ZANU PF CAN BE DEFEATED! How Do We Keep The Momentum On #ZimbabweanLivesMatter? !

This article was shared previously shared via Facebook. This is  published it additional points. 

"How Do We Keep The Momentum On #ZimbabweanLivesMatter? It should be more than just a hash-tag" 

 

Insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results, so said Albert Einstein. The #ThisFlag was a milestone in grassroots driven uprising, but we failed to keep the momentum because the movement was hijacked, there was concerted efforts to centralise the movement with various opportunistic groups forming, being co-opted by the main opposition parties,   foreign and domestic think tanks, NGO's jumped on the ride. This diluted the movement once centralisation took hold. Zanu PF was able to fight back by easily targeting the symbol of the movement and more centralised  groupings. What you also saw was the emergence of opportunistic celebrity style activists hijacking the movements to their own ends, some of the as a result are now running successful businesses as a result of the fame they garnered and now sit back enjoying themselves whilst commenting on the sidelines as some sort of experts. 

#ZimbabweanLivesMatter must remain a grassroots movement. Social media campaigns work, this is a grassroots psychological war against the corrupt Zanu PF machine with the goal of weakening its narratives. We erase the Zanu PF narrative because people by nature believe sources of information that they trust, and Zanu PF propaganda cannot operate without belief. Our ability to share information and network is multiple times more effective than what a centralised Zanu PF machine can achieve. Keeping the movement decentralised means each Zimbabwean is taking responsibility for weakening public and international trust in the Zanu PF propaganda machine in their own way, rather than depending on centralized groups and organizations. 

We have already seen how the MDC has been weakened by Zanu PF and by its own un-constitutionalism and corruption. As much as people love Nelson Chamisa, he has been weakened and neutralised. He was irrelevant at the time of the #ThisFlag movement and is also irrelevant on this #ZimbabweanLivesMatter movement. Chamisa is like a Ninjaman he disappears and reappears from any physical struggle  like a mouse. I like to call him Ninja Nelson, a populist who spouts hot air, his  only goal is to become President without a single scar on him. All the scars are suffered by the junior ranks in his party or the ordinary  Zimbabweans taking matters into their own hands to fight for justice at great personal risk. We all know that the MDC will not deliver and yet some of us continue looking it to for guidance. We don't need any leadership to stand up for our own rights. As with politics nothing ever changes with centralised self serving political parties, once in power they forget  serving our interests. The MDC is a compromised party, so divided and corrupt  in its ranks, it will not deliver for ordinary Zimbabweans. The more centralized a movement is, the easier it is for Zanu PF manipulators to infiltrate and undermine it.  A grassroots psychwar is successful because it doesn't depend on centralisation.  

If  each one of us is looking out  for opportunities to weaken the Zanu PF narrative in our own personal time and in our own unique way using tweets,  videos, blogs, facebook campaigns, art, paper literature, conversations and demonstrations, we have a far more effective movement than a centralised opposition party can. Let's make this a  guerrilla war in the sense of  constantly attacking different fronts in different ways, never staying with the same line of attack for long enough to allow the Zanu PF propagandists to develop a counter-narrative. Nick Mangwana has been very busy, planting bots on every platform to manipulate our hashtags and narrative. So Zimbabweans what is  the next tactic? I would to recommend the following:

1. Zimbabweans know the judiciary is captured, discrediting the corrupt judges internationally will be a great personal cost to their careers. So why not bombard the law society of Zimbabwe to suspend and dis bar these judges from registration. They are also registered with regional and international legal bodies, we put pressure on them to de-register these judges.   We can campaign for all cases these corrupt judges sat on since taking those corrupt loans to be reviewed. Find any articles or papers they have written and published to be removed by the publishers. 

2. Zanu PF owns all means of economic activity and has shut everyone else who does not support Zanu PF out. Identifying and boycotting their businesses where possible will have the biggest impact. Boycotting will mean even those selling vegetables in the community, if you know they are Zanu PF don't spend your money on them.  This is a priority and can start from community level all the way up. Share with others non Zanu PF busineses and buy goods or services from those. Ignore the cynics who will start twisting the narrative as hurting the economy for everyone, the Zimbabwe economy is working for a few individuals. (This is now happening. Make Impala and Chicken Inn the first examples) 

The most brutal truth is the large Zimbabwean diaspora has kept the economy afloat and provide Zanu PF with much needed foreign currency. It is the single most significant factor propping Zanu PF, hence their tactics to ensure conditions are so bad that the majority of the economical active are sacrificed to go and work abroad. If we can mobilise each other to engage in targeted coordinated withholding of remittances, we could seriously get the attention of ZANU-PF. 

3. Social media is full of Zanu PF associated individuals flaunting their ill-gotten wealth and we are giving them and corruption legitimacy. Let's make them irrelevant by calling them out and not admiring them for our aspirations. They ill-gotten achievements are because of relations to Zanu PF. Target them, drive them off social media, un-follow them, make them irrelevant. 

