First Lady joins philanthropist bandwagon - her river of crocodile tears had me fooled, I tell you N Garikai

It is one thing when people like Bill Gates of Microsoft or Richard Branson of Virgin Planes and Trains, whose source of wealth has a traceable paper trail, become generous philanthropists. It is quite another when an impoverished nation’s Zimbabwe’s filth rich ruling elite join the bandwagon dishing out all manner of freebees from food stuff to brand new vehicles!

 FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday donated 100 tonnes of an assortment of goods to two orphanages and hospitals around the country. The goods were supplied by the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ). Handing over the goods to representatives of Manhinga Orphanage and Mutoko Leprosy Centre in Harare yesterday, the First Lady applauded GMAZ for answering her calls to help the less privileged in society.

As the nation going into the election period we are going to see a hell lot more freebees being dished out at every political meeting and rally accompanied by the usual promises to do even more, create 2.2 million new jobs, etc. if the party wins the elections. There three aspects to this freebee culture Zanu PF has cultivated in its 38 years in power:

1)     With 72.3% of the population living on US$1.00 or less a day the First Lady and her fellow Zanu PF members sure have their work cut out for them; there are millions of hungry mouths to feed out there. It should be noted that GNAZ donated the goods here and the First Lady is claiming all the credit; that is normal in Zimbabwe. The regime does not tolerate anyone being seen as making a difference to the long-suffering people’s lives, the regime has created the economic meltdown and the millions of destitute and Zanu PF believes it has the exclusive right to exploit the poor for its own selfish political gain. All help to the poor must be channelled through the regime or nothing.

2)     Zanu PF’s freebees have strings attached, are blatant vote buying schemes. President Mnangagwa gave the Chiefs the first batch of new trucks everyone knows is to bribe them to ensure rural people in their areas vote for Zanu PF. The billions of dollars in freebees to be dished out to people during the rallies will be given to those certain to vote for Zanu PF although the regime used taxpayer’s dollars or else cash looted from the rampant corruption that has being going on for decades to buy the goods.

3)     The most sickening aspect of this politicized freebee culture Zanu PF has fostered on the nation is that with each free handout the regime makes a big song and dance about it to underline the total dependence of the poor on the regime’s rich and powerful who then demand blind political loyalty in return. Zanu PF’s political strangle hold on the rural voters is an enigma to those who fail to understand the rural people are nothing more than the regime’s captive slaves who debt to the party starting with liberation war and every little favour from Zanu PF adds to the mountain of debt a lifetime servitude will never repay.

"I feel very humbled when organisations like GMAZ and others step up to support me in fulfilling my passion of extending a hand to the less privileged in our society and the foodstuffs which you handed to me today are my answered prayers. I know this truck will not be enough to cover all the provinces as I had envisioned, but it will make a difference and I am truly grateful for that.

"I accept these foodstuffs with much gratitude and appreciation. This truck will not even stop at my offices or my house. From here it is on transition straight to the beneficiaries, to the hospital kitchens because patients deserve to eat quality food for them to recover quickly," said the First Lady.

Yes, Mama, in a nation of 14 million in which 72.3% now live on US$1.00 or less a day one truck load of free food is but a drop in the ocean. It is the 38 years of Zanu PF inapt, corrupt and tyrannical rule that has force millions of our people into abject poverty and utter hopelessness and despair. We all know you are using the food donation and your fained concern for the poor to campaign for votes and so extend Zanu PF’s rule. If you truly cared then why have you done nothing to stop your husband rigging elections, using violence and even stage military coups to impose this corrupt and tyrannical regime on the nation whose rule is the root cause of the economic meltdown and the mass poverty.

The suffering of the 72.3% living on US$1.00 or less a day will not end because of one truck load of donated food stuff. Their suffering will end if we have a competent government that will address the root causes of the economic meltdown - gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions. We need to implement the democratic reforms and allow free, fair and credible elections, the only sure way to elect a competent government.

First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa’s attention seeking and token philanthropic zeal is a self-promoting gimmick for selfish political gain. Her river of crocodile tears is fooling no one!