via We must now arise | The Zimbabwean 3 September 2014 by Vince Musewe
I am convinced that as a nation Zimbabwe is destined to be great. I am convinced that the suffering we have seen for the last 34 years is only but a momentary spell and we shall see our nation rise beyond the limits and confines that have been placed upon it by history.
We all know what has gone wrong with our country and ourselves as a people. We know what we must do and I truly believe that we have all the capabilities and the resources to develop our nation to its full potential to the benefit of all born in it.
We cannot continue to accept the artificial divisions that have only served to diminish who we truly are while serving the selfish ends of those who claim to represent our interests but do nothing to further them. We must reject those limits that have been placed on us by Zanu (PF).
Our generation has the responsibility to create new possibilities for our country and our children. We are called to carry that burden because nobody else will do it for us. Zimbabwe belongs to all who live in it and those born in it – let none among us ever claim otherwise.
All of us have been complicit in shaping the circumstances that we now face and it is our duty to change those circumstances for the better. We have said a lot, hoped for much and wished for better times for far too long and yet we seem to have given the responsibility of building a better Zimbabwe to the wrong people. We can no longer do that.
The only people who can shape a better future is us, progressive, educated young Zimbabweans who have always imagined a modern country that is prosperous and underpinned by values that respect the dignity of all and their right to do all they can to live up to their full potential. This can only be possible if each and every one of us accepts the responsibilities that history now places on our lap.
That responsibility is not to accept poverty and lack as normal, it is not to accept that we can nothing to change our fate or that only a select few of us are entitled have the right to determine what we can become. We must reject that with all the contempt it deserves. I accept that this challenge that we face cannot be an easy one and that it requires sacrifice. The challenge to create the Zimbabwe we want and truly deserve requires all of us to rekindle that spirit of self-determination and self-belief and sacrifice. In order to do that, we must first look deeper inside our hearts and destroy those limits that we have created for ourselves.
We must also hurry to destroy within us the thrones that we have built for others and become the change that we want to see. It is only when we believe that we are greater and more powerful than we have imagined that we can begin to change Zimbabwe.
I accept that not all of us might have the inclination to take this responsibility, not all of us might be destined to sacrifice and change our circumstances. Not all of us may derive benefit from the change we must be instrumental in causing but there must be among us a few who know that it is their duty and purpose to guide this nation and its people on a different path than that taken by those who have come before us. We can shape our future only if we decide now to reject our present circumstances and act.
Zimbabwe is great nation indeed with its entire talented humble people and the natural resources that God has endowed upon our motherland; we cannot afford to ignore this fact for the sake of temporary comforts of inaction and apathy. Great societies are built out of adversity, great people emerge from suffering and I want to believe that the price we have paid is adequate for us to begin to create a better society.
In order to do that we cannot afford to be selfish and only concerned with our day-to-day living but we must embrace the opportunity to change our future. We need to take meaningful action now as a collective and for once put aside our personal fears.
If we do nothing, things will not change by themselves. In fact they will get worse as those in Zanu (PF) plan to impose a Mugabe dynasty. They are taking us for granted and assuming that only they must lead this country; we must fight that mentality.
Today might be their day, but tomorrow is ours. We must show them we are better men and women by what we stand for, how we choose to live and how we die. Sometimes the world is turned by the bravery and sacrifice of ordinary men and women who risk all in the cause of liberty justice; Zimbabwe needs such men and women now.
As Zimbabweans, we must now arise from the slumber of yesterday and do what we must. Our destiny is in our hands! – Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. You may contact him on vtmusewe@gmail.com
COMMENTS
I will never forget walking down the road after elections and there was such a weird feeling. Some young black men behind me quietly said “Zanu PF is there! Mugabe is there!”. I still to this day don’t know if it was a taunt or if it was voice of defeat – that the chance of change had been taken away. I still don’t know what to believe. Sometimes what you hear is not always the truth, sometimes you are just told what you want to hear ….
The whole point of my comment was to say …. we may be a million miles away from people feeling an inclination to “rise” or it may not be that far away at all. I have no idea at all!
The only chance of liberation lies with the youth who are prepared to be martyrs. And mob justice. The future does not lie with armchair academic so called young educated ” intelligentsia “. This spoilt minority clique like musewe is toothless all talk no action. Pamberi y.o.z.a. ( youth of Zimbabwe arise !!!!! “) pamberi street barricades burning tyres mob justice. Paso musewe-dream 2018 nikuv erections
Zimbabwe isn’t filled with a nation of people who will rise up.its filled with poor and upper class. The poor can only wish they had riches and the rich can only think of where next to steal another dollar. No one thinks of change. All the changers have immigrated and live overseas , the survivalists have gone to South Africa and work there. It’s a weak nation run by a half breed and terrorist . As for a future there is none . Not unless you throw out the govt but when the population idolises Mugabe nothing will ever happen.
The cold hard fact is that a large portion of Zimbabweans understand the world in ZANU terms. Weather this portion is a majority or not is uncertain. ZANU will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. It has shown it cannot adapt to change.
Until the board mass of Zimbabweans free themselves from the mental slavery of liberationist thinking we will be in trouble
Change will come ,but not in our life time.Maybe in the next 50 years.Zimbabweans are a scared people.
@Blessing Change can come tomorrow if you really wanted it.Zimbo’s seem to like to suffer for long periods.
A well said article by Vince Musewe, but just wish this ploy of expression to be converted into a much vehement action
If you take time to read the Bible you will see that God brought instant change when Israel turned to Him and were obedient to worship and throw all idols and golden calves away. When we do the same and realise where real change comes from and become obedient to HIM then we will see not only change but miraculous increase in our land. Rising up without God is futile, but with HIM leading the way, nothing can stop us..believe me.Jesus said “I am the way, I am the Truth, I am the Life. Let us rie up as a nation and follow HIM.
Reverend is right. I have been saying for , long time that repentance is the key. That is the way God works. This must start in the church. With you and me who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour. The church must arise and begin to really intercede and cry out for a heart to repent; repentance is a true turning back to the Lord Himself and forsaking our sin and evil ways. The first and foremost arising must be a deep spiritual turning back to almighty God and admitting that Zimbabwe has messed up big time and the mess to too great for us to handle. That does NOT mean we sit and do NOTHING! Start by cleaning up your own heart before God. Repentance ALWAYS brings restoration! No repentance! No restoration! Evil will flourish. Where are all those politicians that call themselves Christians???? To him who has ears hear!
Idiots the same god you want to have us repent to makes mugabe live into his 90s, what god you talk about that does this to us,,, there is no god otherwise we would be a normal nation,,, no amount of prayer or kneeling to the east will change a thing only confrontation in its most severe terms will change things,, it wont take eons like prayer or repentance its automatic,,, a street demo of mass proportions is the only solution,,, or we wait patiently for the beast to eat itself as it is now doing
Vince is right. This is the only way
“The revolution is not an apple which falls when it is ripe. You have to maka it fall”, Che Guevera.Take your words into action mr Vince and the masses will rally behind you.