History is littered with comrades who sacrificed themselves to the struggle for total emancipation of humankind. From Mbuya Nehanda to Malcolm X, from Herbert Chitepo to Che Guevara and many more whose names we may never know but whose legacy we bear witness today. Unfortunately, history is also littered with many individuals who sought to dehumanize humanity through oppression, slavery and barbarism. These have come in different shapes and sizes, yet the lesson we draw from this history is that; however dynamic the oppressor may be, evil will never triumph over good!
So, today as we witness the agreement between Mugabe and Tsvangirai we remain cognizant of the fact that the oppressor can never sympathize with his subjects. We are also mindful of the fact that many who at one point championed this struggle turned to be even worse tyrants.
Faced with these realities, should we place our faith in human beings? Some may say no, we should place our faith on the constitution. But laws are made by humans and we still find it hard to trust one like us. How can we trust the constitution when we have witnessed one of ours piercing and shredding this consecrated document and getting away with it? How can we have faith in a constitution?
We struggle everyday to make this world a better place to live in, but the more we fight the more we realize that man just has an unquenchable affinity for evil. This has been there since time immemorial. Jews chose Barabbas- a murderer- over Jesus Christ. Today, we stand aside and cheer as the good man of our society are tortured, abused and hanged in broad day light. We also cheer when the corrupt defile the innocent. Who killed Josiah Tongogara? Who killed Batanai Hadzizi? Who killed Learnmore Jongwe, Talent Chiminya, Gift Tandare? What will happen to the murderers?
Yes shaking hands is not a crime and we know that a hand that drips of blood can never be cleaned by shaking with a clean one, but vigilance still remains the only asset that revolutionaries have, for; the devil will seek day and night to convince us that it is not blood but strawberry juice. Lest you lick it, beware!
Some say power corrupts. With all the testimonies scattered in contemporary history, Idi Amin, Mobutu, Kamuzu Banda, Robert Mugabe are we not compelled to believe so? How many lifted the fist in jubilation after the hard won independence only to be hammered by the thud of the same fist? How safe am I?
Today we usher in a new dispensation; we celebrate hoping for a better future. They celebrated in 1980 but how many got what they fought for? Maybe we need to celebrate with caution because; the poor are known to get poorer while the rich get richer. Can one of our own change that?
Tim fought for equality, will he be equal? Job fought for jobs, will he be employed? Susan for peace will she get it? Will the people of Matebeleland get water, food, roads and electricity that the people of Zvimba are enjoying today?
What of the child whose priceless year was taken away from her by idleness. Will she be compensated? Will that son of a peasant at University of Zimbabwe finally have the decency of not sleeping under a bridge before attending lectures? Will he? My hopeless sister who has been lying on the mat of death, will she finally get medical care? Will she?
They fought for these long before us, we have been fighting, we will continue to fight for these but the hand of the slave-master is also getting stronger. We cannot keep watching from the terraces, rather we have to be there in the thick of action.
When they pull away from us, we pull them back. When they pull towards us, we complement. Still, we need constant mistrust, constant mobility and constant vigilance.
One soldier may falter but from him many more will be born and the struggle for a peaceful, just and free Zimbabwe continues.
Monday, February 9, 2009
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