The hour to liberate the people of Zimbabwe from the evil clutches of their oppressive leader, President Robert Mugabe, is upon us. Once a revered freedom fighter, adored by many for his leading role in bringing freedom to the people of Zimbabwe, Mugabe's policies in the past three decades have ruined Zimbabwe and driven millions of Zimbabweans out of their beloved country.
Now scattered all over the world where they are refugees in countries including South Africa, Canada, the UK and many others, they tell horrific tales of how they, their children, relatives and their compatriots have been hounded out of their homes, tortured, beaten up, maimed, poisoned or brutally murdered by this predatory government.
In power since 1980, Mugabe has ruled the country with an iron fist. His political opponents fear him. In his 37-year reign of terror he has been notorious for unleashing the militia on all those considered his political opponents. The militia would rape, sjambok and urinate on them before throwing them in jail.
This while his band of loyalists and cronies live like royalty as they have free rein to plunder the country's resources. They and their families live in luxury while the majority languish in poverty. The World Food Programme estimates that 63% of the country's 13.8 million population live below the poverty line.
Zimbabwe was once considered the breadbasket of Africa. Today our neighbour, north of the Limpopo River, is counted among the poorest countries with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
The unprecedented scenes in Harare yesterday, which saw thousands of Zimbabweans, many of whom have not experienced democratic rule as they were born under Mugabe's oppressive reign, point to one thing only: Mugabe's demise is inevitable.
The last time we witnessed an anti-government protest on the streets of Harare, more than 100 people, including four MPs, were arrested.
Yesterday's mood was different. It was a celebration. The scenes resembled the Arab Spring popular uprisings of North Africa and the Middle East, which brought down some of the world most notorious dictators.
If Mugabe is still in power as you read this, you can rest assured of one thing; he will not remain at State House for long. He has been cornered. His days are numbered. A new dawn is beckoning.
Support for the people of Zimbabwe has come from all four corners of the world. We too share a common interest with the majority of the people of Zimbabwe. We cannot wait to see the back of this despot.
While his loyal supporters still see Mugabe as a freedom fighter, many Zimbabweans around the world will remember him as a dictator and not the liberator of their youth.
As much as we want to see him gone, we also want to the rule of law returned to Zimbabwe. Mugabe must go, but must be taken out of power through democratic means. And these processes must be led by Zimbabweans themselves.
We do not support a coup. The Zimbabwean military denies that it has orchestrated a coup. Whatever you call what has happened in Zimbabwe - a coup or a "bloodless correction" as some have branded it - we remain opposed to any military-led interventions in Zimbabwe.
What we hope for is a democratic transfer of power through the ballot. To get there we need to usher in a democratic transition that is led by and involves all the political parties. The ruling Zanu-PF can play a critical role in ending the impasse, starting by recalling Mugabe and replacing him with a candidate who will restore democratic rule, reform all institutions of democracy and lead the country to the next general elections.
This is important if people are to have confidence that the coming elections will be free and fair.
