It all started with a tweet!
When Tsistsi Masiyiwa shared her thoughts in a simple tweet it triggered a crazy chain reaction that resulted in her and husband Strive deleting their Twitter accounts.
Strive said the decision to delete Twitter accounts was made because his wife was now being bullied on the platform. He singled out an individual who most people concluded to be Dewa Mavhinga who works for the international organisation, Human Rights Watch. Strive said he knew the founder of the organisation personally which some interpreted as a threat on Dewa’s job.
It didn’t end there though. Strive Masiyiwa and Jonathan Moyo traded some words between themselves. Jonathan was one of those accusing Masiyiwa for threatening Dewa. Masiyiwa in turn was reminding the world how Jonathan closed down his newspaper back when Moyo was Zimbabwe’s minister of information.
Of course while all this was happening Econet lawyers were going after a guy called Rutendo Mandinyarare for making a number of allegations against Masiyiwa and Econet including murder!
It kinda started with sanctions
Most of the onslaught against Strive Masiyiwa started before the Tsitsi Masiyiwa tweet really. The biggest trigger seems to be the utterance by Strive that President Mnangagwa seems sincere in wanting reform and change in Zimbabwe and that the international community must compliment him by removing sanctions against Zimbabwe.
It has come back to sanctions
Ken Roth, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch (the organisation that employs Dewa Mavhinga) tweeted in defense of Dewa saying Dewa did not bully Tsitsi Masiyiwa. Strive and Ken responded to each other a bit and it then came to sanctions!
The comments from Ken Roth that Strive was responding to when he mentioned sanctions:
Strive Masiyiwa, I never called you a “defender of repression” despite your inaccurately placing those words in quotes. My full Tweet said the following: “Defenders of Zimbabwe Pres Mnangagwa don’t want to hear criticism of his government’s persistent repression so they pretend all critics are foreign sponsored. A cheap shot. Why not address the reality?” People can read the full Tweet for themselves here: https://twitter.com/…/status/1080462551123660800Meanwhile, your reference to Moyo is a diversion. I do not defend Moyo. I defend my colleague from the false allegations you made against him when he challenged your wife’s tweet suggesting that critics of Mnangagwa must be foreign sponsored, as I explained in my prior post.
Here is Strive Masiyiwa’s full Facebook comment responding to the above:
My reply,
Young Africans sit and listen!This is an example of a dishonest person who does not have the courage to own up when he makes a mistake.
He wants others to be accountable to him and him alone but will not be accountable himself!Let me show you:
His headline said:“Defenders of Zimbabwe Pres Mnangagwa don’t want to hear criticism of his government’s persistent repression so they pretend all critics are foreign” sponsored.”
He then slyly attached a link to an article by Jonathan Moyo, entitled “Moyo slams Masiyiwa”:
This was to identify me specifically as
the so called “defender”!
He did not attach an article about my wife [because to him it’s the husband who is in charge of what she said that he claims to be concerned about]!
He did not attach an article on President Munangagwa, who he claims to be concerned about!
So he picks s fight with me. I say “bring it on my friend”!Even a child can see that, unless he thinks Africans are just too dumb to see the “dog whistle technique”, which we Black People normally associate with racists when they want to get their friends to lynch us!
It is totally condescending to talk of “targeted sanctions” when everyone in Zimbabwe knows that they were introduced 20 years ago, over the farm invasions, and not earlier over genocide by Mugabe. They are “targeted” for sure—at poor Zimbabweans — because they never affected those on the so called list!
These so called “targeted sanctions” have been like a mad man with a hammer trying to kill a fly!
Every blow:
#closed companies and factories;
#Closed hospitals to ordinary people, whilst the targets when they are sick go to Singapore and Dubai;
#Disease pandemics killing the poor and vulnerable,
# Children not able to access medicines.
# our people forced to flee to neighboring countries to scrap for food even on the streets as beggars.
#You reduced us to aid, which you are now cutting.A once proud people bowed!
No sir!
Enough!
Zvakwana, aisi nyika yako!
“Enough, it is not your country”.Allow us Zimbabweans to choose what tools we apply to bring about peaceful democratic change. Your methods have failed us.
Since you have admitted to being the one behind these sanctions, please remove them, and find other means that do not cause so much suffering for ordinary people.
