Give me hope - A cry from a Zimbabwean in the diaspora

Give me hope, because that is what will drive me and my countrymen and my nation to succeed, that will give us a determination and commitment to build our country for the better. Not only for ourselves now but for future generations.

Give me hope not history. I know you delivered us from colonial rule, I thank you for that, but that hope was realized 34 years ago. It is no longer a hope, but history. History has no vision or dreams for the future, it has no hope, it is merely a factual account of what was. What I need is hope for now and for the future.

Give me hope not accusations. Why do you accuse me of being a sell out for seeking refuge in another country, a foreign land that I did not think I would ever set foot in. I don't want to be here, truth be told, I want to be home amongst my people, in the beauty of Zimbabwe. But I will not starve and suffer for the sake of patriotism and for your enrichment at my cost. I will not live hopelessly in order to shake off the title of a sell -out. It does not matter where I am, I am Zimbabwean, it is in my blood.

Understand why I left my home and my people, I did it to seek a better life, to live in hope. And even as I am here, right now, in this foreign land, I want to help change things in Zimbabwe, I have ideas and thoughts and a vote for a leader that I want to represent me. I want my voice to be heard, even if I am in another land. Other great nations allow for that, why not ours? Why are you punishing me for seeking hope, you offer me none. Do you think I want to be here, separated from my brothers and sisters and mother and father for sometimes years at a time.

Give me hope not empty promises. The evidence of your empty promises is all too evident to see in our beautiful land. You promised me land but I have little to no land, and that which I have, I cannot use fruitfully because I have not the resources to do so. But you have plenty of land, I know because you boast about it.

You promised me a job, but there is absolutely nothing in my country. You promised me good affordable healthcare but I see the state of the hospitals and it's appalling. You promised me that education would be the key, but I have a degree and still no hope, no job. You promised me that I would live in a community that has the basic necessities available and yet I have no water in my house, I queue for water for hours in my high density suburb, with containers and wheel barrows. I spend hours every day doing this and I ask myself why I am letting this become 'normal', when it really is a hopeless situation.

I get home to no electricity, a daily occurrence and I am told this is the way it is in Africa. And it makes me feel hopeless, especially because I remember a time when this new 'normal' was not normal. And the most hopeless of all is to walk around in the communities, seeing kids playing around burst sewage pipes that smell like death itself.

Give me hope!

For 34 years you have promised it will get better, and it has, for you! Not for me. Give me hope not fear. I cannot say what I really feel because you have eyes and ears everywhere, some call you CIOs, some call you loyalists. Are we still at war? Why do you employ war tactics against a peace loving nation. Collecting intelligence from a civilian population and using it against them, manipulating and threatening people to sing your songs and forcing people to spread your message. A message of hopelessness. As I write I have fear that the eyes and ears might start to wonder who wrote this and why.

I do not wish to harm you, or destroy you, all I want is to be heard, I want to speak freely, I want to choose who will represent me in my community, my ward, my district, my province, my country. Why do you force me to vote for someone I do not want to represent me, who I think is incompetent. Give me hope not a hopeless Zimbabwe.

This country belongs to all of us. My family's blood just like yours, was shed for the freedom from colonialism we enjoy. I do not wish for my countrymen to fall into any bondage again, but this is what I see now, economic bondage that is ripping us apart as a people, as a nation.

I choose hope and I will walk with, and work with those who want to give Zimbabwe back it is hope.

Give me hope, I need it now, I will not wait another 34 years. Now is the time!