Everyman has the right to decide his own destiny,
and in this judgement there is no partiality. – Bob
Marley, from lyrics of Zimbabwe, a song, and an
album dedicated to Zimbabwe at independence
in April 1980 THE crowd of over 100,000 that packed the Rufaro
Stadium, Harare, on 18 April 1980, was full of
expectations for the new country. When Bob
Marley hit the song, Zimbabwe, tears rolled, the
drums pelted to new rhythms, the guitars
strummed, and the crowd went into frenzy. The lyrics could have been lost on everyone. President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari donated $
15 million to Zimbabwe. Part of the money was
used in training Zimbabwean students in Nigerian
universities, their government workers in the
Administrative Staff College Of Nigeria in Badagry,
and their soldiers in the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. The expectations evaporated quickly. Edgar
Zivanai ‘Two Boy’ Tekere, the ZANU-PF Secretary
General, largely seen as a major challenger to
President Robert Mugabe, invited Bob Marley to
that performance. Marley’s music inspired the
guerrilla fighters during the battles to liberate Zimbabwe. Tekere, a founding member of ZANU
PF, was a colleague of Mugabe’s in the guerrilla
war that they organised from Mozambique. His disagreement with Mugabe was early and he
lost his position as Minister. Another Mugabe ally
Lt-Gen Lookout Masuku, commander of the
Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, died
mysteriously in 1986, four years after he was
accused of planning to overthrow Mugabe. “Who is Mugabe to declare Tekere a hero? No-one
in the current party’s (ruling) politburo qualifies to
deliberate on the heroism of the late, great
nationalist Tekere,” Enos Nkala, a co-ZANU
founder, asked at Tekere’s funeral which Mugabe
did not attend. Other modern fathers of Zimbabwe like Joshua
Nkomo, Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa,
Ndabaningi Sithole, Canaan Banana have long
fallen out with Mugabe. Zimbabwe’s 13 million people wallow in the
scourge of Mugabe, who at 89 has won a seventh
tenure. Age may be the only thing that would
stop him from beating the 42-year record of
Gabon’s Albert Omar Bongo, who only death, at
71, separated from power. About 85 per cent of its population, 11.05
million, is under 64 years old. Mugabe is the only
president that more than 90 per cent of the
population knows. Zimbabweans would be under worse pressure to
find leaders when Mugabe expires. Cote d’Ivoire is
still in turmoil, 21 years after Felix Houphouët-
Boigny, its first president who ruled for 33 years.
Mugabe is running Zimbabwe into a futile future
that would unveil when he is gone. It is up to Zimbabweans to decide their destiny,
just as Bob Marley sang 33 years ago, and
everyone danced in exhilaration.
and in this judgement there is no partiality. – Bob
Marley, from lyrics of Zimbabwe, a song, and an
album dedicated to Zimbabwe at independence
in April 1980 THE crowd of over 100,000 that packed the Rufaro
Stadium, Harare, on 18 April 1980, was full of
expectations for the new country. When Bob
Marley hit the song, Zimbabwe, tears rolled, the
drums pelted to new rhythms, the guitars
strummed, and the crowd went into frenzy. The lyrics could have been lost on everyone. President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari donated $
15 million to Zimbabwe. Part of the money was
used in training Zimbabwean students in Nigerian
universities, their government workers in the
Administrative Staff College Of Nigeria in Badagry,
and their soldiers in the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. The expectations evaporated quickly. Edgar
Zivanai ‘Two Boy’ Tekere, the ZANU-PF Secretary
General, largely seen as a major challenger to
President Robert Mugabe, invited Bob Marley to
that performance. Marley’s music inspired the
guerrilla fighters during the battles to liberate Zimbabwe. Tekere, a founding member of ZANU
PF, was a colleague of Mugabe’s in the guerrilla
war that they organised from Mozambique. His disagreement with Mugabe was early and he
lost his position as Minister. Another Mugabe ally
Lt-Gen Lookout Masuku, commander of the
Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, died
mysteriously in 1986, four years after he was
accused of planning to overthrow Mugabe. “Who is Mugabe to declare Tekere a hero? No-one
in the current party’s (ruling) politburo qualifies to
deliberate on the heroism of the late, great
nationalist Tekere,” Enos Nkala, a co-ZANU
founder, asked at Tekere’s funeral which Mugabe
did not attend. Other modern fathers of Zimbabwe like Joshua
Nkomo, Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa,
Ndabaningi Sithole, Canaan Banana have long
fallen out with Mugabe. Zimbabwe’s 13 million people wallow in the
scourge of Mugabe, who at 89 has won a seventh
tenure. Age may be the only thing that would
stop him from beating the 42-year record of
Gabon’s Albert Omar Bongo, who only death, at
71, separated from power. About 85 per cent of its population, 11.05
million, is under 64 years old. Mugabe is the only
president that more than 90 per cent of the
population knows. Zimbabweans would be under worse pressure to
find leaders when Mugabe expires. Cote d’Ivoire is
still in turmoil, 21 years after Felix Houphouët-
Boigny, its first president who ruled for 33 years.
Mugabe is running Zimbabwe into a futile future
that would unveil when he is gone. It is up to Zimbabweans to decide their destiny,
just as Bob Marley sang 33 years ago, and
everyone danced in exhilaration.
No comments:
Post a Comment