(5 March 1936 – 10 November 2003)
The 10th of November is my late father's Memorial.It didn’t matter whether we met often or not, what mattered is that your advice helped me connect my life’s dots. It didn’t matter whether we spoke every day or not, what mattered was that you loved me a lot. Dad, I miss you.RIP
My father was a member of Zanu PF who volunteered to step down from office before the end of his second Presidential term after the signing of the Unity Accord on December 22 1987 to facilitate peace and unity between the two liberation political parties Zapu and Zanu that were embroiled in a bitter struggle for power.
This emanated from the dissident insurgency in Matabeleland and Midlands and the subsequent deployment of the dreaded North Korean trained 5th Brigade to quell the conflict. Sadly the indiscriminate use of force even on unarmed innocent civilians led to the infamous Gukurahundi resulting in the senseless killing of thousands of innocent civilians across Matabeleland and the Midlands areas. This should provide context to the idea of the Unity Accord which led to an end in these hostilities.
My personal take on the Unity Accord is that it was a political strategy by Robert Mugabe and Zanu to consolidate power seeing that Zapu was a formidable opposition party, with a similar liberation war background and strong national structures. In spite of the 1987 Unity Accord being seen as a major achievement in ending the so called 'moment of madness' (Gukurahundi), I believe it mainly benefited the top leadership of Zapu whilst leaving the people from the region victims of the new system of government.
There is indeed some hope for national unity with the recently announced Road Map Manual on the Gukurahundi community engagement process led by Chiefs. It is however encouraging to see the new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, taking this very bold step to move past our historical differences and work towards bringing equality, justice and peace for all. I think it is of utmost importance for Zimbabweans to make every effort to try and resolve some of these outstanding issues on their own without external interference.
While I appreciate and respect the sacrifices made by my parents and many others towards the liberation of Zimbabwe, 42 years have passed since Zimbabwean attained its independence and I now find it a bit monotonous and patronising for some of those in positions of power to continue using those liberation efforts as justification to remain in power and control of a nation that could have done better.
The most disappointing aspect in all this, is our failure as people of Zimbabwe to come together and play our part in both national development and the fight against what has now become open abuse of power and privilege by some elements in government who have access to resources to pursue self-interests. Corruption needs to be dealt with firmly otherwise all the well-intentioned economic development initiatives will not trickle down to benefit the many disenfranchised citizens of our once great Zimbabwe.
Each of us, in our little circles of influence, has the ability to create our unique comfort zones. I wake up each morning exploring ways to make a living and continue to explore ways to unleash my full potential without worrying about what the person next to me thinks. What is FREEDOM when that freedom has conditions and limitations to what one can do? Is the love for one's country of origin taboo? Should we be punished and stripped of our dignity for demanding that freedom and justice? Why have so many of us become so selfish and uncaring about where we come from?
There can never be a right time as time waits for no human being, our time is now and we must stop being critics from a distance but constructive critics who are also practically involved in offering alternative solutions. We can't cry about foreigners grabbing all the lucrative economic opportunities at our door steps when we now have the relevant qualifications, experience and knowledge to equally take on those opportunities. We need to move away from individualism and start working as a collective of patriotic citizens pursuing a common national vision that can improve our way of life.
There can never be a right time as time waits for no human being, our time is now and we must stop being critics from a distance but constructive critics who are also practically involved in offering alternative solutions. We can't cry about foreigners grabbing all the lucrative economic opportunities at our door steps when we now have the relevant qualifications, experience and knowledge to equally take on those opportunities. We need to move away from individualism and start working as a collective of patriotic citizens pursuing a common national vision that can improve our way of life.
If I could change the world alone I could, but I am not naive and know that the only and realistic way to change our environment is when we all come together in our diversity and stand up for the greater good. The liberation of Zimbabwe did not end in 1980 with political independence. As I see it, the struggle for economic empowerment of the many should intensify, we have to step up and make uncomfortable choices and sacrifices if we truly love and believe in human progression in our collective journeys as citizens belonging and wanting the best for our beloved nation.
"I write in my individual capacity as an advocate for the empowerment of Africans globally. I strongly believe in Afrocentric approaches and a desparate need to decolonise our education system but use the positive tools from colonial influences to innovate and acome up with value systems that serve African interests best."
