Come now, let us reason together!

By The NewsDay | Jul. 16, 2015 | 5 Min read

Nothing is impossible! Usambotya! Ungesabi!

Vince Musewe

That is what we Zimbabweans who want to create a better future for all regardless of race, tribe, gender or political affiliation must firmly believe in and hold onto especially in these times of discontent and hopelessness.

Martin Luther King, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi among many others before us were right for there is nothing more meaningful and edifying indeed than the pursuit of the achievement of the common good for humanity because out of that we become more and can only live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Come now, let us reason together! This was the call to all by the infamous Jabulani Sibanda who certainly impressed at the #BringItaiBack rally last week at the Zimbabwe Grounds.

Yes, I was there and I certainly felt that change is in the air. The Word of God remains powerful and relevant. Freedom is coming so get ready!

However, my message is that our freedom can only be created by us Zimbabweans and nobody else. Certainly not by Zanu PF because they have sucked dry the blood of our hopes and dreams for far too long and to this day continue to suck our country dry of its wealth and potential. But as the Bible tells us, these dry bones shall live!

No political or social system that is based on exclusive entitlement and privilege to power can survive forever especially in a society that is pregnant with unmet aspirations and dreams which have been deliberately suppressed. No nation can remain under bondage of a few forever and Zimbabwe will rise. Something has to give.

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It is therefore our responsibility to create that Zimbabwe we imagine.

It may tarry, but by God’s grace we will get there. I think that for now we must focus on what we want to create and banish all imagined political divisions and petty disagreements. Zimbabweans all want the same things. Unity against tyranny is our only hope. So for a moment, let us forget our past mistakes and stop labelling each other, but come together for posterity.

The attainment of freedom is never a comfortable journey, ask those who fought the liberal struggle but are now marginalised. It involves pain and sacrifice.

It involves the pain of having to embrace those who yesterday oppressed or killed us. It also involves the pain of standing hand in hand with our brothers and sisters who have seen that Zanu PF’s formula of power was never designed for their advantage, but for the power and advantage of one man and his cabal.

There is also the sacrifice of having to waive our personal ambition for the greater good. There is the sacrifice of others of their lives for ours. That is the ultimate cost of freedom.

Conspicuous by their absence at the rally were some opposition parties and Pentecostal churches that I thought are with us in this struggle.

But so be it although many are called few are chosen. Our churches have sadly been complicit in this tyranny by keeping quiet all these years. Their blindness to the suffering of others is unforgivable. We are indeed our own worst enemies.

The blind yet not so blind Bishop Ancelimo Magaya inspired me with his words at the rally which I shall always remember. He said God hates tears to be shed, sweat to be wasted and blood to be spilled and whosoever causes these things shall one day reap God’s wrath. The chickens always come home to roost because our record on our deeds can never be expunged by us. Those who are guilty of this in Zimbabwe are afraid and yes they must be very afraid. The dictator shall surely be stricken by the wrath of God and we shall soon forget these long years of strife and tears.

What was also highlighted was the amazing silence from other African countries on the Itai Dzamara disappearance. That should certainly tell us the nature of African leadership whose moral standards remain questionable because of greed for power. We are on our own.

My view is that Zimbabwe needs healing and that healing cannot be led by our politicians, but by civic organisations and our churches.

Our challenge is to create that opportunity when change comes in 2018. However this change will only come by us rejecting those amongst us who are focusing at personal gain.

I actually laughed out loud at the arrival of some political party leaders at the event.

Fast cars, drama and multiple bodyguards — what a joke! That to me is one big challenge we face. Some of our political leaders really like to behave like little gods in public — what if they get into office? We’ve got problems.

There was a call at the rally for women to come out as mothers and demand answers on Dzamara and I encourage that. How we deal with this matter is of utmost importance and urgency to all our security and safety in the future.

Temba Mliswa was there and said that just as the youth of Zimbabwe rose against colonialism, racism and oppression, so must today’s youth, it is their duty to history, true that.

Simba Makoni was there too and he always impresses me with his grasp of our mother tongue. (Hutongi wejekerere!) Jacob Ngarivhume was also there-nice short speech. The towering Job Sikhala (Wiwa) could not be missed in the crowd — I like that man. Morgan Tsvangirai was certainly the main man and the crowd responded accordingly. He remains as popular as ever.

Yes, we certainly can come and reason together. There is no logical reason why Zanu PF must stay in power beyond 2018.

So in 2018 I predict and declare that we shall all gather in the Zimbabwe Grounds yet again and announce the birth of a new Zimbabwe significantly different from that Zimbabwe which started there in 1980.

Yes, we can rise again and these dry bones of 35 years of tyranny and oppression shall surely live again! God bless Zimbabwe!

Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. You may contact him on [email protected]