I DON’T seek to romanticise our colonial past. Our historical past has been replete with poverty, exploitation, inequality, and class differentials. We suffered immensely from maldistribution and misrecognition. Deprivation, marginalisation and exclusion from the labour markets were a daily reality for the majority of our people. Some of our people are today still culturally dominated, unrecognised and disrespected.
Opinion: MUTSA MURENJE
Despite all this, I still acknowledge the efforts of Africa’s founding fathers for, without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Some of these fathers have selflessly served their people while others, such as President Robert Mugabe, have caused more suffering for their people. No, we aren’t demonising and dehumanising him, the results are there for all to see. Zimbabwe has become a case study for other African countries as shall be depicted herein.
Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, Kenneth Kaunda, Samora Machel, Muhammad Naguib, Patrice Lumumba, and Seretse Khama are some of the names that quickly come to mind when the history of Africa is told. We aren’t to view these figures as infallible. Like all of us, they also had their own weaknesses and we need to be honest about the extent of their contributions to African nationalism.
There is a deliberate attempt to rewrite Zimbabwean history and Jonathan Moyo seems to be leading such a futile effort. He glorifies Mugabe in a way that smacks of an ulterior motive. One can only wonder what happened to the reasonable and sensible Moyo. No one is demonising and dehumanising Mugabe. No, Jonathan, Mugabe doesn’t deserve the support of every Zimbabwean. He has done more harm than good to our country.
By your own admission in 1993, you wrote to the effect that political independence in Zimbabwe had liberated only one part of the State: the government bureaucracy and political leadership which became Black, actually Zanu PF. And, nothing has changed yet since you first wrote that. You might have changed your political positions but the truth remains: we are yet to realise our freedom.
Mugabe was responsible for the Gukurahundi massacres that killed over 20 000 of our fellow citizens in Matabeleland and the Midlands areas between 1983 and 1987. It is a fact that Mugabe also presided over the adoption of violent and repressive policies aimed at curbing political opposition, awarding of war victims compensation in 1997, as well as our country’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) war from 1998 to 2002. The country’s involvement in the DRC war drained millions of dollars from the economy.
Furthermore, the violent and chaotic land reform programme badly damaged the agricultural sector, the traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider of 400 000 jobs, turning Zimbabwe into a net importer of food products. We also had Operation Restore Order (Operation Murambatsvina), conducted in Zimbabwe in 2005.
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The operation was unplanned and conducted in an overzealous manner and it unleashed chaos and suffering on the 700 000 people left homeless or without livelihoods.
Due to mismanagement of the economy and mishandling of political affairs, we now have an increase in informal cross-border movement, migration of highly skilled nationals, and survival migration of the poor and impoverished. The health sector is in crisis due to the mass exodus of health personnel, critical financial shortages, declining infrastructure, shortages of drugs and equipment, and a poorly remunerated demotivated staff.
We might have tolerated vermin for decades, but the truth we should face with a straight face and without apology is that Mugabe is unpleasant and dangerous to our society. Instead of putting him first, like we have done in the past 36 years, it is high time we thought of all who suffered as if we shared their pain.
We are worried more about our material and personal security than having a Constitution that is abused by the dictator and his party. We are in search of a decent life: food, shelter, electricity, basic health care, education for our children, and the ability to make our way through life without having to endure corruption, violence, or arbitrary power.
Zimbabwe is broke and can hardly afford to pay civil servants. We have no currency of our own and the bond notes that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is trying to introduce cannot have the same value as the United States dollar.
Things aren’t looking good for us. As one perceptive writer in South Africa noted about three weeks ago, “There was a time when the Zimbabwean economy was big and intractably linked with South Africa’s. Whenever economic policy changes were mooted in Zimbabwe the rand would react. But not anymore” (Mpumelelo Mkhabela).
Mkhabela further wrote that “… Mugabe used to think of himself as the most prominent leader in Southern Africa. Now he has no political clout to speak of. Only his Zanu PF cronies take him seriously because he runs the country’s briefcase that contains whatever little is left of the ruins that he himself caused. No amount of tired anti-imperialist rhetoric has helped him generate wealth for Zimbabweans.”
It is, therefore, my considered view that we need to be honest with ourselves and begin to acknowledge our historical past and present reality. Mugabe is burdensome and is impeding action and progress that are critical to our national growth and development. As Zimbabweans, we are only seeking to create positive and peaceful change. We are not violent, anti-social or criminals.
Although we have been on the receiving end of State-sponsored violence, we have really worked hard since the 1990s to prevent or reduce violence in society. Rather, we have worked in ways that minimised harm to people. History demands that we acknowledge these positive and courageous actions of ordinary people in their daily lives.
We are a principled people who are concerned about the issues that affect us and others and reflect the diversity of the Zimbabwean community. We seek a free, just and sustainable society. We are not violent, terrorists, hooligans, stooges, or malcontents.
Of course, this is part of the dictator’s efforts to discredit and undermine support for social change and is often used to justify legal repression and police violence. Our understanding is such that democracy should result from our awakening. There can be no doubt that we have since reached the stage where we say we have had enough of this nonsense and we can’t take it anymore!
The African Centre for Strategic Studies has released a statement to the effect that:
1. 71% of Africa’s 18,5 million displaced persons are from five countries (Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo)
2. Each of these five countries is experiencing serious conflict
3. Nine of the top 10 countries of origin for Africa’s displaced populations are autocratically governed
4. While much of global attention has focused on refugee migration into Europe, two-thirds of Africa’s dislocated population are internally displaced
In conclusion, it is important that we ask if ever we want a Zimbabwe that can be like the aforementioned African countries.
Already we are battling a brash, insolent, and overweening dictator. As for our allies in the developed world, you need to be critical of your role in the democratisation process because some of you feel you “… are helping oppressive regimes paint democratic activists as tools of foreign powers and retarding the possibility that genuine, home-grown democracy will ever emerge” (Barack Obama).
May God bless Zimbabwe! The struggle continues unabated!
Mutsa Murenje is a social activist
