CCC is the trend maker of the century

Let us give kudos when due. The Citizens Coalition for Change is the greatest thing ever to be emerging in this country. ZANU PF has been sustained by its usage of the term “Pasi ne opposition!” It started off with “Pasi nemadzakudzaku!”  Then followed; “Pasi na Ngomo!” The “Pasi” ideology was jolted a bit, at the formation of the MDC party, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, which is now dead and buried.

Apparently, this Pasi ideology has sustained ZANU PF to remain in power for the last forty-two years. But now the so-called revolutionary party is faced with the challenge of having to say “Pasi nema Citizens!” (Down with citizens!). That cannot take them anywhere. They have to re-strategize. Considering that the 2023 elections are around the corner, ZANU PF is in a catch 22 situation.

There are those who are so shortsighted as to assume that the newly formed CCC party is cultish, evolving around Chamisa. The philosophy of CCC is the investment of power to the citizens; so that the blame game is over. This suggests that it is impossible for the non-performers to strut in government offices. For Chamisa to remain in leadership, he has to play by the book, or ship out.

The good thing about CCC is that it is educational, at the same time. The citizen is now made to realize that when things go wrong in the leadership, it is the citizens who are at fault. The citizens cannot blame anyone when non-performers are elected into offices of authority. This idea suggests that leaders should be chosen and removed, at will, by the citizens. From where else can one get a workable solution for a country?

President Nelson Chamisa has made it clear that the current CCC leadership is an interim structure. It is now a question of who the citizens would like to lead them. This is no longer a game of jostling for leadership. It is now a game of jostling for what the citizens want. Obviously, this idea purges bad leaders at the top.

Currently, the only district that has remained resolute in maintaining power within its citizenry is Binga. If the entire country had behaved like Binga, we would not have the current nonsense in government leadership. Since the days of ZAPU, Binga has remained a beacon of hope for the nation, in terms of their voting pattern.

Binga is an area where the “Pasi” ideology never found takers. ZANU PF’s current loss of Binga to the CCC, after having invested heavily to bribe them, must be most painful. No one knows how many millions, from government coffers, were illegally distributed, in a bid to capture Binga. Even the idea of unleashing violence, cannot work, as long as people remain united in their resolve. This is how it has been impossible for Binga to be captured by ZANU PF.

The workable solutions for this country are in the hands of the citizens. According to what we have been assured by the interim CCC leadership. That should be found to be commendable. But the task that now remains for the interim leadership is to provide a road map for purposes of establishing substantive leadership.

The earlier that is done, the better. With the advent of Information Technology, the dissemination of information can be overnight, through social media. But the printed material, in all languages, needs to be considered for distribution as soon as possible. This is where fair-minded volunteers are in demand.

Ordinary people need education. The most important thing to appreciate is that there is a difference between schooling and education. Schooling is a formal pattern of attending classes, with an intention to pass examinations and be granted qualifying certificates. Since 1980, Zimbabwe has been engaged in schooling, rather than education. This type of education has not produced workable results.

The country is carrying school graduates that have sustained an evil governing system. What happens when you have a country with unemployed graduates roaming the streets? Meanwhile, the parents would have paid exorbitant amounts for the education of their children. I find that type of education not worth putting on paper.

There is nothing admirable about the multitudes of graduates being churned out of the country’s universities but without tangible results. One cannot have educated people and poverty at the same time, and assume everything is normal. Revisiting the educational system requires citizens to take full responsibility, rather than allowing the demagogic robbers to decide on their behalf.

Schooling has been mistaken for education, whose definition includes the acquisition of facts, knowledge, skills and ideas. It is true that education should be received formally, depending on the workable curricula. But education can also be received informally. A person can be educated, even when having not gone through the college system, or even when unable to write one’s own name.

For anyone who cares to make cursory research; the greatest inventors of this world did not come from the schooling system. The majority of them were self-taught. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and others were said to be college dropouts. Yet the current civilization is sustained by such a calibre of inventors.

Intelligent people can be too smart for the current schooling system. Education is not a difficult thing to disseminate. People know what is workable and what is not workable for their environments, as long as approached without condescending. When aware that humans were created in God’s image, it is impossible for anyone to despise them.

The CCC’s idea suggests investing power in the citizens, most of who may be still not aware of what that entails. But the idea does not require a voluminous academic thesis, for people to understand. A simplified document, soliciting citizens to propose what is good for their respective environments, is sufficient.

The fundamental philosophy in CCC is that the citizens are the ones with power and not the politicians. Career politicians have become criminals who should be weeded out as early as possible. Politics should be left in the hands of those who understand being the servants of the people, rather than assuming to be their bosses.

The CCC party has provided a ray of hope in Zimbabwean politics. The yellow revolution should be disseminated far and wide. CCC appears as the only hope for a political and economically bespattered country such as ours. In the last forty-two years, the Zimbabwean populace has been taught lessons on what becomes of a nation whose citizens fail to take responsibility.

