That makes me sometimes hate Chimurenga.

Armed forces have been used to repress the people in Zimbabwe

I join millions of Zimbabweans every year on April the 18th to commemorate the day Zimbabwe became a nation under the rule of an African government again. I love it, but is it exactly what it is? Do the celebrations feel real to us when all we are surrounded by are signs of oppression and unfairness of a group of men and women who are blatantly refusing change? It certainly does not give me one hundred percent joy to hear the president bring up the issue of Chimurenga every opportunity he gets. It gives me a feeling that he also has grown quite distanced from revering this undertaking that saw Africans being liberated. The reason being the very fact that some of the heroes who played significant roles in the liberation struggle are sidelined while praises are sung to only a few, including himself. Chimurenga is now used as an excuse by the president and his entire cabinet to cling on to power and suck Zimbabwe dry. The very fact that they say they deserve to rule the nation because they fought the whites has finally made me feel sickened to the core. It is blackmail first degree.

If they fought for the country, what about my maternal grandparents and an uncle who were shot dead during the liberation struggle. My late paternal grandmother told me of the horrific death her brother met. He was a Zvishavane businessman and supporter of the revolutionary army. He died at the hands of the same people whom he supported. Jealousies had arisen and his guts were spilled to the dry earth that gulped his blood thirstily. This did not only happen to my family, it happened to a lot of families other than mine causing untold grief and suffering. The only hope people had was that all this was going to be over sooner or later once the Smith regime was ousted. When independence came around, the high hopes came crashing down. There was and still is misunderstanding, hatred, corruption that all required checking before things spiraled out of control.

  Politicians in Zimbabwe, especially the president, Mr Mugabe, like any other president, found this to be his commitment to the people. Whenever he talks, it seems like he is telling his listeners to forget about people's freedom, forget about their basic rights, forget about what actually constitutes a democratic nation and look intently at the liberation war. The reason I believe is to hoodwink people and by channeling their vision into a historic event he will be able to get away with all the maladministration and failure to bring tangible results to the people of the nation in terms of development in the key areas. Every-time talk about his political rivals, he puts in the wedge of the war, stating that anyone who did not participate in the war deserves not to rule the nation of Zimbabwe, now Mr president, that is warped! It is wicked because it gives me the notion that he has made a private kingdom of our country. Besides, the Chimurenga was a collective effort. The guerrilla fighters dwelt in the bush and were fed by villagers who they slandered and abused at times just because they bore arms. Many women were raped, a lot of children were born without fathers because of this. Growing up, I was told stories of horror that our fighters perpetrated upon the people they were fighting for. It gave me the notion that they were a nasty and arrogant group of people that behaved as they pleased without considering how people felt; just because they had guns. The civilians who were unarmed, fell at the mercy of the two warring factions, the guerrillas and the Rhodesian forces, both of whom punished them for supporting the other. Sell-outs as they were called were a group of people who, sometimes acting out of the need to protect their lives gave information regarding to either one of the formations. Some of these were people who did nothing but just were labelled by enemies who celebrated at their loss of life. They were killed characteristically, all of them. Sometimes the guerrillas organized night parties where people brought food, sang and danced and then the shooting of the traitors were the highlight of the night, after which, shocked and disgusted villagers would return to their homes, having learnt a lesson not to sell out ever. A lot of horrific things occurred at the killings, for example, children would be forced to torch parents, or vice-versa, some people got killed by having burning and liquid poured over their live naked bodies, others were doused with gas etc. Many elderly people, if asked today would just dismiss this as a phase they would never want to revisit again and that is the main reason why the people, generally are a reserved people. The cynicism of the people has given the main political party of the day, ZANU (PF) leeway to once again ride on the backs of the people. They threaten, beat and kill opponents without giving it a thought. It is like reliving the past once again.

  Chimurenga  brought freedom to the land of Zimbabwe, but it is being used today as a means to stop any meaningful opponents in their tracks by the ruling elite. They wield it in front of them as a shield and talk about the very fact that those who are tired of watching them grow richer and arrogant are indeed sell-outs. The MDC, has never revealed to me yet that they want to give Zimbabwe back to the Queen. There is no indication in the party's mission statements that soon as they get the victory, they will rush to England and cede victory to Buckingham Palace or to the British government. Time and time again, we have heard them speak of it as if it has happened already and that is the reason they will hold on till 'donkeys grow horns'. What is disturbing here is the fact that they themselves have turned out to be similar to the system that everyone fought hard to replace. Prior to 1980, only a few people comprised the elite of the nation, and they were entirely white, Europeans or rather Rhodesian.  Black people were paid unfairly, treated like animals and denied many of their rights. Today, there is a few people who are the elite, and these are members of the ruling ZANU (PF). Of course there are other people who made it, but there is no total independence as we would require to propel the country forward. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are non-existent. Freedom to receive education for school-going age children is not there too. School is either expensive or the teachers are just not present. When they learn, there are no jobs because the the economy is in tatters.

Movement for Democratic Change!

   There is still another ongoing Chimurenga and this time, its the people against the self-appointed saviors of our land. At a time like this, it is crucial that everyone sees with clarity that national resources that would otherwise be benefiting everyone are only benefiting a few people. That is the very reason they do not want to vacate their places at this point. Their greed has taken its toll that they think on terms of what they have, and how much more can they still go to get some more. The excuse of the liberation war is as lame as it seems because no one in their rightful minds today would love to live under colonialism. I mean, get a grip, not a single person would give up their country just like that. Zimbabweans have already experienced how it feels to live under colonialism and would never want to again. So that dismisses the theory of Zimbabwe being a colony again. They have used many other ways to dispel people's interest on obtaining their freedom like use of laws such as AIPPA, BSA and POSA to control the people and the media. Most shockingly, violence, they have used it without any second thoughts. Now, time is up for being taken taken on a ride and people have to start demanding freedom and progress for every one's sake. Anyone in this case is entitled to asking questions and I believe the officials in the land's high offices have to be prepared to answer all questions people have. There has to be an end to being afraid to ask because the respondents are ministers or the president. After all, we are all just people, all children of God.