We, the deeply concerned, patriots of Zimbabwe living here in the U.S. are here today because we have a problem, a problem of state-sponsored terror and atrocities ordered and sanctioned by someone we know was an enforcer for Robert Mugabe’s atrocities of 1980s known today as Gukurahundi.
At 4-mins before 8am this morning, a young woman from Zimbabwe told me over the phone, “People are living in fear and are in prison in their own nation. Home is no longer home.” This tugged at my heartstrings.
In Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, I experienced state-sponsored violence during the farm invasions—my family lived on a 1,100acre farm; that’s about 445 hectares. While I’m not going to dredge up the past today, I’ll tell you that one day on a hot Thursday afternoon during the farm invasions I was on our farm in Chegutu and one of my employees rushed in to me panicking, “Mama, kune vanhu kugedhi—ndovavurira here?” [Translated from Shona: “Ma’am, there are people at the gate – should I open for them?”] A convoy of government vehicles had arrived. I knew that this was no ordinary visit. The violence had been relentless for months. I was able to film four of the vehicles used including a Land Rover Defender registration number 759-526W, a vehicle donated by the British government for use by the Rural District Council. By the end of that afternoon, our farm was seized; it was now government property. They had set fire to the maize which was being shelled and bagged ready for market and the baled tobacco too; the fruit of our labors. I had to cover my face and back away from the raging blaze. Less than seven days later—that Sunday night—my farmhouse was set on fire in the hopes that I would be burned in it too.
On a Zimbabwe’s Independence Day Celebration one April, baton-wielding Zanu PF youths drove a convoy of vehicles onto our farm at night to instill fear in anyone not “supposedly celebrating the struggle” from colonial rule. I remained in the house, while two of my personal security guards went out to them. Before leaving, they helped me to barricade the farmhouse entrances with furniture and I hid under the bed for a couple of hours in a gun cabinet built into the concrete floor under my bed.
As deeply concerned, patriots of Zimbabwe’s diaspora based here in the United States (U.S.) we know the problem with Zimbabwe’s state-sponsored violence and atrocities this January of 2019, are no different to Gukurahundi. The world failed to hold the perpetrators to account for Gukurahundi, for the mugabeism-farm invasion violence of the 2000s, for the state-sponsored violence of 2008, for the 1 August 2018 Killings, and today Presidents such as South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa look the other way in this January 2019 state-sponsored atrocities. But, while some may be wondering how this could possibly be happening now, I see many distressing similarities to the Gukurahundi atrocities.
Because of early indications of a systemic pursuit of going after the opposition, I dispute the claim that the ruling ZANU-PF government of 1983 was going after dissidents. The truth is they hoped to decimate the opposition political party ZAPU and its followers.
From my personal encounters with ZANU-PF, I see denial. With Gukurahundi, Mugabe denied (early on) as it was unfolding that it was even taking place. During the farm invasions, again early on, George Charamba denied even being aware of my family’s farm being seized by war veterans when he asked by a Washington Post journalist. He said he claimed the farm invasions were “an exaggeration and manipulation” by farmers. That was in August of 2011. With the current January 2019 protests, while in Russia, President Mnangagwa said there are some protests happening, but they are “almost fizzling” out, yet the stay away terror is continuing.
The Gukurahundi atrocities were committed in the name of freedom for the nation and national security yet the truth is they were to quash the opposing ZAPU political party and its followers. In the same way the farm invasions were supposedly to correct a colonial imbalance. How did taking away a farm from my family amount to correcting a colonial imbalance, the truth is it was a guise to reward, enrich and entrench ZANU-PF elites and their loyalists.
As a Zimbabwe diaspora woman, I condemn the rape and sexual assault violations now being committed by the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) as they commit brutalities in neighborhoods across the country. It is hurting our families, friends, communities, and our country’s image.
