via Freedom in this life time | The Zimbabwean by Vince Musewe
It is inevitable that a nation whose freedom and liberties have been constrained or arrested for any reason and for a protracted time must, at some stage, seek the means to liberate itself from that repression. It must choose to free itself at some point; this has been the pattern in man’s history; the human spirit has always overcome the artificial confines of man’s imagination.
Although at times, during this struggle, all hope may be lost, this does not mean that an outside or a better alternative to those confines we find ourselves in does not exist. This, I think is the message that we must hold close to our hearts as we face uncertainty with regard to our future here in Zimbabwe. We must find that outside.
We must always remember that fear is a mental construct based mainly on our imagination. We can only find this out once we break through it. Only once we deny its power over us can we then realize that indeed, fear is only an imagined boundary. We will find out that there is an outside richer and more fulfilling that we can imagine. We must therefore first deliberately conquer that fear within us and only then can we truly become who we are meant to be.
On the other side of fear, we have hope. Hope is a fantasy that things will get better by themselves. It is a false expectation that things cannot get any worse. In such instances, hope becomes a prison. It becomes a prison or a mental comfort zone where we expect the best without actually making any effort to actively attain it.
We can hope all we want, but unless we take action to realize our expectations, we will continue to make excuses and rely on powers outside us as a means to escape our responsibility to act. We construct our own prison. We dis-empower ourselves and leave the responsibility of changing our circumstances to others or to an outside force beyond our control. We become complicit in creating our unhappiness and ask God to intervene.
Zimbabweans find themselves imprisoned by fear on the one side and hope on the other.
The values of our society have been irreparably injured by the recent elections and the way they were conducted. Although ZANU (PF) can now claim “success” and gloat as happened recently, the damage done is cancerous. This is simply because we have sent a clear message to Africans and the world at large, that you can indeed cheat and get away with it. You can abuse national resources for personal political gain and it’s acceptable. That “wining” at all costs is the most important thing, even where citizens are excluded from the process and those not on your side are demonized as “enemies”. Ethics and honor do not matter at all.
In order for us to break this cycle, we must realize that we cannot continue to act and do the same things and expect different results. Zimbabweans in general must release themselves from their own limitations. I have never seen a nation that chooses to arrange itself around its problems as opposed to dealing with the problems directly. We tend to accept the worst and then plan our lives around it.
For me the choice we are all making through our silence is to legitimize a flawed election. We are once more giving ZANU (PF) carte blanch to carry and do as they please with our lives; we shall of course bear the brunt and complain once more.
If anything, these are the times that should really shape who we truly are and yet I sense a reluctant acceptance already; an acceptance of mediocrity, poverty and suffering to come.
Will freedom in this life time ever be possible?
Yes it is and we dare not give up now.
Vince Musewe is an economic analyst based in Harare. You may contact him on vtmusewe@gmail.com
COMMENTS
To be a man or to be a mouse, that is the question?
So…great words but what exactly are you suggesting Vince, as you are not offering a solution? We rearrange ourselves around our problems because that the best we can do. For now, at any rate.
Vince Musewe, your article could have held water if you talked about the persistent, menacing subjugation of Africa by Europeans and the United States of America. These are the countries whose glittering cities are built on African wealth at the exclussion of the Africans. You should have talked of the devil-incanet American sanctions on Zimbabwe. Tell me, why should America continue its sanctions on us, why? It is silly and uneducated of you to think that the liberation of the people of Zimbabwe in 1980 and now the forward march to liberate the country’s economy from imperialists shuckles, which in this case included the imperialists’ conduit – the MDC amounted to the stifling of social freedoms which have to come one day- shame on your Western -poluted mind. You are the west’s success story. You see, the west thrives on the control of the minds of the subjugated and you are a shining example of that control. It is thoroughly stupid of you to think that the more than 9 million votes cust by Zimbabweans, if you consider that one person voted three times for Ward Counsellor, MP and President, were somewhat delusionary. More than 75% of the Zimbabwean populace voted for their party of choice- Zanu Pf and rejoice for having done so and yet you want to wrongly paint a picture of gloom throughout the whole country. Please keep your poluted mind and ideas and your western profenities to yourself. We free-minded Zimbabweans are on cloud nine for having voted for Africa’s greatest Statesman – President Mugabe. We will continue join him in his final quest to rid Zimbabwe and the rest of the African continent of all forms of Imperial hegemony-and poo-minded people like yourself.
One of the best,if not the best article I have read about Zimbabwe in a long time.
It is comforting to know there is still hope amongst us.
If we cannot have hope there is nothing left. Anything … civil disobedience, protest marches, strikes … would be instantly squashed. There is nothing left but to hope.
