Opinion / Columnist
35 Years of Independence and 35 Years in the wrong Direction
18 Apr 2015 at 07:33hrs | Views
A simple question was posed in order to get the views of the people's experiences of the Zimbabwean independence since 1980. The question was as follows: '35 years of independence what have been your experiences and highlights of the Zimbabwe Independence to date?
The question was carefully calibrated so as not to mislead and thereby get biased answers, I will here share with you some of the responses I received.
Zimbabwe was effectively colonised in two stages, in 1890 MaShonaland was colonised and in 1893 Matabeleland was colonised. Untold suffering was meted on the indigenous people, which left Zimbabweans with permanent psychological and physical scars. 100 years after, in 1980 Zimbabwe became independent.
The most potent factor is the psychological element, for it does not go away easily. The colonisation employed deliberate measures to undermine the self-worth of the Blackman and to an extent this has worked wonders as many black people suffer from a lack of self-belief. Self-belief is a powerful transformative mechanism for all human beings, if you do not believe you can then you can't.
Over the years many attempts were made to seek redress which saw the uprisings in the late 1890s against the colonisers. The nationalists slowly turned the Smith tables upside down, and forced him to the negotiation table, culminating in the elections of 1980 which ushered in the independence, with high hopes of a better future.
Here is a sample of the responses:
Susan Ndlovu: For me the highlights have been witnessing oppression and brutality by a black government on black people. Shameful really!
Nyasha Mahachi: I do not know what it has brought, but all around me I see misery and suffering, I have seen the brutalisation of the opposition on an unprecedented scale. Where is Itai Dzamara?
JT Moyo: Exclusive Shona-type government clothed in national politics rhetoric, wrong man in the driving seat. Independence brought about destruction and genocide, one of its types in Southern Africa in modern history. Guess what!? The perpetrators are still alive and there is no prospect they will ever see their day in a court of law.
Thomas Mawere: The 1987 Unity Accord brought peace and untold pace of development. The gains though have been reversed by the illegal economic sanctions.
Mlamuli Nkomo: My experience has been the substitution of a White oppressor with a black on black oppression system. It has been a life of unprecedented suffering of the masses caused by greed of top elite. The Zimbabwean situation has changed the meaning of the term independent state. Independence without freedom is no independence at all. In Zimbabwe people have freedom of expression but freedom after expression is not guaranteed, people have no freedom of association, movement, choosing their leadership etc. It is certainly not the independence that sent our sisters and brothers across dangerous borders, crossing crocodile infested rivers to fight the Smith Regime.
Brian Hwande: The acceleration of development and excellence in the education sector, Zimbabwe has become a first class country. Thanks to our one and only revolutionary and visionary leader, who is currently the head of SADC and AU. The whole of Africa admire his leadership.
Copernicus: In order: betrayal, genocide, tribalism, corruption, mis-governance, political victimisation, violence which has led to embedment and entrenched of fear.
Makhula: It has left me hopeless and frustrated. Look at what is happening right now the firing or Mutasa and cabal. I do not see where we are going as a nation and I am sure the leaders have no clue either.
Lovemore Togarepi: The land distribution from the hands of few White farmers to thousands of successful black farmers. Our land is our land now; this is one greatest thing that the independence has brought us. Let me tell you one thing, this one big act has cemented Mugabe's legacy and when he passes on people shall always remember him by this and he shall be edified as a god.
Mary Banda: Without a shadow of a doubt, the 2007 hyperinflation tops. Whoever lived through that experience will never forget it. My mum still has a bag full of Zim dollars.
Christopher Maphosa (ZAPU Europe chairperson): Certainly this is not what Joshua Nkomo envisaged and fought for, however, I would like to pay tribute to the gallant sons of the soil who sacrificed to bring about the freedoms of the black people; no man should live as a slave. ZAPU fought for equality of all, regardless of race, tribe, creed or religion and it still stands for the same noble principles and values. Mugabe has turned our beautiful country into a laughing matter, did you hear him when he was in SOWETO at Hector Peterson memorial site, he said he did not want to see a face of a Whiteman. What nonsense is that from an old man? Mugabe has divided the people and ZAPU is back to stop that.
From this small sample it shows that the country is polarised, some see the benefits of independence while some see misery all over due to the independence. The truth is that Mr Robert Mugabe and his cabal have sold out and entrenched division and patronage in every sector and sphere of life. This has brought about a very rich class of bourgeoisie and a very poor and suffering underclass; we can't talk of a working class anymore.
More than 3 million Zimbabweans have left the country running away from a draconian government and seeking greener economic pastures. They have sought refuge mainly in South Africa where xenophobic attacks have become the order of the day. The people are perplexed as to how to respond to the attacks, some feel they need to fight the scoundrels back, some feel they need to demonstrate against the SA government, some feel they need to hit SA economically for example boycott going to work, boycott SA music etc and some feel that all these are symptoms of a bigger problem and that problem is Mugabe and ZANU PF.