In Zimbabwe, there is someone to blame for causing us this pain. Robert Mugabe’s enforcer, now President and First Secretary of ZANU-PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa refused to give the Zimbabwe diaspora the right to vote. Today he’s refusing to permit Zimbabweans still living in the country to the right to live out their aspirations. Zimbabweans are living in perilous times. Diaspora women and all Zimbabwean citizens want their loved ones out of harm’s way, enjoying peace of mind, living their aspirations and dreams, and most importantly, leaving legacies for their children’s children. Not restoring military elite legacies. Imagine that you have a mass shooting; an active shooter. Any unarmed victim hoping to survive the bullet of an Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK-47) has little chance of escape. The way I see it, you’d have three choices; run, hide or fight. Zimbabweans didn’t fight, tried to hide and others ran. The unfortunate family member that couldn’t get out of the line of fire on Zimbabwe’s streets took a bullet.”
Not enough is being done because we’re seeing Gukurahundi all over again, but more atrocious.
Still, not enough is being done, but I’m willing to speak fair & square on these issues. It is the country of my birth. Zimbabweans love their country, but they love it more than they love Mnangagwa.
The reign of terror, gunning people down and beatings have to stop. Everyone has a human right to live a life free from fear and to be represented by a person of their choice to serve in public office.
Since the highly distressing digital images of the fast deteriorating humanitarian and human rights crisis in Zimbabwe, little to no information being communicated to the outside world and due to the Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government’s security sector carrying out acts of impunity, the diaspora have decided to act decisively. Zimbabwe is unpredictable. That has to change. The ZANU-PF led government has been oppressive for the last 38-years, abducting, torturing, disappearing and oppressing the people of Zimbabwe for decades; Gukurahundi, farm invasion violence, 2008 Election,1 August Killings through to the January 2019 atrocities. Enough is enough.” It has been less than a month after the 1 August Kgalema Monhlante Commission of Inquiry found that Zimbabwe’s “use of live ammunition directed at people, especially when they were fleeing, was clearly unjustified and disproportionate,” yet more unarmed civilians died in this January 2019 atrocities from unjustified and disproportionate use of force.
As diaspora women, we have been reclaiming our country’s powerful, potential unapologetically and helping women back home. I wish to underscore that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has betrayed Nelson Mandela’s legacy and by saying nothing of the gross human violations in Zimbabwe he not only aids their cover-up, he is looking on while Zimbabwe goes to ruin. He must immediately condemn it in its entirety. Besides Zimbabweans came to South Africa’s aid during apartheid, now he sees the injustices in Zimbabwe, he looks away. I’ll partially quote Albert Einstein and say this: “Zimbabwe is a more dangerous place because of those who do evil and, more so because of those who look on and do nothing.”
On Monday 21 January in the U.S., we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. His monument is here in Washington, D.C. Zimbabweans have a dream. Diaspora women have a dream too. I dream of a time when each person in Zimbabwe will be able to live his or her ideals, and aspirations.
I would like to thank everyone that campaigned and pressured to stop Mnangagwa from going to Davos, Switzerland. If we work together we will achieve more positive results.
The Takeaway
A. The right to the diaspora vote must be protected for future elections
B. The current actions of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces and their Commander in Chief, Emmerson Mnangagwa must be considered a mass shootings.
C. Ramaphosa must act swiftly, without delay and include the worldwide diaspora and diaspora women.
D. Trump (perhaps through his advisor Ivana Trump and U.S. Congress) must engage the Zimbabwe diaspora and the diaspora women at every step of the decision-making process.
E. Mnangagwa must institute, swift, sincere dialogue with opposing ideologies and all stakeholders including the worldwide diaspora and worldwide diaspora women. We prefer that he steps down because the diaspora were disenfranchised at the 30 July 2018 poll.
Promote Dialogue
I’m calling on Emmerson Mnangagwa to take a hard look at the benefits of what the people of Zimbabwe stand to gain and to quickly move the country to a strong middle class. He needs Zimbabwe’s diaspora women at the dialogue table.
As the sitting head of state, Mnangagwa should be promoting urgent, genuine dialogue than be seen to be standing in the way of it in taking the country forward.
Author and Columnist, Pearl Matibe has geographic expertise on U.S. foreign policy, think tank impact, strategy and public policy issues. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe
Diaspora citizens in the USA Media Spokesperson.