As long as the citizens are given the power to manage their affairs, the nation prospers. Under normal circumstances, citizens should be regarded as the most valuable product in any nation, rather than being treated as slaves. This is different from the idea of cunning politicians, who assume mineral resources are more valuable than the citizens. Thereby, mortgaging the country’s resources to foreigners and pocketing the proceeds.

There is no doubt that even the fair-minded people from the ZANU PF card-holders, can be persuaded to buy into the CCC idea. The stability of the CCC party should be guaranteed, as long as power is effectively given to the citizens. The possibility of skirmishes, from a party that has survived on patronage for the last forty-two years, can be inevitable. But CCC appears guaranteed to eventually prevail, as long as remaining focused.

This is my small narrative of what I perceive as emerging in our country. I just hope other social organizations would follow suit, embracing the idea, in their administrative responsibilities. As long as the power is in the hands of the citizens, without anyone condescending, great things are assured of emerging in Zimbabwe. But everything starts with voters.

The citizens know the people of integrity, in their communities. Each citizen knows his/her respective role in society. Rather than jostle for political positions, people will now jostle for selecting the right candidates for political positions. CCC should be regarded as a providential blessing for an independent country that has gone through hell, for the last forty-two years.

I have become persuaded to believe that the CCC idea appears as will soon pervade other nations, as it is trendy. Even the constitution becomes redundant if the CCC philosophy is effectively applied in all social structures of our country. This is just as the constitution is ineffective, as long as having allowed governance by the criminals who disregard the constitution.

However, as long as the citizens are given the authority to select good leaders and remove the ineffective ones, the hope remains. The other thing that the Zimbabwean people should appreciate is that the CCC’s idea is not idolizing Nelson Chamisa, necessarily. He is being given the role of being a servant of the people.

This is notwithstanding that his position is that of championing this marvellous cause. But the point is that the power is vested in the citizens. Each citizen ought to effectively evaluate his own conduct, to fit in with this new idea. People should feel obliged to communicate what they want to see executed in their own country.

The phenomenon of armed robbers is indicative of criminality in governance. The solution is not to commit more murders. Even arresting criminals cannot be workable, as long as the entire governing system is established on criminality. Who can guarantee that those robbers are not those having been arrested before, but who would have paid bribes to be released?

Each individual should ask him/herself the following questions: What value can I give to my country? What is it that I would like to see prevailing, as to make me feel proud of belonging to Zimbabwe? There is no need to blame anyone for past mistakes. But to think about the lessons learnt and apply what is good. What now remains is for Christians to preach the true gospel, without restraint.

With the right mindset, it cannot take long before the prevailing improper governance is rooted out and forgotten about. Zimbabwe will prevail as a jewel of, not only the African continent; but also the entire world. Each citizen is now advised to own up to the CCC idea and market it, accordingly. Let us forget about the past misdeeds, which have left us in the current morass, as a nation.

My only trepidation is that, like South Africa, Zimbabwe appears poised to be flooded by foreigners. If that happens, such foreigners should be treated as a blessing. They may possess what might not be found in Zimbabwe. In short, CCC will make Zimbabwe the most stable country in Africa, mark my words.

Zimbabwean citizens have provided expertise in other countries. It is now time for other countries to also come to Zimbabwe with their expertise. The brotherhood of humanity cuts across the world. But everything starts with self-respecting, as to attract value from other countries.

Our greatest strength is in having avoided the temptation to engage in war, under extreme provocation by the demagogic ZANU PF. The last forty-two years have been hellish, but we have remained peaceful and resilient, as a nation. This is what should be found to be highly commendable, rather than always focusing on misfortunes.

Let us all take the cue and do our part, in maintaining the newborn baby, CCC. There is truth in that the new is on the horizon. Each citizen is advised to take up his/her rightful position, to effectively contribute to rebuilding our country, having been looted by the vampires. The question of who should be entrusted with leadership remains with the citizens, according to the CCC blueprint.

The ball is now in the court of prayer champions, having to pray for the emergence of great leaders from the activities of CCC. As long as all of us put our hands on the deck, Zimbabwe is in the right direction. The beauty of the CCC party is that it is open to everyone, including those having been loyal to ZANU PF.

The clarion call is for rebuilding our country together, as a nation. To implement this, a newly found, and near-perfect idea; does not require fixing one’s eyes on the interim leaders, necessarily. Each person is expected to examine himself first, and respect other people’s choices, at the same time. The idea is based on integrity and respecting the integrity of others, at the same time.

Only the insane will oppose an idea that is self-respecting. Let us be glad and appreciate that there are only a few insane people in our country. Otherwise, we would have been at war, after having gone through the terribly wicked system of governance in our country. It should all be smiles, showing on people’s faces, at the end of the 2023 elections.

Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope.

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