Over the past few weeks I have Zimbabweans
hold protests, something which was the preserve of a few hard core citizens. For
a while ZANUPF regime was happy to respect the citizens’ right to demonstrate. We
have seen police stand and watch as people went about their demonstrations
until paranoia hit those thieving bastards who have molested our nation without
Vaseline. Crime can make people into real devils, the idea of a free Zimbabwe
quickly pushed the regime to regroup and think of a different strategy. They threw
the constitution and the legal framework out of the window, they are prepared
to die for their sins than face justice. But the likes of Robert Mugabe,
Emmerson Mnangagwa, Jonathan Moyo, Augustine Chihuri, Constantine Chiwenga
never realize they have children and grandchildren who one day soon will have
to choose to be Zimbabweans or run away. They will have to live with the fact
of losing all assets gained through underhand means. Sain Abacha’s sins are
still being revisited long after he has gone. But the devil hardens whom he
wants to destroy, they are men and women possessed with the worst kind of
demons. So what is really happening?
THE POLICE ARE STILL PATRIOTIC, REGIME HAS PARALLEL FORCES
I was analyzing recent pictures of the
anti-riot police who beat up citizens at the Bond Notes demonstration. Almost all
had brand new uniform and gear and this was interesting. Someone said they were
all new recruits but I believe they have been long in the system. What we are
witnessing is Mugabe regime building its own niches of police and army as they
see real police get weary of the suffering. Those people in police uniform are
likely soldiers who were given police uniform. But they are also not just
ordinary soldiers but are most likely drawn from Mugabe’s privately trained 5th
Brigade. Yes the same people who went on a reign of terror in Matabeleland,
they are easy to use for such shenanigans because they stand to lose a lot if
Gukurahundi is revisited. Mugabe’s reluctance to open Gukurahundi and let the
case rest is because he kept these soldiers for a time like now. Had they been
put before a commission and absolved or tried, Mugabe & his coterie would
have no one to defend them right now. Yes this is why Mugabe refused to have
his people caught in corruption stand trial, think of all the commission he is
sitting on.
All the people implicated are available to
be used when the time and conditions are right. Robert Mugabe is a great
thinker but his mind is fashioned after the devil, its brilliance cannot
advance humanity but is regressive. So giving flowers to 5th Brigade
is not going to make them see reason, they have murder to defend. If one is to analyse
the situations one can easily see that there is different sets of police
reacting to protests. Jenny Williams of WOZA mentioned how police urged them to
move so they will not harm them. Is this the same police who pounced on bond notes
protesters, one would be foolish to think this is so. The Zimbabwe government
is one skewed organisation, among all level of civil servants there are elites
and the ordinary, even in CIO there are some who are paid ridiculous salaries
while others barely survive.
SO WHAT IS UNARMED CIVILIANS TO DO?
Giving flowers or any gift is not going to
sway these bloodhounds from their allegiance to Mugabe. We need a different
tactic of engagement. Zimbabweans are educated but have also very
individualistic, a trait fed by Mugabe. To win we must use the power of
cooperation, just because people are crowded together does not mean they are
cooperating. Running in ten directions when attacked is not strength but
weakness. If you ever watched how sardine protect themselves against sharks,
dolphins and garnets you will know they form a tight knit ball as a defence
mechanism. I propose the following mechanisms for citizens to protect themselves,
of course these measures are 100% civilian strategy.
1. GO PRO WITH TECHNOLOGY
One of ZANUPF regime’s weakness is
adoption of technology. All they know is brute force as a response to protests.
I saw Tendai Biti asking for evidence of the police who took part in the
beating up of civilians to begin prosecution. I doubt there will be any coming
forth because nobody has high resolution pictures. There is a lot of technology
to take high resolution pictures even from a longer distance. We need to
incorporate such technology into our everyday lives and be always on guard. When
you see a police convoy leaving their base for an attack, document it, picture
it, film it even discreetly. Alert other citizens who are protesting. An overhead
picture by Tsvangirai Mukwazhi was good now imagine there are 20 from 360
degree angles, you have a record that can be analysed once uploaded to the
internet, even microphones are important to record voices. There are many
patriotic members of the police force and they easily pick out their fellows or
members of the public. We can create a database of police who partook in
brutality because in Shona we say “mhosva hairovi (a crime does not expire
before justice)”. This database will also act as a deterrent to those who would
partake in brutality. If we can identify soldiers in police uniform it will be
even better. We must make it harder for police and solders to wantonly beat up
civilians.
