Tendai Ruben Mbofana THE huge mystery surrounding the inexplicable “fear“ by the people in bravely standing up and speaking out for themselves, has never abated.
If anything, as our suffering has increased, there seems to be a proportional increase in our docility and cowardice.
Yet, one would have expected the opposite to be true — where as people increasingly become dissatisfied with the way they are treated by those who oppress them, the higher the probability of them showing resistance and rebelliousness against their tormentors.
At least, that is the case in other countries where citizens do not tolerate nonsense from their leaders, and will rise up when their rights are trampled upon.
Of course, I do not condone violence in expressing one’s grievances but there are ways for peaceful resistance. This is a phenomenon propagated by revolutionary luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Junior, who led from the front, with their fearless and unrelenting people standing up for their right to a dignified life.
This is not to say that their oppressors were gracious in restoring peace.
In fact, their peaceful resistance was met with cruel and savage attacks by the ruling elite. This never dampened the people’s spirits to fight on.
So, what makes Zimbabweans a different breed, who appear to be fodder for the world’s reject leaders?
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Why do we seem content with surrendering our obligations to politicians who obviously harbour power ambitions, that have very little, or absolutely nothing, to do with the welfare of the populace?
We only come into their minds when they need our support and votes at election time. Election is the only constitutional way for the attainment of those political goals.
If these politicians could enter the halls of power without the need of the popular vote, those believing that political parties care about them, would have had a rude awakening to the realities of life on this planet.
As a matter of fact, politicians’ true colours are regularly displayed but, for some strange reason, we choose to be blind.
How many times have we complained that they only remember us during elections?
However, soon after naively providing them a free berth into office, the gifts they showered us with during campaigns suddenly dry up, our “loving, sociable and ever-present” leaders vanish into thin air, and those promises of “heaven on earth” never materialise but our plight actually worsens.
Politicians do not care about our lives, expecting them to place our interests ahead of theirs is foolishness at its worst.
It does not matter if Zimbabwe is a true democracy or not, people should stand up themselves and demand their rights.
No wonder we witness these trends even in the so-called “democratic nations” since their citizens comprehend their role in ensuring that their leaders fulfil their mandates.
They do not sit back, fold their arms, and expect things to work out on their own.
We need to push and demand our inalienable rights.
Surely, if you lend people cash and they fail to pay back at the agreed time, would you not demand it back?
So, why can’t Zimbabweans demand their rights from their leaders?
Demanding one’s rights does not equate to hatred of the system.
There are those who have raised a very valid point that Zimbabwe is not a truly democratic country, but they faced brutal reprisals from those in power.
It is understandable for Zimbabweans to be afraid given the brutal response of the regime to dissent.
However, I still have serious problems with such a line of thinking.
There has to be something more to this.
When confronted with imminent danger, the natural reaction is either to flee or fight. So, why do we always appear to opt for “fleeing”? Why can’t we “fight”?
There has to be an underlying cause for Zimbabweans’ fear which, goes beyond the natural apprehension of pain and death.
When one’s family is under attack, the natural reaction is to fight as opposed to fleeing although I have come across some men who ran away leaving their wives and children to face the enemy alone.
Therefore, the question is: Why do Zimbabweans appear to be automatically wired to the “flee” mode, even when they need to stand up for themselves in the face of untold suffering and impoverishment, cold-heartedly authored by their leaders?
Why does the “fight” mode not kick in?
From my analysis I concluded that there is something that discourages Zimbabweans from sacrificing for the greater good of their country, themselves, and future generations.
There is something that has made us ask ourselves: why place my life at risk, or waste my precious time on endeavours that seldom bear fruit?
I am more than convinced that the answer to this question lies in our history, our liberation struggle history.
There was clearly a time at which Zimbabweans were not driven by fear and stood up for themselves, sacrificing everything (family, future, education, comfort, and even their lives) confronting a more powerful and ruthless colonial Rhodesia regime, without quivering or looking back.
What came out of this admirable courage?
What became of the lives of not only those men and women who gave their all for the independence of Zimbabwe and the dream of a dignified, equal, and prosperous way of life for every citizen of this country, whether politically-connected or not?
Do we not come across numerous people — especially those old enough to remember life under colonial rule — who, through utter dismay and disgruntlement at the untold poverty and suffering in “independent Zimbabwe”, never shy away from daringly declaring that, “Rhodesia was better”?
In fact, in spite of the thousands of Zimbabweans who thronged the streets of the capital Harare in November 2017, having played a very insignificant role, but did not sacrifice anything, in the removal of then tyrant, the late former President Robert Mugabe during the military coup d’etat, have we not heard people saying the situation has actually worsened under the so-called new dispensation?
Therefore, it becomes clearer as to why, possibly, Zimbabweans would rather (as if by default) automatically choose to flee, as they no longer see the benefits of sacrificing their lives.
They have seen the pathetic and painful gross failure of the liberation struggle. When they face trials and tribulations, they simply ask: Even if I sacrifice my life, what guarantees are there that life in Zimbabwe will improve?
This is nothing short of tragic — that the failures of the past now impair and negatively impact the present.
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. He writes in his personal capacity.
