Zimbabwe’s 41st Year of Independence
A 41 year old person is generally expected to have: acquired a job, married, children, and started to seriously consider the adequacy of their pension pot. So a person born in Zimbabwe in 1980 should be looking at these things.
To most Zimbabwean people of this age, let alone younger, this is a smack in their face, as most have never been in formal employment. They might have married and have kids but means of looking after their families are limited to say the least. Pension is not even something that crosses their minds, as that is a concern for future survival whilst they are struggling to survive today. Such people have only known two presidents in their lives. Some have used two currencies and some one, for the latter they never used one of their own.
Whether one is in this age group or not, all Zimbabweans have experienced violence of immense proportion. Those born before 1980 saw a lot of people being killed for the liberation of the country from Ian Smith’s colonial regime. Those born in 1980 and after have seen violence being perpetrated by one Zimbabwean on another Zimbabwean. Tens of thousands of people were killed in Matebeleland (Gukurahundi), scores more were killed thereafter, the likes of Rashiwe Guzha, Tonderai Ndira and likely Itai Dzamara (as his fate is still unconfirmed).
The difference between the perpetrators of the violence is that the first one was different from the victims, whilst the second one is identical to his victims. The other difference is that the first one, whilst he struggled with the victim’s skin colour he developed the country to an enviable state. Roads, houses, hospitals, office blocks, bridges and all required infrastructure were constructed. The second perpetrator inherited the same infrastructure and used it, and ended up over-using it without maintenance or constructing more infrastructure as the population increased. Now the national infrastructure is on its knees.
There is also a difference of note. The first perpetrator used the resources within the country to develop the country. The second is looting the resources to economically destabilise and bankrupt the country, resulting in poverty of gigantic proportions.
Ian Smith created enough employment in the country so much that foreigners flocked into the country, particularly from Malawi. Today the unemployment rate is above 90%, and scores of Zimbabweans are foreigners in neighbouring countries and beyond, seeking employment and survival as their beloved Zimbabwe has become inhabitable. There can’t be enough employment opportunities if all meaningful industries have either been shut down or significantly distabilised:NRZ, ZISCO, Willowvale, Bata, CAPS, Datlabs and Lever Brothers, just to mention a few.
With all these problems people are not free to highlight the government’s failures. Anyone who does is arbitrarily arrested if they are lucky because some have been killed in the last couple of years. The arrests are, however, strategic, with the intention of closing the democratic space. All dissent democratic voices are being locked up, even for issues which are constitutionally supposed to be settled by a fine, but in the majority of cases for issues which don’t even need police and/or judicial involvement: Last Maengahama, Madzokere, Makomborero, Cecilia Chimbiri, Joanna Mamombe, Vongai Tome and Ngonidzashe Mupfumba. Scores of other MDC-A members, supporters and leaders have pending court cases on frivolous allegations. The government is hell bent to establish a one party state, democracy is bleeding.
Now the question is in which era would somebody rather be: the current Zimbabwe or Rhodesia? It is a shame that this question is worth asking in the first place. I have heard some saying Ian Smith was better because we had jobs, food, our own currency and stability. When a coloniser is preferred to one of your own then something is awfully wrong. Our politics has gone rogue.
It might be 41 years of independence but is there anything to celebrate for, is there anything to show for it?
Lynette Karenyi-Kore
Vice President
MDC Alliance
18 April 2021