Conclusion
Even though the ZANU PF government has turned the Independence Day into a nightmare, into a partisan political Party day, people should always remember the sacrifices which their forebears had to make and draw inspiration from that. Without a shadow of a doubt people are angry today, and they are right to be angry, but what is needed today is to channel that anger into organising all opposition forces into a direction contrary to the one they are being driven to by the regime.
The question was carefully calibrated so as not to mislead and thereby get biased answers, I will here share with you some of the responses I received.
Zimbabwe was effectively colonised in two stages, in 1890 MaShonaland was colonised and in 1893 Matabeleland was colonised. Untold suffering was meted on the indigenous people, which left Zimbabweans with permanent psychological and physical scars. 100 years after, in 1980 Zimbabwe became independent.
The most potent factor is the psychological element, for it does not go away easily. The colonisation employed deliberate measures to undermine the self-worth of the Blackman and to an extent this has worked wonders as many black people suffer from a lack of self-belief. Self-belief is a powerful transformative mechanism for all human beings, if you do not believe you can then you can't.
Over the years many attempts were made to seek redress which saw the uprisings in the late 1890s against the colonisers. The nationalists slowly turned the Smith tables upside down, and forced him to the negotiation table, culminating in the elections of 1980 which ushered in the independence, with high hopes of a better future.
Here is a sample of the responses:
Susan Ndlovu: For me the highlights have been witnessing oppression and brutality by a black government on black people. Shameful really!
Nyasha Mahachi: I do not know what it has brought, but all around me I see misery and suffering, I have seen the brutalisation of the opposition on an unprecedented scale. Where is Itai Dzamara?
JT Moyo: Exclusive Shona-type government clothed in national politics rhetoric, wrong man in the driving seat. Independence brought about destruction and genocide, one of its types in Southern Africa in modern history. Guess what!? The perpetrators are still alive and there is no prospect they will ever see their day in a court of law.
Thomas Mawere: The 1987 Unity Accord brought peace and untold pace of development. The gains though have been reversed by the illegal economic sanctions.
Mlamuli Nkomo: My experience has been the substitution of a White oppressor with a black on black oppression system. It has been a life of unprecedented suffering of the masses caused by greed of top elite. The Zimbabwean situation has changed the meaning of the term independent state. Independence without freedom is no independence at all. In Zimbabwe people have freedom of expression but freedom after expression is not guaranteed, people have no freedom of association, movement, choosing their leadership etc. It is certainly not the independence that sent our sisters and brothers across dangerous borders, crossing crocodile infested rivers to fight the Smith Regime.
Copernicus: In order: betrayal, genocide, tribalism, corruption, mis-governance, political victimisation, violence which has led to embedment and entrenched of fear.
Makhula: It has left me hopeless and frustrated. Look at what is happening right now the firing or Mutasa and cabal. I do not see where we are going as a nation and I am sure the leaders have no clue either.
Lovemore Togarepi: The land distribution from the hands of few White farmers to thousands of successful black farmers. Our land is our land now; this is one greatest thing that the independence has brought us. Let me tell you one thing, this one big act has cemented Mugabe's legacy and when he passes on people shall always remember him by this and he shall be edified as a god.
Mary Banda: Without a shadow of a doubt, the 2007 hyperinflation tops. Whoever lived through that experience will never forget it. My mum still has a bag full of Zim dollars.
Christopher Maphosa (ZAPU Europe chairperson): Certainly this is not what Joshua Nkomo envisaged and fought for, however, I would like to pay tribute to the gallant sons of the soil who sacrificed to bring about the freedoms of the black people; no man should live as a slave. ZAPU fought for equality of all, regardless of race, tribe, creed or religion and it still stands for the same noble principles and values. Mugabe has turned our beautiful country into a laughing matter, did you hear him when he was in SOWETO at Hector Peterson memorial site, he said he did not want to see a face of a Whiteman. What nonsense is that from an old man? Mugabe has divided the people and ZAPU is back to stop that.
From this small sample it shows that the country is polarised, some see the benefits of independence while some see misery all over due to the independence. The truth is that Mr Robert Mugabe and his cabal have sold out and entrenched division and patronage in every sector and sphere of life. This has brought about a very rich class of bourgeoisie and a very poor and suffering underclass; we can't talk of a working class anymore.
More than 3 million Zimbabweans have left the country running away from a draconian government and seeking greener economic pastures. They have sought refuge mainly in South Africa where xenophobic attacks have become the order of the day. The people are perplexed as to how to respond to the attacks, some feel they need to fight the scoundrels back, some feel they need to demonstrate against the SA government, some feel they need to hit SA economically for example boycott going to work, boycott SA music etc and some feel that all these are symptoms of a bigger problem and that problem is Mugabe and ZANU PF.
Conclusion
Even though the ZANU PF government has turned the Independence Day into a nightmare, into a partisan political Party day, people should always remember the sacrifices which their forebears had to make and draw inspiration from that. Without a shadow of a doubt people are angry today, and they are right to be angry, but what is needed today is to channel that anger into organising all opposition forces into a direction contrary to the one they are being driven to by the regime.
Source - Thulani Nkala
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