It must a difficult moment to be a Zimbabwean in the Diaspora where one associated with everything that happens back home or to fellow Zimbabweans elsewhere in the world.
Develop Me with Tapiwa Gomo
In just less than a week, it is possible that one would have received messages of condolences, congratulations, strength and shame.
No one cares that you are just one out of a population of 13 million plus and may be a little or not concerned about what is happening back home apart from that our own people have become so greedy that they can steal poor citizen’s medical care money.
Stealing lifesaving supplies from a patient is as good as killing the patient.
Perhaps few would have noticed that Zimbabwe made history by its debut appearance at the just ended 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Thanks to Luke Steyn who was born in Zimbabwe, but left at the age of two to Switzerland, where he eventually was exposed to snow and skiing.
But Steyn’s historical appearance, though not successful, was snowed by the President’s 90th birthday preparations and celebrations. Perhaps one can argue that both men have put Zimbabwe on the world map in the month of love, one for being a winter Olympian, and the other for being the oldest leader in Africa.
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I have known our President rewarding history makers, even those who have not been successful such as those from Big Brother. I might have spoken too soon, may be a call is on Steyn’s way.
Perhaps the biggest exit to the month of love is the wedding of Bona. It is more the hype of expectation preceding the fanfare, the splendour and the galaxy of visitors that graced the occasion. Perhaps it was one befitting of the first daughter.
In all these headlines, one gracefully and humbly accepts the free flowing bouquet of congratulatory messages, purportedly on behalf of fellow Zimbabweans.
It is a moment of good news from the onlookers’ perspective, but may be not so good for those in the know.
But at the back of my mind, I am aware that it is the same President who, before his 90th birthday and hosting his daughter’s wedding, had declared a state of national disaster after the waters of the Tokwe-Mukorsi threatened to precariously gush towards thousands of people in its basin.
For once, our politicians have shown their generosity by donating towards the son-in-law’s party while the international community, including private sector and social groups, were donating to help communities deal with the disaster.
Without taking anything from Chikore, I think if such generous energies are also directed towards those displaced from Tokwe-Mukorsi basin and perhaps a little bit more to some of the struggling charities such as Kapota mission in Masvingo, Zimbabwe would be a better country.
Just across the Limpopo, news headlines were emerging of Zimbabwean illegal miners who had successfully breached the South African border fence, but found themselves trapped underground a disused gold mine in Roodeport South Africa in search of gold to feed their families back home.
These miners include both men and women who are among the millions of people who have fled poverty from a leading diamond producing country to scrap in unsafe mines.
To their credit, the Zimbabwe Embassy officials were reported to have visited the mine and to inquire on the identities of the deceased. This rarely happens with other Zimbabwe embassies. With all due respect, Bona deserved her special day. But one cannot avoid seeing the contrasts of our times in our society. The contrasts are too glaring to ignore. It is a society where those close to power are celebrating good times of their beloved ones, while those far from power are mourning the death of loved ones who perished because of poverty- related causes.
Liberating the country was a collaborative effort. We laughed, mourned, celebrated and suffered together.
And we should have celebrated together, but today we are divided by our failed policies.
Policies that failed to create jobs for the youth caused them to risk their lives in foreign land, while policies that failed to address corruption have made some richer and closer to power. We have grown apart as a society in the last 34 years.
At a time when we are supposed to celebrate our President’s life and achievements and wish him many more, a time when we are supposed to congratulate Bona, it is the same time we are witnessing pictures of the displaced people of Tokwe-Mukorsi, it is sadly the same time we are mourning the death of those of ours, now called illegal miners in foreign land.
Tapiwa Gomo is a development consultant based in Pretoria, South Africa.
