Jacob Ngarivhume, the leader of Transform Zimbabwe, believes that defeating the ruling party ZANU PF in Zimbabwe requires collective action from the citizens. He urges a shift away from relying solely on individual politicians and emphasises the need for better coordination within the opposition.
Ngarivhume argues that politics in Zimbabwe should move beyond focusing on individuals and personalities and instead promote collective action. He points out that ZANU PF demonstrates strong coordination in persecuting people, and Zimbabweans need to unite similarly. He said during This Morning on Asakhe, an X space hosted by CITE on Tuesday:
None but ourselves can free ourselves as Zimbabweans. This is what Transform Zimbabwe strongly feels.
We need a well-coordinated response to what is happening in the country. The enemy, the Zanu PF regime is well-coordinated in persecuting people. They have captured the courts. They know that you will not escape the courts. They have captured prison officers in our prisons and they know you will be quite in trouble when in prison. They are well-coordinated and well-oiled and this is the kind of coordination that we need. The opposition needs two times that coordination.
According to Ngarivhume, when politicians fail to deliver, it is up to ordinary citizens to take control of the situation. He believes that the people should collectively challenge decisions like the recent national budget, which included tax increases on already struggling citizens. Ngarivhume suggests that citizens should reject such actions and demand an end to corruption, even if it means taking to the streets.
Ngarivhume calls for a shared vision among Zimbabweans and urges the opposition to unite and find common ground in their fight against a regime which he says ignores the voices of the people. He emphasises the importance of Zimbabweans taking initiative rather than relying on external intervention.
Reflecting on his detention, Ngarivhume stressed the need for support and solidarity among political activists, especially when they are arrested. He said:
I informed my information team, and I spoke to ZINASU because we need that solidarity. As you grow, you realise people are so much afraid of many things. They want to occupy that space alone (saying) ‘that space must be occupied by me and is mine alone.’ That is selfishness. In the struggle, you need to stand up for another.
We must speak up for Sikhala and the Mthwakazi people. You can’t be arrested and we say nothing. The oppressor looks at that. The strong support sends a strong message. That’s the kind of thing they look at. Sikhala goes back to the Magistrates Court in Harare on January 24, 2024, and we need to be there.
In 2021, Ngarivhume said that Zimbabwe needed a different and more mature way of doing politics. He called for people to come together and support Nelson Chamisa, who he said leads the biggest opposition party in the country. However, Ngarivhume couldn’t take part in the August 2023 elections because he was in prison at the time.