Kubatana.net ~ an online community of Zimbabwean activists

Calm the rage of betrayals

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I’m sitting at my desk in my office in Harare this Saturday morning. The room is being painted and furniture is piled up high around my desk. The Zimbabwean sky outside is big and very blue. The Kubatana team reckoned that its time our work space had a face lift. Quite a good idea I think at this point in time as our country could possibly be on the verge of something new. Possibly.

Somewhere in the city Mugabe has turned 85: talk about needing a face lift, he needs much more than that, like a plane to somewhere else; anywhere but here.

I’ve just come across an article sharing memories of Mugabe from various Zimbabweans on the BBC web site.  Andrew Mutandwa, former press secretary to Mugabe, said that “we were hungry for a hero”. Back in the early 80s, Mugabe was that hero to millions of Zimbabweans.

Why I mention this is because I’ve been reading an email from a big hearted, patriotic Zimbabwean who believes that we should shun the phrase “let’s wait and see”. This is what just about everyone is saying in response to the formation of the Unity Government. He believes that we should engage the term “let’s work and see”. The thing is, the majority of Zimbabweans have never stopped working hard, but as Leonard Matsa points out, the politicians care very little for the man and woman on the street.

Another suggestion in his email is that photos of Morgan be put up alongside Mugabe’s in all the public, and private (would you believe) spaces in Zimbabwe where presidential portraits are currently hung. But, we don’t need to do this. Instead, we need to take Mugabe’s portrait down, rather than add to the mugs gallery. The elevation of our leaders through grandiose birthday parties, presidential portraits, brash motorcades and a a host of special privileges must cease. Very quickly the trappings of power corrupt our leaders. And through our consent, we encourage this.

Zimbabweans are going through a lot right now. Besides being challenged by maintaining a sense of dignity and hope on the battleground of unemployment, inflation and a cholera epidemic, this new Unity Government will take some getting used to. Whilst we must look forward with optimism, we have to have some time to reconcile our feelings of doubt and mistrust.

As Chris Magadza, a Zimbabwean poet, writes in “Sun on my Face” . . .

Softly
Wipe away the bitterness
From my brow.
Heal my soul, and
Calm the rage of betrayals.

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