I hope my followers will now answer you going forward:
Here is the hashtag:
#MrRothPleaseStopSanctions.
Children are dying, and so is our country.
Please Sir!I will attach it to every post I make.
That escalated really fast!
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30 comments
Before Mugabe was removed from power I used to believe Mugabe and MnanMnang are the same in terms of their ruling styless .
Mnangagwa has been in power for slightly over a year and he has proven that he is different from Mugabe. He allows people to critisise him openly, the opposition was allowed to campaign freely in the run up to elections. Zanu PF could have rigged the elections, But the way MDC handled the succession battle when Tsvangirai passed on was disastrous. They could have arranged a democratic
process to elect a successor.
With Mnangagwa proving that he was different from Mugabe and MDC fightfig for the Presidency
of the party some voters went back to Zanu PF
Most people were not free to attack Mugabe. Now that Mnangagwa has allowed freedom of expression they vent their anger on Mnangagwa for Mugabe’s sins.
So, I agree with Masiyiwa that Mnangagwa seems to be a listening leader compared to Mugabe. He can’t be expected to sort out Mugabe’s economic mess overnight.
The only difference between mugabe and Ed is that ED only allows you to speak freely and never listen to any grievences you will tell him just like wat mugabe did so they are the same coz just one point that he allows u to speak then u say they are different
Speak out guys. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
zanu is zanu always! they will rob you bit by bit, you think things are getting better but before you know it you have nothing! thats the zanu way. they will take everything from you and then control you 100 %
Being allowed to campaign freely was not a favour from ED, it’s in the Constitution. You my friend suffer from Stockholm syndrome and are very myopic indeed.
Avawo ava. Since ED Became the Pres… What really toungible thing has he done except Rig elections, cause a shortage in Fuel, Fail to pay the most crucial part of the Economy (Civil Servants)? There is still more, should i go on?
What do you have to say now in light on the nationwide cporganised crackdown?
Childish
Strive is correct. All these so called developed countries Evolved into their present states. Why do they want us to jump the experience curve and simply start copying their constitutions and ways without fully appreciating the reasons for each piece of legislation and how it relates directly to our societies. If you skip any stage in theaslow Hierachy you are sure to come back to the skipped stage at some point. We must be allowed out own evolution path.
The issue is about the haves and the have nots. The haves are defending what they feel must never get into the way of the poor, while in the other hand the have nots feel that enough is enough
He’s trying to come back home and his true intentions have more been revealed… If they get a new gvt that allows competition in his sector… Things might not be rosy
Wabaya Dede nemukanwa
Strive is an idiot
Strive we Zimbabweans are not fools. You have been out of Zim for 18 years enjoying life out there well God blessed you with all the wealth but dont use it to abuse our intelligence you have no idea of what we going through cause of this Selfish Government and we all know you have benefited from that so plizz shut up and enjoy your money we never asked for your help
A change in hair style does not mean a change of the head shape!!!
VaMasiyiwa maakutaurisa, nyaya dze ZANU ngatisiyane nadzo chero tikavaramba vanotimanikidza. Varungu vanotorwadzisa zvirinane. Kutonga rudzii kunoita kuti vanhu vanoshanda vanoita varombo. Its better to have one working hospital than a thousand not helping anyone. In ZANU PF do not pick and choose, hapana hapana. Network Zero
Please keep quiet we want this gvt give and we want more competition for Econet…we you not campaigning from MTN to not be a
I agree with Strive Masiiwa, sanctions are hurting the poor innocent people, no jobs for the majority of us, no drugs in hospitals, long and winding fuel queues, scarce commodities if there they are beyond the reach of many. Who suffers, is it the targeted people or the poor. NO TO SANCTIONS
I’m not saying sanctions are good, but everything you have mentioned was not caused by sanctions. It was caused by misadministration.
Sanctions brought Apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia to the negotiating table, they have a serious effect and most business people are complaining and you still think they are ok.
I agreed with Strive, US has repressed many other nations including slavery and they are not sanctions, I fully support the call for removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe whatever the circumstances. Why were these sanctions not imposed when 20,000 people were killed in matebeleland, these so called white guys do not give a damn about us Zimbabweans it’s all about their white interests. We need to wake up to this reality and start building our country. Thank you Strive for this call.
