If there is a group of people in this country that I hold profound respect and honor towards – then, none will ever surpass veterans of our liberation struggle.
These are courageous men and women – who, in spite of their young ages, never allowed the fear of the oppressive colonial regime to stand in the way of their desire for freedom and independence in their own motherland – such that, were ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the attainment of this sacrosanct goal, regardless of the perilous journey faced.
Indeed, the majority of the people of Zimbabwe had suffered immeasurable subjugation and segregation, on the mere basis of their skin color, for nearly seven decades – only able to complain, and in the later parts, engaging in some acts of civil disobedience, in which various ‘native’ labor and voters’ rights groups campaigned for justice and equality.
Nonetheless, as colonialism continued unabated – there came a time when the oppressed people said, ‘enough is enough’, and had to take a tougher and uncompromising stance – thereby, leading to the protracted liberation struggle.
Merely moaning and moping was no longer sufficient – and, it had become imperative that, should the subjugated and segregated people of Zimbabwe earnestly desire to remove the heavy choking yoke of oppression around their necks – they had to do something meaningful and impactful about it.
It did not make sense anymore simply whining and whinging about unequal salaries, or lack of appropriate, sufficient and accessible high quality education, or land expropriation, or denial to universal adult suffrage.
There was now need for real action that was guaranteed to get the message, loud and clear, across the ears of those who stubbornly stood in the way of independence for Zimbabwe.
Admittedly, this brave and unflinching struggle for uhuru was eventually hijacked by a small self-serving power-greedy clique – whose main objective was to grab power and wealth for themselves, at the exclusion of the majority – who were callously abandoned after independence, to continue wallowing in poverty, in inhuman and degrading living conditions, which hardly improved from the colonial times.
However, that can never, and should never, take anything away from the valiant acts of the ordinary men, women, and children who gave up nearly everything for the liberation of their beloved country – yet, today, have also been forgotten and cast aside by the hijackers of the people’s revolution, who have been in power since independence in 1980.
Say what you may about our gallant sons and daughters of the soil – but, they have since proven themselves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to have more guts than the rest of us.
They managed to achieve what most of us today can only dream of.
In fact, judging from how the people of Zimbabwe, today, merely complain and moan over how they are being brutalized, repressed and marginalized by this same group of liberation struggle usurpers – without so much as lifting a finger and standing up for themselves in a more pronounced and powerful manner – it is undeniable that sacrificing our own lives, for the cause of the nation, is not a dream, but a horrifying and traumatizing nightmare, which grips us with terror.
If truth be told, we are nothing like our fathers, mothers, and older siblings – but, a shameless brood of spineless weaklings.
We are not in the same league as these brave men and women.
It never ceases to boggle the mind how each day we always seem to have something new to whine over.
We have huge issues with how the main opposition CCC party has practically being banned – as continually refused permission to conduct any meaningful campaigns, or hold any gatherings.
Whilst, their members and supporters are repeatedly either arrested on spurious charges (and, denied their constitutional right to bail, in the process) – or, viciously attacked by suspected ruling ZANU PF thugs, with very little being done to bring those involved to book.
I have never shied away from openly expressing my utter dissatisfaction and displeasure with all these opposition outfits in Zimbabwe – since, I perceive them as cut from the same cloth as the ruling ZANU PF – carved out of sheer power-greed and a propensity for looting, whilst led by self-absorbed egocentric megalomaniacs.
However, I fervently subscribe to the noble principles of democracy, and the upholding of every citizen’s right to choice, association, assembly, expression, and political participation – and, only in that regard, will I defend the CCC.
The controversial PVO (Public Voluntary Organizations) Bill has been sailing, or rather flying, through both houses of parliament – which threatens the work of civil society groups in Zimbabwe, especially those whose main mandate is to hold those in power to account.
The country’s voters’ roll is in question, and at the same time, constitutionally-enshrined access being blocked to the electorate – who are the major shareholders in any electoral process – as ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) places every conceivable hurdle in the way, including an insanely ridiculous US$187,000 for a hard copy of the treasured roll, thereby casting the fairness and freeness of subsequent elections in serious doubt.
This is on top of equally shocking nomination fees for presidential and parliamentary candidates – set at US$20,000 and US$1,000, respectively – leaving most prospective contestants excluded from participating in the country’s democratic processes.
