Opinion / Columnist
Yes, a man can die better than these men
11 Apr 2021 at 03:37hrs | Views
Remember Herbert Chitepo, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, Alfred Nikita Mangena, Josiah Tongogara and others as you blithely enjoy the freedom they died for. What were their dreams, are we honoring the ideals they sacrificed their lives?
The sacrifices made by the men and women of Zimbabwe are fastly becoming meaningless. While it is true that we are independent, our independence mean being free from political control by another country. We are not free from want, we are still haunted by the same problems we had pre-independence.
Revolution hasn't been achieved whatsoever. Revolution means a great, total and complete change in society where ways of working, conditions of life, beliefs, politics, ideologies, ideas, have taken place. A revolutionary change must be so great and affect such a large number of people not only in political life but more so completely change the way people think and act.
When we audit our conduct and take stock of our actions against the ideals they fought do get anywhere nearer? Why are we not taking their sacrifice seriously? Why are we mocking their selfless service to our future. Yes indeed these men could have died better had we taken care of the ideals they held until their last breath.
What is independence when our women 41 years later die while giving birth to the future of the country. Do we think these liberators died better off when the common people in suburbs across the country do not have access to clean water. Is their sacrifice being honored when there's rampant corruption, avarice and embezzlement in central and local government. Are they not turning in their graves when the democracy they fought for is being decimated day in day out. Are they sleeping well when the health care system is dead and almost a death trap. Do we think we are doing them good when we transact contested elections, election littered with violence,vote-buying, rigging and manipulation. When we become the single most exiled nation without war or natural disasters, do they feel the worth of the blood that spilled.
When more than 2000 families in Chilonga communal areas are facing eviction from their ancestral land to pave way for grass farming, do we think these heroes died better. Are they peaceful in their in their rest when the people they fought to free and better are tracking into foreign land for economic refuge.
The sad obtaining of our existence is the reality that we are not getting any better, that we are not fulfilling the dreams of our forebearers who sacrificed themselves dreaming to get us better.
When 41 years later we still battle medieval diseases in elite settlements of the country is their cause being upheld.
It is increasingly becoming clearer that we have failed to honor the sacrifice of our fallen heroes. Independence means nothing as it stands because what it was supposed to deliver is not obtaining.
As Lenin stated, "Imperialist bourgeoisie bribe a section of the leadership of the working class, the opportunists of the aristocracy, so that the struggle of the working class are subverted from within and led away from the revolutionary path," - this is the sad story of our nation. Our independence is a fallacy. We are everywhere in chains. Chains of poverty and want. Chains of mis-governance and political polarisation. Chains of lack amidst plenty. The state is being looted in our face and our voices of dissent are muzzled. The youth is wasting. The old guard is morally corrupt and gluttonous. The liberationist idea has been failed.
If anything, these boys - young men really - died like dogs; not better.
Today's governing elite should recollect and reflect on the ideals the liberation struggle and it's sacrifices. They must introspect and audit their behaviour and attitude, realign and dechlorinate the system. They have gone way too fast in the wrong direction. They ought to get our revolution back to its founding dictates.
These men, who did not die better, gave their lives for this freedom we now have the chutzpah to take for granted as Zimbabwe turn 41.
The sacrifices made by the men and women of Zimbabwe are fastly becoming meaningless. While it is true that we are independent, our independence mean being free from political control by another country. We are not free from want, we are still haunted by the same problems we had pre-independence.
Revolution hasn't been achieved whatsoever. Revolution means a great, total and complete change in society where ways of working, conditions of life, beliefs, politics, ideologies, ideas, have taken place. A revolutionary change must be so great and affect such a large number of people not only in political life but more so completely change the way people think and act.
When we audit our conduct and take stock of our actions against the ideals they fought do get anywhere nearer? Why are we not taking their sacrifice seriously? Why are we mocking their selfless service to our future. Yes indeed these men could have died better had we taken care of the ideals they held until their last breath.
What is independence when our women 41 years later die while giving birth to the future of the country. Do we think these liberators died better off when the common people in suburbs across the country do not have access to clean water. Is their sacrifice being honored when there's rampant corruption, avarice and embezzlement in central and local government. Are they not turning in their graves when the democracy they fought for is being decimated day in day out. Are they sleeping well when the health care system is dead and almost a death trap. Do we think we are doing them good when we transact contested elections, election littered with violence,vote-buying, rigging and manipulation. When we become the single most exiled nation without war or natural disasters, do they feel the worth of the blood that spilled.
When more than 2000 families in Chilonga communal areas are facing eviction from their ancestral land to pave way for grass farming, do we think these heroes died better. Are they peaceful in their in their rest when the people they fought to free and better are tracking into foreign land for economic refuge.
When 41 years later we still battle medieval diseases in elite settlements of the country is their cause being upheld.
It is increasingly becoming clearer that we have failed to honor the sacrifice of our fallen heroes. Independence means nothing as it stands because what it was supposed to deliver is not obtaining.
As Lenin stated, "Imperialist bourgeoisie bribe a section of the leadership of the working class, the opportunists of the aristocracy, so that the struggle of the working class are subverted from within and led away from the revolutionary path," - this is the sad story of our nation. Our independence is a fallacy. We are everywhere in chains. Chains of poverty and want. Chains of mis-governance and political polarisation. Chains of lack amidst plenty. The state is being looted in our face and our voices of dissent are muzzled. The youth is wasting. The old guard is morally corrupt and gluttonous. The liberationist idea has been failed.
If anything, these boys - young men really - died like dogs; not better.
Today's governing elite should recollect and reflect on the ideals the liberation struggle and it's sacrifices. They must introspect and audit their behaviour and attitude, realign and dechlorinate the system. They have gone way too fast in the wrong direction. They ought to get our revolution back to its founding dictates.
These men, who did not die better, gave their lives for this freedom we now have the chutzpah to take for granted as Zimbabwe turn 41.
Source - Taruberekera Masara in Pretoria
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