Zapu Europe Chair's Heroes Day Statement

Fellow Zimbabweans,

As we remember and salute our heroes and heroines both fallen and living, let us pride ourselves as a nation in that because of their sacrifices we have our Zimbabwe that has come for good and it is up to us to determine the future of our beloved country. It is important that we remember all without any discrimination of whatever kind, ranging from the leaders of our struggle such as Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo, JZ Moyo, Josiah Tongogara, George Silundika, Josiah Chinamano and others including those that lay in unmarked graves both in and outside the country as well as those villagers young and old, male and female, women and children who died in their numbers in crossfire assisting our forces of liberation.

It is common knowledge even to those of our fellow citizens born after independence and no lecture is required as to what kind of a country these gallant leaders wanted to leave behind for us and posterity. A question quickly comes to mind; If they were alive today, would they be saying this is the kind of a Zimbabwe we wanted to achieve? A Zimbabwe that does not have its own currency, factories closing all over the country including in the capital Harare and the former industrial hub of the land Bulawayo, where citizens face police road blocks of up to 12, whenever travelling before reaching their destination and at each road block one must pay a bribe to the police.

A country divided more than ever before, the dividing lines are countless, divided along tribal lines, divided along political affiliations, divided along rich and poor, divided along oppressed and the oppressors. This is a symptom of a failed country, which demands leadership akin to those we had during the liberation struggle, who were prepared to leave their loved ones behind, and who were prepared to die for the liberation of the country. All the factors which led to the liberation struggle are present today, maybe even worse. Mr Nelson Mandela once encouraged people to rise up against their liberators when they start to oppress them, I agree with this assertion, it is legitimate to rise against any oppressor, be they white or black.

What kind of a government which promotes such divisions? Yes, we know they hope to rip the rewards of a divided people which is inaction and mistrust amongst themselves, but what the government does not realise is that this is a state of disequilibrium and unnatural state, the forces of nature always thrive to achieve an equilibrium, therefore this state will not last forever, people will rise and do what is right, to enable their children to have a better future. We have all witnessed the ruling party deploying a known war veteran from Matabeleland in Masvingo and other eastern areas of the country to harass and intimidate the innocent civilian population and we have painfully witnessed people from the eastern part of the country deployed in Matebeleland with a view of displacing the people of Matabeleland. Where do the ruling party and the government want the people of Matebeleland to go? People of Matebeleland went to war because of dispossession and I would not blame them if they do the same now. We know their strategy is multi-pronged, one facet of the strategy is to change the voting patterns in Matebeleland.

We are now faced with a country which regards anybody who does not hold a ZANU PF card as a not human enough, my country men and women, it is up to us to reconfigure the status quo to a state which is safe for all.

We all know that many including those in the ruling party, that they have come to believe that the state institutions belong to ZANU PF. The security apparatus of the country such as the armed forces, police, cio are regarded as part and parcel of the ruling party. No one seems to question this anomalous state. Even the financial institutions of the land have been turned to shameless partisan political party institutions. Would our true heroes accept this state of affairs? If not, why do we then accept it ourselves?

This is what our Zimbabwe has become, a country where the most senior liberation war heroes such as Dr D Dabengwa's farm can easily be invaded by the rogue elements from the ruling party and the law enforcers do nothing about it. Dr Dabengwa bought the farm from his own resources not through the illegal land invasions of the year 2000s. It is surprising that those who direct and order these jobless youths to invade Dabengwa's farm, they own many farms and their farms are lying idle. Now the majority of people who lived under the oppressive rule of Ian Smith believe that even though they lived without fundamental freedoms but their day to day lives were tolerable and this why they managed to stand against the settlers. Currently, people have been reduced to nothing and they are finding it difficult to rise up against a vile government which does not care about them. People know that the government does not care about them but they are finding it to rise up against it.

It must be emphasised that Zimbabweans are a peace loving nation and stand ready to build their future and live in harmony but are only held to ransom by the party of violence known to all Zimbabweans. I urge all fellow citizens to continue remembering our gallant heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle and emulating their deeds. Where our heroes and heroines were prepared to pay the ultimate price, let us not be found wanting. Where they said negotiations have yielded zilch, let us not be founding wanting too.

Fellow countrymen and women allow me to conclude by confirming that I have spoken to Dr Dabengwa and he has confirmed that the invaders had withdrawn from his farm.

All this is pain and suffering that many Zimbabweans contend with now and again. We are therefore saying it is time for peace loving Zimbabweans to voice together and say NO, this is not the kind of our Zimbabwe we would like to see. On Saturday the 16th August 2014 starting at 14:00hrs, we are calling on all Zimbabweans to gather at the Zimbabwe Embassy 429 Strand street central London to protest against all these injustices by the ruling party in our country. This is one of the ways we can remember our heroes and heroines and pass on to our future generations the Zimbabwe we would like to see.

Christopher Maphosa
(ZAPU Europe Chairperson)