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| "If we cannot force the Politicians to change then we must inspire the Citizens to be bold" - Evan Mawarire |
2. FORM A "BAIT BALL"
Sardine is a small fish but is famous for
the bait ball that they form in a school as a last line of defence. As people
we should be able to employ a similar tactic. When attacked by the rogue police
instead of running in a thousand directions people should run in 4 or 5
distinct directions. This will give the police a choice to split up and go in
different directions weakening the unit. If it was 50 police officers they now
have to split into small units of 12 which is smaller number to threaten many
civilians. This is what sardines do then regroup into one unit again. Police come
organised in how they will attack civilians, if they are vulnerable they will
not attack.
3. ORGANISE, ORGANISE, ORGANISE
I have written it three times to emphasize
the importance of organisation. Put simply people must approach protests with
organisation. We are wiser than termites but why then fail to implement the
measures we see in these small creatures? When its summer the termites fly out,
on their mound you find the big horned soldiers in front with the small
soldiers behind and in the middle will be the builder termites. The big horned
soldiers know how to stifle and attack and defend the vulnerable, the small
soldiers know how to support the big horned ones primarily by their numbers.
Among protesters there are those who know how to stifle the charge of the rogue
police. These can circle the crowd in strategic positions followed by the small
soldiers forming a unit that will not easily crumble of be pushed backwards. The
vulnerable and the weak can be at the back or inside the bait ball. We must
also remember why David refused to fight Goliath wearing armoured gear. David
knew that the armour would slow him down and as Goliath took a step forward,
David ran towards him. Goliath could not run because of the armour. Rogue
police in armoured gear are like Goliath, heavily dressed but very immobile and
limited in use of arms, one is holding a shield and the other a button stick. If
protesters charge towards any group they will most likely flee because they are
outnumbered.
4. FACEBOOK LIVE
This is a power tool that was released by Facebook
and within a short time of being released a United States lady used it to
capture police brutality as her boyfriend was shot by police. Facebook Live plus
an idevice are a good combination to stream events in real time to Facebook.
Many Zimbabweans use iPhones and take with to protests but it’s amazing that
almost all protests happen without live facebooking the event. When there is a
protest I go to the Facebook Live Map and wait for Zimbabwe to pop up alas
nothing happens. Technology is for liberating the civilians but if we do not
embrace it then we weaken our own defences. A Facebook live video is evidence
in cases where there needs to be proved circumstances. Police will always say
civilians did this or that hence their heavy handedness but we can present
realtime evidence to their detriment.
5. UNITY OF PURPOSE
People must unite ever more for the sake
of safety. We all came together at the court appearance of Evan Mawarire and
the outcome shows what can happen if we have unity of purpose. Citizens of
Zimbabwe must continue to unite in the acts of gathering information, analysing
information, passing information, protection, being the eyes and ears of one
another. We must create conditions where every rogue police will fear having
his face smeared on the internet and identified with his phone number, home
address and place of work. If Mugabe wants he can take all the rogues and give
them space at his mansion because the community has become too aware and they
cannot sleep for fear of their sins.
CONCLUSION
As a people there are many tools at our
disposal but we are not using them. If there is one thing we must do from now
going forward, it is telling our story out to the world. Today UNICEF in
Zimbabwe is running scared because they tried to be partisan. Zimbabweans
reacted by tweeting about it and demanding answers and the citizens are
prepared to take the matter all the way to the United Nations headquarters. If it
means heads will roll so be it, someone in UNICEF clearly wanted to do their
friends in ZANUPF a favour by coming down hard on the Dzamara family but now
they are smarting from their error of judgment, the citizens have pushed back.
We must make Robert Mugabe have sleepless nights knowing that Zimbabweans want
their freedom. If he was working 30 minutes we must reduce it to zero. No more
will he sleep in gold plated sheets while citizens make do with sleeping awake
to make a living. He must get the message loud and clear, #Hatichada
#Hatichatya #Tajamuka we want #ThisFlag in its rightful place.
