Independence Day has come and gone with the nation coming together on Wednesday to celebrate 32 years of Uhuru.
President Robert Mugabe, looking invigorated after rumours about his health the previous week went viral globally, spoke for about an hour, much shorter than usual.
The “deathbed” rumours proved unfounded as Mugabe flew back into the country looking quite fit for his age. I must say some sections of the media did not exactly come out with flying colours over this episode as they showed over-eagerness to latch onto anything portraying Mugabe in bad light or as under the weather.
Information minister Webster Shamu quite rightly pointed out this distasteful tendency. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been one of Mugabe’s bitterest political foes, also expressed his moral disquiet over this. This could be symptomatic of a highly polarised society. But still the media, as the proverbial Fourth Estate or virtually the “fourth branch of government” — after the Executive (Presidency), Legislature (Parliament) and Judiciary — has the responsibility to report with calm, restraint and factually as a societal or political force or institution whose influence, while not consistently or officially recognised, goes far and wide. Yes, the media should let facts get in the way of a story no matter how exciting or salacious. That’s what distinguishes decent media from the gutter Press.
Back to Mugabe’s address, what ultimately mattered was the gist — not the length — of his speech. Previously, such occasions have been marked by a lot of skirting of issues as self-congratulatory speeches go overboard. This time, there was a refreshing, candid change and Mugabe was statesman-like as befits such a grand, national occasion. Yes, he rose to the occasion. But will appropriate action match his words this time around? Is it all about buying time or solving real problems?
Said Mugabe: “We must take care and caution that the past is buried and care for free belonging.”
Just the previous day, there were reports that the usual “enforcers” were telling residents in high-density suburbs that the next day they should go to the National Sports Stadium, the main venue for the celebrations, without fail. Yes, 32 years after the attainment of independence, people were being forced to attend the occasion. This in itself is a contradiction because independence means, among other things, freedom from control by others; direction of one’s own affairs without interference. But on the very eve of Independence Day, these people were interfered with; their freedom was being curtailed.
Said Mugabe: “Your peace should also be your neighbour’s peace.” But will the Chipangano blockheads listen and their sponsors cease and desist? If followed through, this will have the effect of pulling the rug from under the likes of Jabulani Sibanda.
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The President continued: “Your freedom should also be your neighbour’s freedom.” No one’s rights can be secured by the violation of the rights of others.
Said Mugabe: “Parties should enhance peace through social dialogue.” Is this possible with the rabid negativity displayed by the likes of Jonathan Moyo?
Calling for peace ahead of elections he wants held this year, Mugabe said: “(Political party) membership should not be forced, people should vote freely for the party of their choice.” Just like Zimbabwe will never be a colony again after attaining independence in 1980, it must never again be a one-party State whether de jure or de facto.
As I see it, Mugabe significantly raised specific individual human rights issues which his party has been loathe to do up to now. These include the freedom to act on one’s own judgment, for one’s own goals, by one’s own voluntary, unforced choice.
“When individual rights are abrogated, there is no way to determine who is entitled to what; there is no way to determine the justice of anyone’s claims, desires, or interests. The criterion, therefore, reverts to the tribal concept of: one’s wishes are limited only by the power of one’s gang. In order to survive under such a system, men have no choice but to fear, hate, and destroy one another; it is a system of underground plotting, of secret conspiracies, of deals, favours, betrayals, and sudden, bloody coups,” wrote Russian-American philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982).
Some of this has happened in this nation, as Mugabe admitted: “We have done wrong to our people as political leaders because we were violent, we were fighting among each other.” This time we did not hear mere platitudes as Mugabe openly and frankly admitted that political violence had traumatised the nation. Yes, many and horrendous mistakes have been made – such as the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s. After that, the frighteningly violent period between March and June 2008 set the nation back from the route to healing as Zanu PF went for broke in its survival strategy after Mugabe lost to Tsvangirai in the first round of the presidential poll.
The historical record of the liberation movements — the original Zanu and Zapu — and their immense role in the attainment of independence stands forever. It speaks for itself without embellishment or belittlement. But people shouldn’t be that self-centred as to believe everything begins and ends with them. There should be an acknowledgement that the political landscape has changed — and changed forever.
South Africa designated March 21 Human Rights Day when apartheid ended and the African National Congress came into power in 1994, because on that day in 1960, the South African police killed 69 blacks at Sharpeville who were protesting against the discriminatory pass laws restricting the movement of blacks.
Human Rights Day gives full expression to South Africa’s democratic ideals, guaranteeing the rights of every citizen, guiding the policies and actions of the government to ensure that such abuses never again occur. Keeping human rights in the spotlight serves as a strong deterrent to would-be violators. It’s time to complement our own Independence Day with our own Human Rights Day in honour of the heroes and heroines who fought for a rights-based, democratic and just society.
This will make independence truly meaningful. [email protected]
