Happy Independence Day to all Zimbabweans. This day is significant in marking the end of white minority rule, giving black Zimbabweans a chance to be equal stakeholders in the running of the nation and contributing to the progress of a better Zimbabwe. So yeah happy independence, that was the point of being granted Independence dear Zimbabweans but unfortunately, the majority of the common people have not seen the light at the end of the tunnel. It's kind of like there was a glimpse of it in 1980 then it quickly vanished.
Zimbabweans welcome the independence declaration with so much joy and optimism in 1980. People had so much faith in the Late Robert Mugabe's government, it was mostly made up of men who had engaged in the guerrilla war that led to the Lancaster House negotiations.
As Zimbabwe turns 40 on this day, it is important to deeply reflect on how far the nation has come in terms of meeting the desired goal of the liberation struggle and everyone who contributed to it. It's not rocket science that Zimbabwe, after 40 years, isn't what people thought it was going to be like when Independence was declared and the most disturbing issue is that it has become worse than what it was in terms of its economy. The nation has gradually deindustrialized as the government hasn't done much in reinvesting back to the economy but has instead allowed for further impoverishment of the people. I'll not compare the current regime to the Smith regime because this isn't a progressive step towards addressing today's Zimbabwe's issues. Under the Mugabe regime, we saw a totalitarian state emerge putting Mugabe and Zanu Pf at the center of everything to do with Zimbabwe. Zanu Pf liberation comrades became the Diplomats and other loyalists gaining monopolies in the business sector and this is far from what Robert Mugabe had promised people in 1980. He promised a government of national unity and freedom to everyone in the nation. In his Independence Day address, he presented the struggle as something that had happened for the equal benefit of everyone including "former enemies" but in less than a decade, he was now despising of the efforts contributed by the Joshua Nkomo led ZAPU in the attainment of independence to the extent of brutally descending upon ZAPU cadres and their supporters who were highly concentrated in the Matebeleland region, killing thousands upon thousands and never held accountable. Despite the bitter Gukurahundi years, the politics in Zimbabwe stabilized with the signing of the Unity Accord making ZANU and ZAPU a united front and giving some key ministerial positions to ZAPU leaders also. Not much detail into Zimbabwe's painful past which has brought instability into the nation, from a struggling economy to poor social relations amongst the Zimbabwean people. Up to today, there are tribal tensions in Zimbabwe and this is something our colonizers orchestrated to divide the people in order to effectively rule them and today as we speak the issue has not been openly addressed. Many rural families are excluded from the economy as there is no development in many rural areas, making the people more dependent on government and NGO relief. So much for boasting about independence. Doesn't that independence include financial freedom, equal opportunities because the reality is that wealth is not evenly distributed in this dear country? The younger generation seeks refuge in foreign lands as our local universities can't do them justice in terms of providing quality education and what this has done over the years is rob Zimbabwe of skilled labor and a lot of revenue going out in payment to foreign universities. All because the government hasn't done much in improving a system that allows young people a chance to be at the forefront of development. The old leaders have a sense of entitlement due to the fact that they went to the war so all these years everything about Zimbabwe has been about them.
The above is the text of the address to the nation by the Prime Minister Elect Robert Mugabe on 4 March 1980 after the election victory. We see how Mugabe promises Zimbabweans a new peaceful and stable country where everyone is equally represented.
Celebrating 40 years of Independence, I am a young person who is passionate about my country Zimbabwe and the potential it holds despite the current system not allowing me to grow. Many other young people suffer this fate, making the future of the country uncertain. I call on our current leaders to deeply introspect about the future of this country and realize that the young people deserve a system that won't suppress them. It's about time young people are heard. I'd like to emphasize the importance of investing in Education, Sports, Arts, and culture. These are the platforms that define young people because what young people are mostly focused on is their maturity way more than anything else and if they can't achieve that at a young age then they'll be doomed for life. Why I mentioned those particular fields as fields of high priority in youth empowerment is because these are the platforms where young people get to express themselves, expression is the only way to liberation. Once they have expressed themselves they can then be of service to their fellow citizens. What we ought to understand is that one can never make a significant contribution to their fellow men without a deep understanding of themself and what they are living for. Forget what has happened in the past, it's time to focus on building something new and I think it's the opportunity for the current establishment to redeem its reputation by building a system that accommodates everyone in Zimbabwe. There's no need to keep imposing fear as a means of silencing the young people, that'll only condition them to accept mediocrity in life and they'll then fail to grow up and contribute to their country, instead, they'll become irresponsible adults or they'll just leave the country. Either way, no one wins at the end of the day.
As a liberated young person, I have said out my grievances and I demand to be heard. IsiNdebele sithi "Umntwana ongakhaliyo ufela embelekweni" so this is my cry to the nation of Zimbabwe and the leadership.
Let the fire of freedom burn til infinity
Image by James L Stanfield
Congratulations Zimbabwe @40
Quite insightful