Opinion / Columnist
April 18th is coming: Wish Wilfred Mhanda: Dzino had lived to see these developments unfolding!
17 Apr 2017 at 08:14hrs | Views
For those of us who have lived in Germany we know how the German system itself loathes the loyalty to one individual: individual loyalty should go to the nation, its constitution and its flag. The "Deutsche Grundgesetz Art, 1 Abs 1 says the human dignity is unimpeachable: To respect and protect it shall be the duty of every citizen. Sure this is German law and not Zimbabwe law per se. We envy these constitutional laws of other countries that uplift the dignity of humankind inviolably. The first question we have to ask ourselves here in Zimbabwe is: is there any dignity in praise-singing a human being in the way President Robert Mugabe is praise-sung and bootlicked by our politicians? Nobody survives politics if you do not praise-sing the DEAR LEADER AND HIS WIFE. The entire dignity of a person is thrown to the dogs: one has to sink very low to ever be part of IT.
Independence Day is a day we commemorate our freedom and also at the same breath remember those who died in the struggle fighting for all of us in the country to be free: blacks whites Asians and all other people-of-colour who live in Zimbabwe. From the word go: since independence: freedom meant different to different ethnic groups. For Zanu it was indeed freedom-come and it came! But for the people of Mathebeleland and Midlands freedom meant subjugations and deaths in thousands. We were termed cockroaches, must be eliminated from the map of Zimbabwe: to this date there is no apology for the gross atrocities and brutality of that magnitude to the victims of Gugurahundi atrocities. The perpetrators are in the ruling party and government living large: those are the people who enjoy unfeted "freedom" and our abundant resources of this country: not the people of Mashonalands, not the people of Mathebelelands, not the people of Midlands and Manicaland. We are all in this together: peoples of all ethnic groups we share the same pain and loss of our freedom and decency of life and the national resources that belong to all of us are denied us. How I wish this togetherness in pain and despair could unite us as people of Zimbabwe against Zanu PF.
The most parts of Mashonalands people did enjoy some semblance of freedom and independence in the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. Schools and hospitals were built in most remote parts of those areas. They also did receive good education and were facilitated with good road-infrastructure and farm improvements were visibly evident in the food securities these areas produced. As time went on things changed, the people of Mashonalands systematically became short-changed equally as the Mathebele ethnic groups. The cake was beginning to shrink and it meant that those who managed to "eat it" would have to be absolute loyal to the President and his wife. This is how the politics of patronage started and never ended: the politic of Zanu PF.
It's not that Robert Mugabe made himself a dictator and manipulator for decades: the people around him made him so. It is the irony of it all that most people in Zanu want this monster called Robert Mugabe gone as soon as yesterday. Zanu cadres in its early days, way back in the struggle made this man "THE MAN" out of nowhere. Robert Mugabe took advantage of the fact that Zanu and Zanla: these two organs were very weak. There was no trust in any of the leaders in the Diaspora: so when Robert Mugabe came: accidentally and some chance on his way: coming from Ghana, was invited to political parties, solved those differences, spread his eloquence to the cadres and some command of English language, they thought they found the Leader they wanted, a mistake that sent Wilfred Mhanda to his early death: died seething about the gross miscalculation they made: choosing MUGABE ROBERT GABRIEL as leader of Zanu. It is also sad that one cannot reverse the time for whatever reason. We do mourn those lost opportunities we could have made use of, when we approach the independence day of 18th April.
The rest is just history how Mugabe the past 37 years, continued to purge those disloyal to him, most of them to the point of even eliminating some of them: most of them survived underground imprisonment in Mozambique: something he gloats about when he starts shaking his matches to scare the War Veterans. President Samora Machel came to their rescue; they would have perished in most excruciation executions in those prisons. That is Zanu for you. To this day Zanu is purging those that are deemed not loyal enough or deemed to have crossed the line: a slight mistake by words or deeds: you go, either by being eliminated: killed or if one is lucky, is saved from death like is the case with Amai Mujuru.
Zimbabwe has nothing to show: there is nothing to celebrate the eventful day called Independence Day: 18th of April. The majority of the population are starving; they are getting social care from international donors. Roads are miserable, schools are dilapidated, and clinics are rotting in the sense of the word. Our food insecurities continue despite the heavy rains. Roads are causing fatal accidents almost every day. The carnage of people dying in accidents as a result of poor roads is fearful. The number of street kids in the towns and cities should make all of us ashamed to call ourselves Zimbabweans. The prisons are death beds for the criminals. We wish they never committed those crimes ever to subject themselves to those deadly conditions.
The current political developments are too good to be true. The man called Robert Mugabe has cheated everybody and anything in the land and abroad. Ironically cannot cheat old age. The man is really old. Clandestinely, his rank and file do not want him anymore, they are stuck with him. Mugabe played all of them from the securocrat to Zanu inner circle of Politburos big time fools: he twisted them right left and centre, none can dare to go and tell the old criminal of 93 years to go, his time is up! They fear him. Those that fear are the very ones who were sent to eliminate those who were not loyal enough. They fear the same fate on them. This is the moment I feel Dzino should have been part of this change: inevitable change on our door steps. Mugabe will die anytime whether he wants it or not. Someone will take over and certainly not his wife.
This state of not knowing what will happen is scary at the same time exiting to all those watching closely the political events unfolding. God may hear our prayers just for once: we pray for a smooth transition of Zanu PF to an unknown situation, but because God being good, he will give us the best scenario altogether.
We sincerely hope that those that will continue to write our constitution or amend it will put loyalty to the nation and never to the individual. Individuals come and go and not the constitution. Let us teach our children to be subject of the constitution and not of a single person: this is dangerous we have enough evidence of the dangers of loyalty to individuals.
