OVER the years, Zimbabwe has slowly become an angry nation.
The people are angry over a number of grievances and, in most instances, this anger flares when there is least spark of annoyance.
For many, this anger is exemplified in kombis, the public transport system.
The relationship of kombi crews and commuters is always treading on thin ice.
Insults are traded easily over change, loud music or more often about the reckless driving and speeding.
The commuters easily divide into three: those for kombi crew, those against and finally the neutrals.
Sadly, the kombi scenario is replicated in many real-life situations, but is more pronounced on social media.
Sites such as Facebook and X are full of anger and vile posts.
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People are angry, really angry.
Three events last week illustrate this better.
The death of Lead president and activist Linda Masarira, the wedding of business mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s son at the Polo Club and senseless and gratuitous violence in Kwekwe in a match between Hadrock and Dynamos.
When Masarira’s sudden death was announced, social media pages were filled immediately with hate language.
Even some prominent activists and politicians were involved.
They wrote vile posts not befitting the situation a funeral.
Generally, a funeral needs space, privacy and tranquility for immediate family members of the deceased and friends to reflect and grieve.
Masarira was denied this.
She is the second person to have people celebrate her death after that of former President Robert Mugabe died in September 2019.
Zimbabwe has become very divided and labelling is a common occurrence, particularly in political circles.
Tagwirei’s son’s wedding was the next to stir debate and outrage on social media.
It was an exhibition of opulence, worse in a country where more than half the population is living in poverty.
There were others who defended the Tagwirei wedding show of riches.
Lastly, there was the violence at Chahwanda Stadium in Kwekwe, where Dynamos and Hardrock supporters fiercely clashed, forcing the match to be abandoned.
Raw energy and sadistic violence were on display.
Thousands of Dynamos’ fans defended their violence.
The phenomenon of violence always lurking on the surface is not limited to Zimbabwe.
In the recent past, we have witnessed the George Floyd riots in the United States, the Tottenham riots in England and the Zulu riots in Durban, South Africa.
The three cited examples bore traces of simmering racial tensions and political hatred.
In the US and England, race and class relations have been boiling for centuries.
When it boils over, wild rage, violence and destruction of property happen on a large scale.
The blacks and Asians anger over centuries of abuse and oppression by whites flare over the papered unity and democracy.
It culminated in the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
In Tottenham, youth of colour found a reason to vent, release pain accumulated over centuries.
In Durban, the spark was the incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma, of the Zulu ethnic group, over contempt of court charges.
The violence became tribal, xenophobic, with Zimbabweans and Indians bearing a brunt of the violence.
So back to Zimbabwe, what is the genesis of the violence and hatred?
In Masarira’s case, she was viewed as someone who sold out the class struggle against Zanu PF by wining and dining with the regime.
All her past revolutionary acts as a trade unionist at the National Railways of Zimbabwe and the mainstream opposition were all forgotten in a flash.
Yes, Masarira may have offended a few people or lied about them, but funerals remain a sacred moment of reflection and time to grant family and friends space to grieve for the departed.
Social media posts made speak of who Zimbabweans have become more than they speak of the actions of the dead.
On the other hand, the Tagwirei wedding was a show of power and money, worse still in a country grappling with soaring poverty.
Yes, the rich should wed, but they cannot flaunt their wealth like they did on the day.
In other civilised countries, those events are held far from the madding crowd and very few, if any of the pictures of the event, are released to the media.
Wedding gifts are not publicly announced, they are quietly given.
However, Tagwirei and the guests had no sense of the occasion or the national mood in the light of flaunting of wealth.
The family hired celebrated American vocal harmony group Boys II Men who were transported in a convoy of Rolls-Royce vehicles without number plates across the town, from the airport to the Polo Club.
Jah Prayzah was added to the list of performing artistes and Tagwirei, the father, gave his son a 33-hectare piece of land in the plush suburb of Umwinsidale to build his new home.
This was not on, in a country struggling to provide the basics.
It was like the French Queen Marie Antonette infamous speech: “If they can eat bread, let them have cake.”
Dynamos have been known for having violent supporters.
They detest losing or perceived bias of officiating referees.
They are quick to unleash fire and fury.
However, in Kwekwe they found their match in Hadrock fans.
They were outfought and outnumbered. They were left to lick their wounds.
This is not to say we support any form of violence in whatsoever form.
It is sad that Zimbabweans are an angry lot.
However, things are going to get worse especially with the passage of Constitutional Amendment No 3 Bill, the neoliberal economic growth without inclusiveness and the failure to provide basic services such as potable water, primary health care, effective and efficient public transport, public schools and affordable social housing.
These are real problems that politicians need to deal with urgently or else Harare will burn when a matchstick moment happens.
The high levels of unemployment, informalisation, high taxes, high cost of living, as shown by more than half the population living in poverty and cannot afford two square meals a day.
It’s time to deal with the anger now or else the country will soon be engulfed in a raging inferno of class struggle.
I’m out!
