Be the Change

I left the UK to come back home and be part of change. I was all full of hope and inspiration after the #thisflag campaign and had visions of marches and protest signs and stay-aways – no really, you can ask my family. There are no photos of me at any marches or protests - not in this country anyway. Perhaps it was my Jessastrous energy – my return spelled the end of the social movement – but it seems unlikely I would have such a cosmic influence.

So what to do? I attended an inter-party open forum on Zim after 2018. Bad news folks, it does not look good. According to that meeting, post 2018 Zimbabwe is a black hole. Not a single party represented had anything remotely inspiring – or even concrete – to offer a room full on young, interested, voters. The major parties ‘were not at liberty to reveal [their] post-election strategy’ for fear there were Zanu-PF spies in the room. Really? What is the danger of revealing a plan to improve, I don’t know, ANY of our current socio-economic woes? Zanu-PF was predictably not in attendance but after 37 years of being in the driving seat, it seems foolish to expect anything other than more of the same. I left that meeting, as I would assume most people did, utterly depressed.

A fortnight later, Fadzayi Mahere announced her decision to run as MP for Mount Pleasant constituency. My gut reaction? Hallelujah.

There comes a point in a moment of crisis when each must ask herself what she should do that would be most beneficial to the cause. With a year to go before the National Election, I don’t honestly believe there was another logical option for Fadzayi – other than to bow out and say she had tried – which would have been a perfectly justifiable choice.

Fadzayi is running in a constituency in which I believe she has at least a decent shot at victory and she has a team behind her who are loyal, honourable and committed – and they keep her grounded. She has taken an enormous personal risk and has put herself on the front line - but she is no fool and she is no coward. Fadzayi and her team know it will be hard and long and possibly painful, but if we can get her over the finish line, there will be at least one MP in parliament who I know will speak on my behalf and fight for issues to be addressed that are not only relevant to residents of Mount Pleasant constituency, but relevant to all Zimbabweans. She will argue intelligently and eloquently about policies that matter to ordinary people, and she will not be hamstrung by political infighting and party politics.

In parliament, a lone voice may well have no breadth of influence but that’s not on her – frankly it’s (over)time for politicians to recognise that they have a personal choice to follow conscience or selfish interest.  And maybe one courageous voice is enough to inspire a choir.

She has a lot to learn – of course she does – but I would rather support an inexperienced but passionate and qualified independent candidate than a party of empty promises and lacklustre leadership. And besides – the campaign isn’t actually about Fadzayi Mahere alone. It’s about Zimbabweans coming face to face with their own civic responsibilities – change doesn’t happen in parliament – it happens in individuals and neighbourhoods and communities. If you want change, you have to be the change.

So that’s why I’m backing Fadzayi. Because she offers a small flame of hope. And that is all you need to keep moving forward.