Just today, I was reading a report in which the main opposition was complaining over the repulsively biased nature of state-owned media in Zimbabwe – which, under section 61(4) of the Constitution, is obligated to be impartial, and afford fair opportunity for the presentation of divergent views and dissenting opinions – yet, has been reduced to nothing more than a publicity desk at ZANU PF headquarters.
To top it all – nearly half the country’s population lives in extreme poverty, two thirds of those gainfully employed earning far below the poverty datum line, and three million Zimbabweans reportedly food insecure.
Our children have next to zero opportunity for any meaningful employment – as even university graduates are forced into street vending to eke out a living – whilst, the rest resort to prostitution, or end up addicted to drugs and alcohol out of hopelessness.
As millions of ordinary Zimbabweans endure such unimaginable poverty and suffering – unable to put food on the table, or send their children to school, or access needed medical care – those in power enjoy a life of opulence, due to ill-gotten wealth derived from the looting and plunder of our national resources.
I could go on and on, but the question that is always on my mind is – “In all these injustices and oppression, what are we going to do about it?”
I am actually pretty sure these are the same words asked by the ruling elite, as they dare and laugh those they subject to untold torment and torture on a daily basis – “What will you do about it”?
Indeed, that is a very good question.
Our courageous men and women of the liberation struggle, to whom I made reference earlier – reached a point where merely moaning and moping was clearly not enough – and, quite frankly, preposterous when dealing with a heartless and ruthless oppressor, who will not care a bit over noises those he oppresses make.
Is it, then, any wonder President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is fond of teasing and ridiculing Zimbabweans by saying, “Vachingovukura, vachingovukura, isu tichingotonga, tichingotonga”?
Is he wrong?
Surely, how will complaining – by writing endless articles, or tweeting, or venting our frustrations in our homes – help in the face of a cruel wicked regime?
Indeed, they will rule (not lead), and rule, and rule forever.
Yet, we have a plethora of tools in our toolbox of mass action – not only enriched in our Constitution, but some of them also non-confrontational, such that can never place the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans in the line of fire of this bloodthirsty trigger-happy government – that has no qualms at all shooting, in cold blood, innocent unarmed protesters, as happened in 2018 and 2019.
Who will get killed when we stay in our homes, for instance, for a concerted length of time – virtually shutting down the nation, and grinding the economy to a halt – as we register our displeasure and disgruntlement with the manner the political elite is ill-treating and mistreating us?
If our fathers, mothers and older siblings were prepared to sacrifice everything – including, their families, livelihoods, schooling, and even their own lives, in the quest for the country’s independence, and hope for a better tomorrow – then, why can we not do so as well?
Are we too selfish to even let go of a few dollars today, in the fight for improved livelihoods tomorrow?
If so, then we really have no one else to cry to for our continued misery and suffering.
It would make more sense if we just kept our mouths shut!
Actually, it eventually becomes rather irritating listening to, reading and even writing the same displeasures, grievances and discontent each and every day – things that we could have dealt with a long time ago, had we had the same gall as our gallant sons and daughters of the soil – who took on the segregatory and repressive colonial regime, without quivering.
In fact, our struggle is much simpler, as we are not facing off the regime on the armed battlefield, as did those before us – but, in most cases, simply not attending to our work stations or income-generation ventures in the CBD or other public places, until our demands are heard and fulfilled.
And, please let us stop with all these self-deluded dreams of the opposition winning crucial elections later this year – where some people appear to have placed their misguided hopes.
That is never going to happen – as long as we are not ready to firmly stand up for genuine electoral reforms (that guarantee free, fair and credible elections), as well as protecting our votes in the event of a fraudulent outcome.
Nevertheless, we are unwilling and unprepared to do anything against the oppression and injustices we are subjected to everyday.
Hatishandike nesu for real!
Are we that hopeless as Zimbabweans?
Why do we even bother complaining, when we are not ready to finish what we started – since, moaning alone will never move a callous heartless regime.
Vachangotonga, vachingotonga, vachingotonga – isu tichingovukura, tichingovukura, tichingovukura!
That is a fact we need to face!
TENDAI RUBEN MBOFANA - THE UN-OPPRESSED MIND! 