To His Excellency With Love

Firstly I would like to thank you for fighting in the liberation struggle, for the years you spent wanting to liberate us, for when our grandparents were treated like third class citizens, you fought for all that to end and well on the 18th of April 1980, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. A strong nation and well didn’t they all love you then? The darling of Africa they affectionately called you! Mr President, I’m not political so really I wont go into the ins and outs, the hows and whys, I’m just a concerned woman, who would want to return to her home country some time soon and actually finish building my dream home, for you see Mr President, with the rate of inflation its become so difficult for me to finish my ‘mansion’ which is just like those you see on cribs. I would also want to hear that my lil niece’s school fees didn’t go up for the third time this year. And that my sister managed to decorate her kitchen the way she really wants to! That my dearest KB isn’t having problems finding fuel for his car. Do you get the drift of this letter? Maybe not, because you probably are able to do all these things with no problems.

Well, you have been in power since I was a toddler, but then President Dos Santos has been in power for 29 years, so I wont dwell on the length of years you’ve been in power. But, I think its time to let some-one who can lead us lead, you were the one my parents chose, they adored you, can you allow us the chance to adore some-one else? No, Mr President I’m not questioning your ability to lead at your age, how dare I? All I’m saying is Mr President is there has been a brain-drain from our beloved nation, the ones that have stayed aren’t enjoying it at all, yes there’s a few but thats just it..a few! Can you allow us to accumulate our own wealth in our own nation? I heard you tonight on the Channel Four news saying that ‘only God can take you off the highest seat’, hmmm...I’ve decided to fast for the next few days and intense prayer! And once more, I don’t doubt your ability, but can you allow the Zimbabweans to have a leader of their choice? Can they also not fear being beaten, raped and all that..yes..i totally understand propaganda but there’s no smoke without a fire ne?

Dearest Sir, I would like to hear good news for once, its tough for me Mr President, I have to support myself, pay my uni fees, buy myself them killa heels, support my family back home and my extended family and then I get constant emails begging me for money from my grandmother’s uncle’s nephew’s sister, it aint easy your Excellency. The electricity is always going off, dark cities, everything is just expensive (everything costs beyond the million mark),insufficient food, lack of medicines in the hospitals and a shortage of anti-retroviral medicines to hold Aids at bay.. Sir, look the stress this caused to South Africa and resulted in the xenophobic attacks. Your Excellency, I think its best to leave when the nation respects you instead of fear you. But then who am I? You obviously have your cronies advising you, BUT sir, we the young people are grateful for the whole era before 1980, can you now allow us to rebuild this nation that has now collapsed. Yes, I said collapsed, because in my eyes it has, everything has changed and its not for the better. Maybe if you just step down, it will change. I think the ZanuPF campaign slogan is along the lines of ‘all good things are possible’..right now the best thing possible would be for you to resign. We will still respect you, and mostly we will appreciate your bold move.

I know that once more you said only God could make you leave your seat, but Mr President what about the cries of your young nation? Dont we amount for anything? Maybe we’ll pray that God will speak to you in your dreams and you’ll do this noble and brave move for all of us. Thank you in advance and hey, if its too much to ask of you, how about you just hold back on Friday’s elections?