THERE are many poignant lessons that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us.

We have learnt, for instance, that this is everyone’s fight for survival.

The virus is not sparing anyone.

We are all at its mercy.

We have no control over what it happening.

All that we can do is to play our role in containing the deadly pandemic.

All we can do is to follow the WHO guidelines.

The pandemic has severely affected every facet of life.

Businesses have suffered.

Lives have been lost.

Livelihoods have taken a serious knock.

Economies have been immensely battered.

A new order is emerging.

New ways of living are on the horizon.

New economies will unravel.

New norms will be established.

However, we have a bone to chew with some in our midst.

We are talking about those who want to create war especially in this country. 

Our case is with those planning to unleash mayhem in the country.

Granted, the economy has not been performing up to expectations.

We have time and again indicated that the root of this are the sanctions against the country.

We have indicated that we need to draw positives from our battered economy.

And those positives are many.

We have our tobacco farmers doing exceptionally well.

We have those farmers transforming their livelihoods and communities.

We have those farmers contributing to the fiscus.

They have been transforming our economy.

They are our heroes.

We have our small-scale miners doing wonders with their claims.

These too have been uplifting their communities and livelihoods.

They too are our heroes.

We should always keep in mind that they are operating under a harsh economic environment.

Those in the manufacturing sector have kept this economy going.

Those in the informal sector have also played their role.

We should protect their sources of income.

We should defend them when the enemy tries to destabilise the country as is the case now.

We need peace in the country.

We do not need violence and destabilisation.

And our concern is on the role that Western governments are playing in fermenting instability in the country.

They want to burn this country to ashes on July 31 2020.

Their motive is clear; they are still very much pursuing the regime change agenda.

They want to put in place a leadership that serves their interests.

They want to negate the ideals and values of the liberation struggle.

They want to reverse the land reform and resettlement programme.

They want to render useless the empowerment initiatives that Government has put in place.

There are channels where concerned citizens can air their grievances.

We have platforms for dialogue and engagement.

And engagement has solved problems not violence and destruction of poverty.

We should hold that peace and tranquillity as scared values of our hunhu/hbuntu.

We should give peace a chance.

We should respect property and other people’s freedoms.

We should unite as a country against the enemy.

Together we will make it.