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Reflections
on Zimbabwe turning 30
Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR)
April 16, 2010
"We need to constantly
check if we are still heading north as our compass had always instructed,
if we check our compass and it indicates that we are now heading
south, we would have betrayed the blood and souls split during the
war. The blood of the sons and daughters would have spilt in vain.''
Dr Edison Zvobgo
The liberation struggle
purchased through sacrificial blood the transition from an undemocratic
system of governance to self rule. It was the culmination for the
redefinition of the status quo, the setting up of new standards
to affirm the universally set standards that human beings are made
equal and therefore should be equal before the law regardless of
political affiliation, tribe, and man's intuition. Blood of gallant
sons and daughters was spilt to redefine the status quo as the foundation
for all generations to come, for them to cherish and guard jealously
the hard won freedom upon which a liberated Zimbabwe was born.
Undeniably, the liberation
struggle enabled the repossession of our country from the settler
British occupants and transferred authority and power into the hands
of Zimbabweans to be able to assume the right to choose their own
representative leaders without persecution. The repossession meant
that we became a sovereign nation responsible and accountable to
everything within our borders, all kinds of wealth of resources
and the different vibrant peace loving tribes who make up Zimbabwe.
Now three decades after
attaining independence from colonial rule from the British, the
answer to why the liberation struggle was fought remains shrouded
in mystery and not shared by everyone as a national vision. There
are those who claim monopoly and credit to the sacrifices that were
made, some see it as a victory for autonomy to further personnel
interest ahead of national ones, others see victory as justification
for the creation of an elite class with overriding monopoly of how
the national treasure should be distributed while others see it
as a national symbol of selfless sacrifice that purchased the freedom
of the people from oppression, discrimination, inequality, denial
of fundamental human rights, social rights, economic rights, political
rights and religious rights.
Regrettable. The journey
from the post independence era to where we are today is less reflective
of the essence of why the liberation struggle for freedom was waged.
The last decade has witnessed horrific events equating to a walk
in the wilderness. It is as if our leaders have learned nothing
and forgotten nothing. Consequently shaming deeds have been carried
out systematically by a few malign, avaricious and self centered
leaders to reverse the very gains of the struggle to make law unto
themselves, to create new social strata of elite classes based on
political patronage at the expense of the nation.
Man made calamities driven
by insatiable desire to cling to power culminated into misrule,
greed, corruption, culture of impunity, rigging of elections, violation
of property rights, silencing of voices of reason, denial of the
right to vote through inhuman degrading means. All these practices
slowly crept into our nation without much attention, the seeds grew
to become trees and in the face of growing agitation the trees established
roots which run deep into the ground. It's now a full blown rooted
flourishing system that feeds on anything goes for its survival
even destroying the environment and the eco-system.
The ripping effects of
this evil system presided by an elite class of people more equal
than others is now causing untold suffering causing a lot of pain
to endure. Lives have been lost and a lot of blood spilt in the
process. A highlight of the few chronicled events which represent
this suffering include the Gukurahundi Massacre in which more than
20 000 people were butchered for political expediency, the operation
Murambatsvina which saw more than 750 000 inhabitants losing their
livelihoods and shelter, the election violence beginning from 2000
to 2008 saw innocent lives lost to violence, torture and intimidation
for political expediency, the violent land grab resulted in chaos,
widespread looting and triggered rampant inconceivable violation
of human rights among white farmers, farm workers and innocent man,
women and children.
Human and political activist
are being harassed, battered, abducted and tortured for exercising
their rights, labor union members are being brutalized for expressing
their disgruntlement through demonstrations, journalist continue
to be victimized for criticizing the powers that be.
The 30th infamous celebration
of our independence comes at a time when the country is being run
by a coalition government that was brokered by negotiations to forge
peace between warring political parties MDC and ZANU Pf, not a byproduct
of of the people's voices as demonstrated by the March 29 vote.
The encumbered coalition government is a marriage of convenience
of two irreconcilable factions.
What is more
perplexing about where we are as nation is that, the intransigent
forces of democracy and good governance are still prophesying total
ignorance, hardening themselves against the winds of change blowing
towards a better Zimbabwe. They want to squander every opportunity
to invest into the future for the next generations to leave in harmony.
The historic writing of a people's constitution has been sabotaged
left, right and centre yet it embodies what prompted the liberation
fighters to take up arms, so that one day we could write our own
constitution and not be bound by the undemocratic Lancaster house
alien constitution.
There are those that
are on the wrong side of history, standing in the way of progress
hindering the decade long struggle for democracy, a culture of human
rights and upholding people's freedoms. Mired in the rhetoric of
war clichés, militancy and old fashioned partisan propaganda
oppressive forces want to reverse the hands of time having failed
dismally to align to the new struggles of the 21st century world:
the advancement of the universally cross cutting principle of the
inalienability of human rights across continents.
Failure of leadership
renewal has precipitated the failure of a change to a new mindset
to keep abreast with the advancement of developments that are shaping
the world body politic. We are in a new world with the old way of
thinking and in the end the old cap of mind is a stumbling block
to the new Zimbabwe. It's an unfortunate case of new wine in old
bottles.
ROHR
Zimbabwe and Victim Action Committee's position on Zimbabwe turning
30
First and foremost ROHR
Zimbabwe and VAC joins the rest of the nation to honor the gallant
selfless heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for the
liberation of the Zimbabweans from oppressive rule of the colonialist
and helped shape the foundation upon which the cradle of a democratic
liberal society was founded. We acknowledge the commitment and laborious
prolonged protracted process which brought about the independence
of our beloved country to affirm the rights of all.
We also continue to honor
those new heroes and heroines who continue to fall in the fight
for democracy and human rights to further the noble work that was
chartered by our torch bearers who began the struggle for people's
rights and freedom from as far back as 1963. Understanding that
the liberation struggle was a fight for human rights, we hold that
our independence is a lost cause of mixed feelings if three decades
down the line people are being persecuted and oppressed for political
expediency and personal interest. The plight of suffering Zimbabweans
as a result of manmade catastrophes is a major cause of concern.
We condemn in strongest
terms all those who standing in the path of building a democratic
society that is built on ideals of equality, the rule of law, respect
for human rights, good governance, transparency, accountability,
equality, non discrimination, fairness, respect for humanity.
We affirm that the only
acceptable credible methodology for Zimbabwe to be restored to its
respectable position is through the holding of a free and fair election,
in which people exercise their fundamental right of choosing a leader
who is accountable to them for the simple reason that they chose
him/her. The elections should be held in a free environment supervised
by international observers devoid of intimidation, coercion and
persecution to protect the voice of the people.
As ROHR Zimbabwe and
VAC we affirm our energies towards returning Zimbabwe to the apex
of the vanguard of upholding human rights in the continent. As in
the words of Zimbabwe's first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Robert
Mugabe, ''Zimbabwe does not belong to us, but rather it has been
loaned to us by the next generation. It is our duty that we make
it a better place for the next generation.''
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