is that the political messaging about elections and the electoral system must change and change big.
3. The young ones say there have been socialised to believe that the electoral system is rigged and that it is pointless to vote. We are always told that it’s all rigged, so what’s the point? We have no faith in the system. That is what they said and I understood them.
Read 5 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?

Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us!

:(