I will remember Dzino Wilfred Mhanda at Independence Day. I will be able to talk to him and tell him that change is coming: freedom is indeed coming and tomorrow! I will be able to tell him to sleep well and all other fallen heroes and heroines that perished during the war. They never died in vain; it's just that the person who took over power in 1980 was not the right leader for all Zimbabweans of all ethnic populations. We shall get real independence and freedom albeit 38 years later.
Independence Day is a day we commemorate our freedom and also at the same breath remember those who died in the struggle fighting for all of us in the country to be free: blacks whites Asians and all other people-of-colour who live in Zimbabwe. From the word go: since independence: freedom meant different to different ethnic groups. For Zanu it was indeed freedom-come and it came! But for the people of Mathebeleland and Midlands freedom meant subjugations and deaths in thousands. We were termed cockroaches, must be eliminated from the map of Zimbabwe: to this date there is no apology for the gross atrocities and brutality of that magnitude to the victims of Gugurahundi atrocities. The perpetrators are in the ruling party and government living large: those are the people who enjoy unfeted "freedom" and our abundant resources of this country: not the people of Mashonalands, not the people of Mathebelelands, not the people of Midlands and Manicaland. We are all in this together: peoples of all ethnic groups we share the same pain and loss of our freedom and decency of life and the national resources that belong to all of us are denied us. How I wish this togetherness in pain and despair could unite us as people of Zimbabwe against Zanu PF.
The most parts of Mashonalands people did enjoy some semblance of freedom and independence in the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. Schools and hospitals were built in most remote parts of those areas. They also did receive good education and were facilitated with good road-infrastructure and farm improvements were visibly evident in the food securities these areas produced. As time went on things changed, the people of Mashonalands systematically became short-changed equally as the Mathebele ethnic groups. The cake was beginning to shrink and it meant that those who managed to "eat it" would have to be absolute loyal to the President and his wife. This is how the politics of patronage started and never ended: the politic of Zanu PF.
It's not that Robert Mugabe made himself a dictator and manipulator for decades: the people around him made him so. It is the irony of it all that most people in Zanu want this monster called Robert Mugabe gone as soon as yesterday. Zanu cadres in its early days, way back in the struggle made this man "THE MAN" out of nowhere. Robert Mugabe took advantage of the fact that Zanu and Zanla: these two organs were very weak. There was no trust in any of the leaders in the Diaspora: so when Robert Mugabe came: accidentally and some chance on his way: coming from Ghana, was invited to political parties, solved those differences, spread his eloquence to the cadres and some command of English language, they thought they found the Leader they wanted, a mistake that sent Wilfred Mhanda to his early death: died seething about the gross miscalculation they made: choosing MUGABE ROBERT GABRIEL as leader of Zanu. It is also sad that one cannot reverse the time for whatever reason. We do mourn those lost opportunities we could have made use of, when we approach the independence day of 18th April.
The rest is just history how Mugabe the past 37 years, continued to purge those disloyal to him, most of them to the point of even eliminating some of them: most of them survived underground imprisonment in Mozambique: something he gloats about when he starts shaking his matches to scare the War Veterans. President Samora Machel came to their rescue; they would have perished in most excruciation executions in those prisons. That is Zanu for you. To this day Zanu is purging those that are deemed not loyal enough or deemed to have crossed the line: a slight mistake by words or deeds: you go, either by being eliminated: killed or if one is lucky, is saved from death like is the case with Amai Mujuru.
Zimbabwe has nothing to show: there is nothing to celebrate the eventful day called Independence Day: 18th of April. The majority of the population are starving; they are getting social care from international donors. Roads are miserable, schools are dilapidated, and clinics are rotting in the sense of the word. Our food insecurities continue despite the heavy rains. Roads are causing fatal accidents almost every day. The carnage of people dying in accidents as a result of poor roads is fearful. The number of street kids in the towns and cities should make all of us ashamed to call ourselves Zimbabweans. The prisons are death beds for the criminals. We wish they never committed those crimes ever to subject themselves to those deadly conditions.
The current political developments are too good to be true. The man called Robert Mugabe has cheated everybody and anything in the land and abroad. Ironically cannot cheat old age. The man is really old. Clandestinely, his rank and file do not want him anymore, they are stuck with him. Mugabe played all of them from the securocrat to Zanu inner circle of Politburos big time fools: he twisted them right left and centre, none can dare to go and tell the old criminal of 93 years to go, his time is up! They fear him. Those that fear are the very ones who were sent to eliminate those who were not loyal enough. They fear the same fate on them. This is the moment I feel Dzino should have been part of this change: inevitable change on our door steps. Mugabe will die anytime whether he wants it or not. Someone will take over and certainly not his wife.
This state of not knowing what will happen is scary at the same time exiting to all those watching closely the political events unfolding. God may hear our prayers just for once: we pray for a smooth transition of Zanu PF to an unknown situation, but because God being good, he will give us the best scenario altogether.
We sincerely hope that those that will continue to write our constitution or amend it will put loyalty to the nation and never to the individual. Individuals come and go and not the constitution. Let us teach our children to be subject of the constitution and not of a single person: this is dangerous we have enough evidence of the dangers of loyalty to individuals.
I will remember Dzino Wilfred Mhanda at Independence Day. I will be able to talk to him and tell him that change is coming: freedom is indeed coming and tomorrow! I will be able to tell him to sleep well and all other fallen heroes and heroines that perished during the war. They never died in vain; it's just that the person who took over power in 1980 was not the right leader for all Zimbabweans of all ethnic populations. We shall get real independence and freedom albeit 38 years later.
Source - Nomazulu Thata
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