Capable of thinking

via Capable of thinking – The Zimbabwean 16 April 2015 by Jera

The word ‘independent’ is one that is flung about without thought. The dictionary definition reads thus:

‘Independent. Adjective.

1) Free from outside control; not subject to another’s authority.

2) Not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence.

3) Capable of thinking for oneself.’

Zimbabwe’s independence under Mugabe is, in many respects, no improvement on the former regime. Fair enough, blacks are free to walk – without a pass – along First Street. But in the absence of jobs, the freedom to browse Harare or Bulawayo’s display windows is pointless. Children are promised a life of prosperity, ‘if only you work hard in school.’ However, Zimbabwe’s university graduates have had to resort to selling bananas or prostitution. Rather than the sports cars they dreamt of in junior school, most will be glad for a pair of running shoes with good traction to enable them to outpace the municipal cops who constantly hound them.

Driven by the basic human yearning to provide for self and family, many young Zimbabweans have ventured beyond the country’s borders and live in countries where their lives are under constant threat. These brave young men and women are not even free to walk the streets at night. They often deny their own identities, claiming new names, just so they are not targeted by xenophobic locals. When one is born, the first thing that one receives is a name. Where is the freedom if one cannot proudly wear one’s given name?

Older motorists will recall leaving their cars unlocked and unguarded, without the fear of theft. Remember when the milkman left milk on the doorstep each morning? In independent Zimbabwe one would have to nail the milk to the porch – crime is up, thanks largely to unemployment. With rising crime, certain liberties that were once taken for granted can no longer be enjoyed.