Speak on Strive. Most of us Zimbabweans, who have borne the brunt of these diabolic sanctions support your position. Those who support sanctions from the comfort of London, New York are disingenuous and very unfair to ordinary Zimbabweans, whose daily lives have been turned into nightmares because of these senseless sanctions. These sanctions must Go.
What do you benefit from the suffering of ORDINARY ZIMBABWEANS? If you advocate for sanctions shame on you murderer. Sanctions has failed to effect a regime change and poor ORDINARY ZIMBABWEAN have paid the biggest price. SHAME on those who advocated for sanctions to remain, woe unto you who call for sanctions. Go to RURAL AREAS and see if SANCTIONS are doing good. Go to growth points and see what our teenagers are doing because they cant afford fees and there are no jobs. Be careful of what you do, YOU ARE PAID TO DESTROY YOUR OWN COUNTRIES. BE YOUR OWN COME TO YOUR SENES AND ASK YOURSELF, WHAT GOOD HAVE I DONE FOR MY PEOPLE. You are the type of those whore idiotic blacks who were in the colonial army fighting their own people.
Hey you idiot, you certainly are one of those morons who have no useful thought in your head, all you can do is repeat Zanu propaganda. Please tell me who has has been advocating for sanctions. Do you really think some Zimbo has the clout to influence American and UK foreign policy? My goodness how stupid are you. Stupid!!!!
The sanctions serve American and UK interests, no one else.
But they are not the cause of our economic problems. And the economic gains made by the GNU is proof of that. Nobody was talking about sanctions then (despite their existence) , when you could withdraw all the money you wanted from the bank and Biti paid all civil servants (including ghost workers) with REAL money that you could hold in you hands. Where is that money today, did sanctions make it all disappear?
As for your growth points and unemployed youths. Who saw it fit to raid government coffers to pay off so called liberation war vets, whilst shutting down programs for youths , was it sanctions who made all these horrible decisions. Today student doctors work in hospitals but they get nothing in terms of meaningful pay.
Who made the decisions to slash zeros and print money. Was it sanctions? Who closed down Strive’s newspaper , was it sanctions?
Even if you could click you fingers and repeal Zidera right now, Tell me what would change????. NOTHING. Zanu will then have more money to steal.
Even now, with all the reforms being ushered in. The real motivation behind all this is for Zanu’s benefit. All these mega billion dollar projects are moving at break neck speeds because the investors have paid the “Zanu tax”. The real reason why government is harping on about sanctions is because a lot of these investors who have to pay the “Zanu tax” ( kick backs which include local shareholding and lucrative contracts to supply services and goods to these newly created entities) are afraid they will be seen to be in bed with a dubious organisation under sanction.
Continue the good fight BROTHER STRIVE MASIIWA.
Those that are paid by foreigners to destroy their heritage will eventually loose.
I agree with Masiyiwa. Mnangagwa gave Zimbabweans a voice. Let’s not misplace it. If we cry about the past we loose with moment.
Let’s focus the freedom of speech and after speech to real matters like Masiyiwa has done. Zimbabwe needs more like Masiyiwa in each sector in Zimbabwe to open people’s eyes.
Please don’t forget corruption by this gvt…don’ts give doctors in USD and the pay them in bond….even if they remove the sanctions…these crooks are going to steal even more….crooks are the gvt….austerity for us only while they flaunt their I’l gotten gains
I think people who think Zimbabweans want sanctions you have a misconception abt the whole thing the issue is the corrupt leaders hiding behind sanctions when they have mismanaged the country we not talking about Mugabe error we talking about ED error from Nov they created huge debts serving their interests and now us ordinary Zimbos arw suffering nema Tax trying to cover up for their debts and upto now no one has ever being held accountable . Bond note it serving their interest bcoz they print and buy US on black market so that they buy party cars and u say sanctions gave them brains to do dat ??? Pliiz ED and Mugabe they are the same Zanu is Zanu it wl never change
Masiwa keep your Telecom business thus what you know best. Unless if you are saying Zanu should rule Zim forever!! Thot Zim is a country not a kingdom. Dont shift the blame on sanctions these corrupt leaders brot sanctions on us if there are legit ndiani akambosungwa on corruption charges asiri we G40 even G40 yacho ndiani akasungwa ?????? Am sure strive you are rich enough to the list
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