Naison, you must be a complete idiot to think the so called “Glittering Cities” of the West were built from Africa’s wealth! How misinformed are you? To think that Paris, New York, Rome to name a few, were built from African wealth? These cities were built hundreds and in some cases thousands of years ago from hard work and had absolutely NOTHING to do with Africa. In fact had it not been for Colonialism, Africa would not have the infrastructure it has today. Zimbabwe is a typical example of this. Unfortunately the ZANU PF Government has abused the
infrastructure that was laid out by the Colonialists, that’s why there is no water, no electricity, potholes and a currency that you cannot call your own. If it were not for America allowing us to use their currency this country would be on its knees! Know the facts first before you open your mouth.
Nyereyegona you are just an idiot thus why you contribution is long and confused
Comrades, ladies and gentlemen. I find the very “lucid but completely lost” article by Vince interesting; interesting because the views expressed therein are so proWest it is mind boggling. The fact is that there is a huge yawning gap between the elitist thinking of people like Vince and the fundamental requirements of the bulk of the 3 million voters who cast their votes in the July 31, elections. The earlier that realisation dawns the better prepared the opposition will be for next elections. Whats crucial now for ZANU (PF) is to deliver on its promises and they will get the voters approval AGAIN!!
Naison Nyereyegona,
Ian Smith beat sanctions and left Zimbabwe better off than what you are doing with your Zanupf.He was in similar circumstance with Apartheid SA support just like Mugabe has Zuma support.
Varume imi hamugoni kutonga, all you ever think is winning by all means,but you forget to work. Now your concourt has ruled on a case that has been withdrawn.Moita makwikwi to praise sing former President Mugabe’s(1989-1999) ,Conman(2000-Present)
What kind of a leader allows a currency to go into billion dollar denominations instead of making simple decision like adopt another currency.Because of such stuborness country suffers from 2001-2009 (bearer cheques-Gono Madness) .Tsvagirayi did it masanction aripo wani adopt multicurrency ,Then things started working smoothly.
I wont even mention Kasukuwere selling out the country to multinationals,Shouting land empowerment land empowerment,yet on on paper he is signing madeals that are actually selling land to multi corporates for close to nothing (Nieeb Scandal -Mugabe Reproaches Kasukuwere)
@Bunguse
All we want is to see our tax money being put to good use.The little that is collected sanction or no sanctions.Thats all the the electorate wants.For us to hold the rulers to account without being labbeled puppets.Hope you may that they do this.But Zanupf is clueless at this.Thats why it last won an election in 1995.
Faith is alive and well.
The lesson here is that we have benn measured, we have been weighed, and we have been found wanting. We continue to be a reactionary force, a knee jerk reaction, when we should now be working to becoming an ideaology. A form of organised thought around the cause of our discontent. The fact that anti imperialism is being presented as a sound basis for discrimination and hate. We must construct a thought system that counters this, because those of us who do not believe in Zanuism are the primary targets of anti colonilism based repression.
Naison Nyereyegona…so glaringly obvious that you are amongst the looters responsible for the collapse of infrastructure in Zimbabwe. “Glittering cities of the west…built on African wealth at the exclusion of the Africans” I can’t even fathom the irony of your statements. Why not use Africa’s great wealth to create your own glittering cities? Oh..the sanctions. So…you have Africa’s great wealth. You have Africa’s great talent. What exactly is lacking, that you so desperately depend on America for? Besides which, the sanctions were only imposed in 2002 due to disgusting brutality and political crime. What prevented ZANU PF from building a glittering African city between 1980 and 2002? In fact, what prevented you from simply MAINTAINING the fantastic infrastructure that was left to you by the subjugating Europeans? Your bunch led by Mugabe – is certainly well on its way to “liberate the country’s economy from imperialists shuckles” if by imperialist shackles you mean growth, progress and prosperity. BTW – if you are determined to rid yourselves of “Imperial hegemony,” perhaps you shouldn’t whore yourselves out to China so vigorously.
But…but…we ARE free!
Free to buy Chinese goods from our own shops.
Free to grow hectares of thatching grass on farms that we took from those Rhodesian devils.
Free to sell our tobacco at $5/kg to the Chinese (who will then sell it to the US for $12 to $20 per kg).
Free to drink the tap water in our cities (mostly sewage and the occasional remains of a dead sellout, but who cares?).
Free to sell tomatoes in the streets and marketplaces despite having a college degree.
Free to watch the Chinese only build the infrastructure necessary to efficiently extract our diamonds and platinum.
Free to watch as our leaders build awesome houses in Borrowdale, Greystone Park and Hellensvale (complete with bars, ampitheatres, helicopter pads, waterfalls…..seriously we need to do a TV show similar to MTV Cribs!).
Free to watch as our savings gets eaten away by bank charges, inflation, and other nonsense, while getting no interest whatsoever.
Free to freeze like a statue or pull over into a ditch every time the famous motorcade passes by, lest we get shot or face jail time for being unpatriotic.
Free to do absolutely nothing when we hear stories of people being “re-educated” for not thinking patriotic thoughts.
Free to “sell out” by crossing the border if we have a problem with all of the above.
Long live the Revolution!