By Daniel Molokele| I was born in a coalmine and was raised up by a lifelong trade unionist.

My late father was the Chairperson for the Workers Committee for all the Whange Colliery company employees throughout all my primary and secondary school years.

He was also a national leader under the Associated Mineworkers Union of Zimbabwe (AMWUZ) and worked closely with its late President, Jeffrey Mutandare.

Added to that, my father was one of the original people who worked hard to help set up the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) in 1981.

I do vividly recall that during my early years of primary school, my father used to travel frequently to Harare to attend various meetings ad workshops under the tutelage of the national labour movement.

In fact, in 1984, he was selected to be part of a national delegation that travelled to Moscow, when it was still under the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), for a labour-related training course.

The trip by my father to the USSR clearly left an indelible mark in both my mind and heart.

Indeed, it was so memorable for me since it was a very lengthy one for me as it lasted for about a month.

Apart from that fact, the trip also automatically meant that my father became the first member of my family ever to travel overseas.

It so happened that when l first met in person, the late former Secretary General of the ZCTU, Morgan Tsvangirai in April 1996, l was the Acting President of the University of Zimbabwe Student Union.

When l told him l was from Whange he was so inspired by my political achievement.

He really appreciated as to how difficult it was a task for me to rise up from the remote mining town of Whange, and become the most prominent student leader in the country. It was certainly no mean feat.

But when l further revealed to him that my father was actually the then veteran trade unionist, Godfrey Mguni, Tsvangirai went ballistic with apoplectic excitement!

He immediately told me that he knew my father very wellIn-fact he further told me that my father was one of the people who had inspired him a lot during his earlier years at AMWUZ, where he had cut his teeth in national trade union politics.

It was then that he invited me to be one of the guest speakers at the 1996 May day workers celebration event.

I was asked to address the thousands of workers who had gathered at the Rufaro stadium.

Since there was no active national student organisation at that time, l was so privileged to give a solidarity message on behalf of all the youths and students across Zimbabwe.

To this day, the 1996 May day workers event remains the largest crowd l have ever addressed in person.

I was so wowed and totally bowled over!I also remember that the legendary Leonard Zhakata was the guest musician on that day.

At one point, we all stood up in the VIP tent and danced to his hit song ‘Mugove’.

The song was being used by workers during that time to demand their own slice of the independence cakeSadly, they are still yet to get their share up to this day.

The independence cake remains exclusively reserved for the Zanu-PF elite and their cronies.

And so on this sombre day as we reflect upon the horrendous year of personal injustice that Makomborero Haruzivishe has endured, we must never lose sight of the fact that his unjust detention was due to the fact that he had decided to join the workers, and indeed many other millions of long suffering Zimbabweans, to demand their own share of the independence cake.

Indeed, this struggle is still far from over today.

Zimbabwe remains a cake exclusively reserved for the fat cats of Zanu-PF.

And so, as we heave a sigh of relief in appreciation of the positive outcome of Mako’s bail application, we must also take this same opportunity to renew our efforts, going forward.

The struggle for democratic change in Zimbabwe remains far from over today.

In-fact it may only be beginning now.

There are so many more political battles to be fought, ahead of us.

We must all realize that Zanu-PF is still busy enjoying whatever that remains of the original independence cake.

Zanu-PF is not prepared to give up eating the delicious independence cake at any time.

Not now, and certainly not ever!

Neither are they prepared to share it with the millions of long-suffering Zimbabweans.

Right now, it must become our most important patriotic duty to step up the fight and ensure that Zimbabwe is once and for all freed from the political curse that Zanu-PF has become.

A new truly democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe is still possible.

But the road towards a new and Great Zimbabwe begins with that single decisive step, of finally removing Zanu-PF from political power.

This is the ultimate challenge for our generation.

Yes, Mako and all other remaining political prisoners must be set free.However, that still will not be enough for us.

Our ultimate goal is to make sure that Zanu-PF is finally removed from political power in Zimbabwe.

Only if and when that happens, will our beautiful motherland then have a more realistic chance of achieving its full democratic and economic potential.

As long as Zanu-PF remains in power, then all our dreams for a new and great Zimbabwe shall remain a pipedream.

Indeed, only then might Zimbabwe have a more realistic opportunity to be a GREAT nation that we have always prayed and hoped that it will become.

A truly Great Zimbabwe.