4. Most people in Zimbabwe are renting out rooms and properties. A campaign to STOP people renting out to Security services personnel is paramount. STOP renting out to police, army, intelligence, Zanu PF bootlickers, let's make them homeless. STOP giving these agents of doom transport in your cars, lorries, kombis, buses etc. Refuse to sell to them your products if you are running a business.  

5. Running a campaign to name and shame the security services. Post their pictures on line from top to low ranks. We have the whole security apparatus online, police, soldiers, intelligence,  department, rank, those linked to crimes against citizens highlighted. ( This is now happening, has to be stepped up and shame their families in particular , make them lonely as*holes). Shame the schools their children go to. Shame the schools where Zanu PF children go to. Create a gallery of the children and families of Zanu PF looters. These people are hiding amongst us, helping destroy any revolutionary movements. 

6. Running a campaign to name and shame the top leadership of Zanu PF an it's government.  Also their children and benefactors abroad, we also see them flaunting that ill-gotten wealth, also target the companies and organisations they work in the respective countries, call them out to their work colleagues.

7. Targeting, naming and shaming foreign individuals, businesses, organisations, banks, financial institutions working with Zanu PF officials and facilitating it's corruption. 

8. Targeting the religious leaders and sects. 

This the second pillar of looting of Zimbabweans after Zanu PF's taxes, looting of savings, pensions and currency manipulation. They are the  second layer of taxation on Zimbabweans  via tithes, offerings and donations.  These church leaders and organisations also work hand in hand supporting Zanu PF are nothing but cults, charlatans, mafioso criminals masquerading as men of cloth.  They need to be called out, their silence is complicit to the gross  human rights violations by Zanu PF. They need to be hit hardest by any campaign, because they are the single biggest brainwashing operation in the communities, Zanu PF has lost control on propaganda due to social media power, their mainstream propaganda tools have been rendered irrelevant. It is the church that is filling that void for them. The recent farm Mechanisation corruption scandal revealed that the religion is part and parcel of crimes against Zimbabweans. 

9. Zimbabwe's celebrities

We can make them or break them, the power is in our hands. Zimbabweans have always responded kindly to the cries of media, music and arts industries for support. We have followed them, liked and subscribed to their work in thousands and many of them are doing well generating thousands of views from us. And yet they choose to be silent when it comes to lending support to noble cause. Most of their earnings are driven by us via social media support. Their earnings are on platforms not controlled by Zanu PF like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple music, Amazon etc. They have huge followings hence a lot of influence and yet they choose to be silent. There is no excuse to this silence, many people are eager to help them with carefully crafted statements of support. We are having to garner support from foreign celebrities.  Also the media and entertainment industry in the west is by and large an extension of the state's propaganda, keeping the masses distracted and selling them unrealistic  hopes and dreams. ZIMBABWE does not have this problem. Zanu PF has no control over the media platforms we use. The recent outburst by MisRed is an example of how some of them become out of touch with the reality of those that are giving them credibility, we give them that credibility, she can never have enough Zanu PF followers to be where she is right now. 

The ideal response should be for us to make her an example to know where your bread is buttered, un-follow and make her irrelevant. We are spending a lot of our money on these celebrities for them to use that money to gain influence with Zanu PF. They are afraid they won't get access to the luxury houses and cars to shoot their videos. What they are doing is not different from charlatan church leaders. We need to support celebrities that support our fight against  Zanu PF tyranny. Winky D is always on the right side of history, what makes the others act differently. Let's put them in-line. 

10. The US facilitated a coup in Bolivia end of last year removing Evo Morales because he was a socialist leader not keen on allowing the US exploit it's lithium deposits. Bolivia has almost half of the world's lithium important for electric car batteries. Zimbabweans can learn from the protests underway right now in Bolivia. They have economic highways, 75 major roads are blocked right now at various points. It's impossible to police, If Zimbabweans for e.g along the Beitbridge Road, individuals organise themselves locally along the route and block the any segment of the road on their turf. This will be most effective, then demand not  just democratic elections, but also the immediate removal of the entire coup-installed Zanu PF government. Zimbabwe can be brought to a stand still. If there is a digger or grader at your workplace, use it to  block that segment in your area. Zanu PF does not have the capacity to police the whole of Zimbabwe. These things can be done at night by individuals or small local groups.

