EDITORIAL COMMENT: Let’s stop politics of ethnic profiling

People in Africa have developed a very unfortunate habit of shooting themselves on the foot by majoring in the minor. A continent that faces a myriad of challenges ranging from sluggish economic performance, disease, natural disasters, food insecurity, lack of infrastructure and housing, lack of jobs for a growing young population, cannot afford to squander opportunities and meagre resources focusing on ethnic and/or tribal divisions. Not only is this retrogressive, in terms of development, the continent will remain stagnant, rendering Agenda 2063 a pipe dream.

As we reflect, we also think that tribal or ethnic divisions never really died after the defeat of former colonisers. Maybe they were not dealt with in a holistic manner. However, what is surprising is how they are becoming so central to the body politic of most African countries, including Zimbabwe.

A few examples suffice. Nigeria is on the brink of another Biafra-style conflict between the Hausas and the Igbos. In Africa’s newest nation, South Sudan, there is an on-going civil war fuelled by conflict between the Dinka and the Nuer ethnic groups.

There is also an observation that in a number of African countries people choose their political leadership on tribal lines. One of the figures that played a major role in Namibia’s liberation, Professor Mburumba Kerina recently bemoaned the tribal tendencies that are rearing their head in the ruling Swapo party.

Namibia’s New Era newspaper says Prof Kerina wants Namibia “to remain peaceful and stable in all areas, but the country appears to be moving into the opposite.”

He told the newspaper: “Swapo has never been a tribal organisation. It was not a party for personalities, tribal and religious groups. It was about issues. Of course it was started by Oshiwambo-speaking people, but later Swapo brought together all ethnic groups.”

This is the same with all countries that attained independence through liberation struggles. But it seems as though Africa has not learnt anything from the bitter lessons of the past — lessons that have resulted in destruction, humanitarian disasters and lives bereft of dreams of a brighter future.

Tribal divisions do not benefit anyone, and the worst case scenario is that ordinary people suffer when deadly conflicts follow these divisions.

In 1994, Rwanda gave Africa the best case scenario about the futility of ethnic conflicts. The slaughter of about 1 000 000 Tutsis by the rival Hutus became one of the worst genocides on the continent towards the end of the 20th Century.

It also looks as though Africa has not reflected on this biblical scripture in Mark 3:25 which says: “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand”, while another version says, “a family splintered by feuding will fall apart”. One expert says what this simply means is that “if a group’s members are in perpetual disagreement, the group will eventually cease to exist.”

Wise counsel! It is against this background that we air our concerns regarding the resurgence of tribal/ethnic sentiments in Zimbabwe’s body politic.

These are sentiments that you find in major political parties where it has become commonplace to denounce and/or praise one another along ethnic lines. Being Manyika, Karanga, Zezuru, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Tonga or Kalanga now seems more important than being Zimbabwean.

What is going on and who is supposed to benefit from such profiling? The Unity Accord signed between Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu in 1987 is an important reminder that we should never again be drawn into that dark past, because that past polarised the nation and people were scarred for life.

The ethnic profiling does not also augur well when we are going for general elections in a few months’ time. These elements of disharmony are what Zimbabwe’s detractors want. Some of them, through their media outlets, become cheerleaders just like what happened in Rwanda, when even the pulpit was used to malign the Tutsis.

Thirty-seven years ago, Zimbabwe showed the world that after defeating the enemy as a united front, it could rise above racism. The world could not believe it when then Prime Minister Mugabe extended a hand of reconciliation to Ian Smith and his kith and kin.

The spirit in that gesture carried the day and we don’t see why we cannot continue along that path for the sake of peace and unity and for the sake of future generations.

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