44 years Post Independence, Its Still Us and Them

By Shingirai Vambe.

Pawns In The Game Of Chess

As the country honor and commemorate the birth of the late former President, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, memories of the past, still lingers and some continue but now in a more sophisticated and or revolutionarised manner against the citizens of the country Zimbabwe.

Mugabe’s history is associated with killings, abduction and torture, human rights abuse, capture of government and independent institutions economic collapse, corruption, closure of democratic spaces and rigging of elections.

These acts have continued post Mugabe era and life goes on, today the incumbent, President Emmerson Mnangagwa find himself in a conflicting situation as those close to realms of authority push for an extension of his rulership, forego scheduled elections, amend the constitution and continue beyond the prescribed two term limit.

This is the same hymn book that Mugabe used to sing along, while the current President was his close ally.

However, this did not start in the 2000s but rather few years after independence, in the 90s.the 1987 unity accord, was a result of escalating challenges civil unrest and all sort of inhuman atrocities between the citizens, differences between ethnic and political groups, under the leadership of Robert Mugabe.

Today, the Shona and Ndebele people have hated against each other, The Gukurahundi massacre, some regard it as genocide against the Ndebele people, history that the Government responsible still face challenge to address, compensate and unit.

The Post on Sunday Newspaper had an opportunity to interview former Rhodesian Soldier, Stuart Taylor, born in 1949, and former Mutare Boys High student, he saw Zimbabwe changing from being the bush to a developed country, and his wish today is to climb Chimanimani Mountain, or even getting to the heels of the mountain and the town, formerly Melsetter, wrote his book the “Full Circle”. In his remarks, he said, “44 years post-independence, it’s still us and them,” he said, highlighting the persistent racial and societal challenges

Talyor made the remarks, referring to race, as white and black people have serious difference, segregation and societal challenges, which was supposed to have ended during the liberation struggle.

He told this publication that during his time as a young boy, growing up to be a teenager and later joining the army, to this day, he has lots of love for this country, the same love and spirit that smith had, resembled when he managed to build industry and commerce in a harsh environment under sanctions.

“The country was under sanctions, but we managed to manufacture vehicles, the agricultural sector progressed so well and we created things using the available resources, that we couldn’t feel the sanctions, that stuns alone, led to a war, the war was not for a genuine cause but to destroy, little did the black knew that we were all pawns in the game of chess between the East and the West,” said Taylor.

Who asked, where the 5^th brigade came from or how they got involved in the tension between the Shona and the Ndebele people. A million dollar question, was Zimbabwe colonized by Britain?

Today we have thousands of people being paid and compensated for having fought in the liberation struggle, ‘who were they fighting and for what reason’? all of them claim it was to liberate the country from white colonialists who suppressed the blacks in different ways.

Few days ago, the government got another life time laughter after cutting ribbons on a two roomed house, officials said they are meant for the war veterans, the very same squad speaking out against the idea of giving Mnangagwa space until 2030, claiming he has done nothing but destroyed the country.

The distortions in the country’s history have led its own citizens into the mud of confusion, as a result, The Lancaster house conference, and the 1987 Unity accord have left dissatisfaction and bootlicking amongst the citizens, having the rich and the poor, giving room to political abuse and propaganda.

Taylor went further to say, for a change, Government should consist of 1/3 of the blacks, 1/3 of the whites and 1/3 of the colored races and women being amongst the leaders, as they neutralize the element of superiority in positions of power.

“All these people in government must take leave and give others a chance, this is the only way Zimbabwe can be better. I still have faith in this country, it cannot be today, this generation, may the 3^rd generations from us will enjoy the real Zimbabwe with milk and honey,” added Taylor.

“The legacy left by Robert Mugabe, is nothing but a disaster, today farmers are being evicted quietly, property rights, respect for each other is nothing to talk about in Zimbabwe. The white does their own thing while the black run their own race so at the Ndebele people, we are not united as one people in one country, one Africa,” noted Taylor.

The legacy in Zimbabwe, is for the rich and the poor, no equality, directly the avant-garde minstrel, Dambudzo Marechera said in his book, the House of Hunger, Ï don’t hate being black. I’m just tired of saying its beautiful

The people scramble for shrinking opportunities, outdated systems, including the Urban Councils Act and the Building By-law of 1978.

Taylor bemoaned the current state of education and where it has taken the black majority. Miugabe as the post-independence leader, saw the changing of the curriculum time and again, until it makes no sense for one to have an O’level or degree certificate on the wall.

It has done nothing, instead further dragging the country back to stone age.

According to Amnesty International, “As a leader of the resistance to the white minority government of what was then known as Rhodesia, Mugabe began his political life fighting against injustice. Imprisoned and later exiled for his political activities, he was one of more than 900 prisoners of conscience adopted in Zimbabwe by Amnesty International between 1965 and 1979.

Becoming Prime Minister following independence in 1980 on a wave of popular support, he called for reconciliation and portrayed himself as a champion of the “victims of imperialism.” These sentiments proved to be short lived.

Within two years of assuming power, his ZANU government was responding to the activities of their rivals with increasing severity. Political opponents, mainly supporters of Joshua Nkomo’s Zimbabwe Africa People’s Union (ZAPU) were routinely held in detention without trial. Allegations of deaths in detention as well as torture and other ill-treatment were widespread.

By the end of 1982, Amnesty International was receiving reports of human rights violations and abuses by state security agents in Matabeleland. Anyone suspected of sympathizing with Mugabe’s political opponents was targeted.

The military crackdown across Matabeleland and Midlands provinces that ensued in the following years was bloody and brutal. Known as Gukurahundi – a Shona word for “the early rains that washes the chaff before the spring rains” – it claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people.

With nobody held accountable for the killings, a dangerous precedent of impunity was set early on in Mugabe’s reign. It was one he went on to exploit time and again.

The instabilities saw third parties involved in the political statuses of that particular time and today, again China and Russia, which became all weather friends for Zimbabwe came during Mugabe era after being sanctioned by western countries.

While commenting on Marechera’s novel no leek said, Zimbabwe does not seem like a wonderful place to live. The struggle of the common citizen to find their place in an almost lawless society where adolescence sex, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, and poverty are everyday regular occurrences. The entire narrative is thought provoking and speaks about racism as well as dysphoria for one’s own people and society.

Taylor’s remarks are echoed by many Zimbabweans, who feel that the country’s leadership has failed to address the fundamental issues facing the nation. The government’s attempts to paper over these cracks, such as the recent ceremony to hand over two-roomed houses to war veterans, have been met with skepticism

Remembering Robert Gabriel ‘Bob’ Mugabe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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