So people get Zanu PF working for the people for  a change. Let me stress this, avoid being co-opted by foreign government and organisations like what happened with Pastor Evan Mawarire and the #ThisFlag, keep the movement Zimbabwean. Zanu PF managed to transform the economy to black ownership in most sectors, yes, we may not like who is running those Businesses, let's not re invite foreign ownership and recolonization, we consolidate as a nation on that. The Compensation for white farmers must be reversed as well, Zimbabwe was successful in re-taking it's land, paying compensation to a racial class whose wealth was derived from blood and sweat of enslaved Zimbabweans is wrong. Let's share ideas, 

I will stress this again, let's keep the movement decentralised, once we allow opportunistic individuals, groups, and entities to co-opt the movement and centralise it, we are back to square one again. There are some past activists now doing well because of the last #ThisFlag movement going on platform calling for centralisation and leadership, don't listen to them. Look the French "Yellow vests" movement and "Black Lives Matter" they have been successful because they are decentralised it's grassroots individuals and groups organising themselves, there is no one for the Government to target. The ZIMBABWE government has ended up even kidnapping innocent people without any connection to this #zimbabweanlivesmatter movement. 

** Additional points 

11.  Graffiti Campaign - Catalyst To Ground Action

I will add this point, and I believe this should be the starting point right now. Spray painting graffiti denouncing the regime and denouncing the regime leadership. Anything deragotory goes. Do fundraising campaigns to raise funds to buy sprint paint distribute it. Target Zanu PF businesses, government buildings, government vehicles, ZUPCO buses, Zanu PF owned buses/ trucks, shopping malls of the wealthy, durawalls/infrastructure on roads leading to wealthy neighbourhoods etc, symbols of power, statues and so on. Make the country look like a war zone, its the optics, the visuals for people going to work everyday, students going to school everyday, visitors coming into Zimbabwe, anyone travelling on the highways. This erodes the fear in people, makes them feel they are not alone, makes them feel something is shifting.

12. Online Radio Stations and platforms in all the countries bordering Zimbabwe, broadcasting in local languages as well. We have Zimbabweans everywhere, setting up talk shows and radio platforms online should not be that difficult. We don't have channels dedicated to calling out ZANU-PF, anti government broadcasting. There is no reason why spirited individuals cannot be encouraged and to run dedicated platforms. In Sudan it was that percentage of civil disobedience that toppled their elitist oppressors. We have to realise that most Zimbabweans in the diaspora are living in racist former colonial countries with massive propaganda and brainwashing, South Africa is the same, Zambia is a dead pan, so re education to unite and bring upon change is a mammoth task. This is why we are so divided and its imperative we mobilise this 3.5%. There is good comedy and satire but it's not being harnessed and packaged well to make it more effective, if needs a central platform, or some coordination. Right now you come across it by chance, the impact is lost. Same thing with artists and cartoonists, they are not being utilised effectively. 

13. Understanding the 3.5% rule. This is what delivered for Obama, Trump, Modi and Brexit. We surely have Zimbabweans with big data and tech acumen. I am sure there are plenty psychologists and  behavioural scientists out there. We have access to all the major social media platforms, a small team of data manipulators can helps target this 3.5 percentage of a our population committed to non-violent direct action and civil disobedience.

14. Creating a hero's gallery, this not worshipping but acknowledging the sacrifices of those who are kidnapped, tortured, arrested, imprisoned, or harmed by the state in any way. Also anyone who manages to launch a successful attack on the security services and is out of harms way.  Launch  CAMPAIGNS to raise funds for hospital bills and upkeep of their family. 

15. Anyone who manages to launch a successful attack on the security services and dies in the process, launch a GoFund campaign to raise funds for their children and family. It was disappointing to see that some Zimbabweans sold out the people who shot soldiers in Chivhu. It was also disappointing to see people rushing to help injured soldiers, this shouldn't be happening. CHIVHU should get a dose of severe shaming tactics. There has to be a mechanism to shame people supporting and aiding the regime. 

It must be pointed out that thieving is one of the most clandestine abundant skill, how can those with the skills be mobilised to target Zanu PF businesses, homes, farms, properties and so forth. How can those skills be harnessed to target police stations involved in abductions, petrol bombs are easy to make. Target these Zanu PF brand new cars, buses, trucks, petrol stations, any easy target can be hit clandestinely. Cover your face, wear dark clothing, no witnesses just like them thieves do ! OK this is serious. After 40 years and no sign of change, a whole generation is dying without having enjoyed life other than watching videos of the Mugabe and Mnangagwa boys spending millions and flaunting their ill-gotten wealth online, taunting you. 

This is by no means exhaustive, we must share ideas, and be ready to change tactics at the click of a finger. Just look at how the US and its NATO allies are co-ordination the Belarus protests, there is loads to pick and learn from that template at different stages. There should be some funds raised for the families of the guys who attacked the soldiers. 

Frankly speaking, it's time for war! It's long overdue! Kick out the Fear! If you are an influencer and mobilizer stick to that but work with those ideas and logistics, don't try to be everything. 

Original article on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2746801075600959/permalink/2752206665060400/

(Not spell checked - typed on mobile phone, excuse typos)