IT seems The Patriot recently opened a can of worms when it carried articles on ‘New twist to regime change’ in Zimbabwe.
Interested parties quickly took to social media to freely express themselves by ‘writing what they want’.
Among them were Bulawayo-based Raisedon Baya and Silvanos ‘Banditi’ Mudzvova.
Yes they fumed, but not as much as Nhimbe Trust led by Josh Nyapimbi.
In ‘Nhimbe Trust Sets the Record Straight’, a four-page document directed to The Patriot, Nhimbe Trust argues it is not into regime change and dismisses The Patriot story as ‘false and unfounded’.
However, there is no doubt by responding, the Trust unwittingly admitted that indeed they are a regime change project because what we found interesting were some of the excepts from the document.
Said Nhimbe Trust:
“As we go towards the 2018 elections, we want to take this opportunity to call upon the Government to:
Guarantee the safety of artists while they undertake their constitutionally protected work as outlined in Section 61 (1) (a);
Repeal the aforementioned laws (Censorship and and Entertainment Controls Act (CECA), Broadcasting Services Act (BSA), Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act, Public Order and Security Act (POSA), among others) and replace them with democratic legislation that supports the flourishing of expression and artistic creativity;
Transform Zimbabwe Broadcasting Co-operation (ZBC) from being a state to a genuine public broadcaster.”
So how does Nhimbe Trust distance itself from regime change when from the onset, they condemn the same laws that safeguard the sovereignty of Zimbabwe?
This is not political dogma Mr Nyapimbi.
We repeat, this is not political dogma because, how do you refuse the regime change tag when your association with institutions such as Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) is so revealing?
How can you say, as the face of Nhimbe Trust, you are not into regime change when you are linked to Amnesty International which, as recent as March this year, was pushing for President Robert Mugabe to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague?
Doesn’t this defy logic Nyapimbi?
And for the record, regime change encompasses a lot as you and your kind also seek to change the country’s status quo not only politically, but socially and culturally.
You are in charge of an institution abusing arts to influence society by discrediting the country’s cultural values and norms.
Your plays, in conjunction with the likes of Raisedon Baya, that advocate your so-called ‘right’ — homosexuality — come to mind.
By having an Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health programme advocating lesbian and gay rights, don’t you know you are going against the grain?
What do you hope to achieve by ridiculing the liberation struggle and the same people who brought about the freedom you and your type enjoy today?
Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, other First and Second Chimurenga heroes and heroines are the epitome of Zimbabwe’s liberation war and by ridiculing them, all in the name of ‘creative arts’, what are you teaching the future generation – the youths?
So Nyapimbi, as you and company gather at your new rendezvous – Bluez Café (‘defunct’ Book Café) in Bulawayo, ‘encouraging’ yourselves that ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’, remember this is not the US, UK, Sweden, Norway, Belgium or The Netherlands and that not all Zimbabweans are gullible.
Some of us are watching.
We leave it here for now!