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Elliot Ziwira

Senior Writer

In all of us there exists that goodness which cannot be constrained no matter how bad others may perceive us, or we pretend to be.

True, as human beings we are capable of bringing harm on others. Nonetheless, we are not immune to hurt. What qualifies our humanity is that we are guided by conscience; because after all, deep inside we are good people.

As the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Carl Jung (1875-1961), once said: “Deep down, below the surface of the average man’s conscience, he hears a voice whispering, ‘There is something not right,’ no matter how much his rightness is supported by public opinion or moral code.”

Indeed, there is something wrong in the way we distance ourselves from our nation, throwing spanners in the wheels meant to navigate our ship out of perilous waters.

Yes, we may have our differences; we may face challenges; we may have grievances. We may be discontented, even, but there is something wrong with the way we sometimes express our grievances. Something is not right, either, in the way we at times clamour for an eye for an eye.

It only makes us all blind.

Lately, some of our fellow Zimbabweans have become enemies of whatever has to do with the Motherland and fellow citizens, which dampens the spirit. There is so much hate, grave pure hate; so much anger being expressed at the slightest provocation, especially on social media platforms.

If no good word comes out about our country and its leadership, then the need arises to turn the lenses on the self and see whose face is reflected. We may be wrong, for humanity is wont to, but we cannot be wrong all the time.

When our visibility on social media or any other platforms is as divisive as it is blinding to others, then, surely, “something is not right.”

The hate, anger and intolerance have become so palpable, so thick that one can cut through it all with a knife. The warm smiles, hilarious laughter that Zimbabweans are known for, seem to be dying, and in their stead, sneers, frowns and tirades have been born.

It is trite that every citizen has a right to live the life he or she desires, both for himself/herself and his/her children. However, that right, as recognised by their country as valid, should not infringe on the rights of others to citizenship through destruction of that which makes them humane —nationhood.

A country’s forte is its citizenry, and a nation-state’s aspirations are mirrored in its nationals, who can either obscure or illuminate them. It is in their power for citizens to do so. It all starts by them carrying the burden of being each other’s keeper.

As citizens of Zimbabwe, therefore, let us find that which unites us, even in our own different ways, for expressing divergent views does not equate to rivalry. We remain one because it is only right to do so.

The world would be a better place, if every citizen exercises his/her right to differ, not by lampooning those expressing deviating views, but by contributing to the greater good that starts at the family level.

Whatever we wish for at the individual level as parents, siblings, community leaders, policymakers, clerics and professionals in our different spheres of human endeavour, begins and ends with us as citizens.

As Zimbabweans we ought to know who we are, so that it becomes easier for us to know what makes us one, even in our struggles, for we toil together, rejoice and despair as one.

As we embark on our shared journey this year, therefore, we should go beyond our differences, and be part of a collective dialogue aimed at finding solutions to our challenges.

Each one of us has a role to play in taking the nation-state to that desired future time.

As Bissau-Guinean Pan-Africanist intellectual and revolutionary, Amilcar Cabral, affirms in “Unity and Struggle” (1973): “Struggle is a normal condition of all living creatures in the world. All are in struggle . . . We advance towards the struggle secure in the reality of our land (with our feet planted on the ground).”

Alive to our struggles, and the reality of our situation as Zimbabweans, we locate ourselves in the global sphere, and claim as our space that which no one else can lay title to—our nationhood. We are members of a country known as Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is our birthright; our motherland, and the only land that belongs to us and we belong to.

There is no other land that we can lay claim to, and there is no other nation that can claim us either, for national flags are not mere flapping cloths that can be pulled down, changed and hoisted again. They are emblems of a people’s honour, which cannot be exchanged for gold, no matter the odds at stake.

We remain Zimbabwean, and whatever our nation has become, or will become, has everything to do with us as citizens of this beautiful land.

As George William Curtis observes, “a man’s country is not a certain piece of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle, and patriotism is loyalty to that principle.”

For loyalty, patriotism and principle to hold forte, and for nationhood to subsist, it is imperative that individuals making up families, groups, communities and countries invariably become citizens and think in terms of citizenship.

Imagine what we can achieve if we combine the resilience in you my sister, coupled with your motherly glow; your robust attitude brother; our little brother’s intellect and analytical prowess; our great friend’s business acumen, and our mother’s never-say-die spirit.

Just envisage the formidable fortress that we will build for posterity.

Has it ever occurred to you that a man whose heart harbours vengeance as opposed to forgiveness, cannot also forgive himself?

As such, he is the one who suffers the most. In his mortal struggle against himself, he does not only inflict pain on himself, but the resultant scars will always be evident years after his death.

A man who engages in combat against himself is he that looks in the mirror, and sees a black man, a white man, an Asian, a Ndebele, Zezuru, Karanga, Korekore, Tonga, Venda or a Manyika, instead of seeing a Zimbabwean.

We pride ourselves in being peace-loving and tolerant.

Is that what is reflected when we take a closer look at ourselves in the mirror? The scars that we inflict on ourselves and others, are they not a true reflection of our nature?

We should be inspired by the late Burkinabe revolutionary, Thomas Sankara, who, a few months before his assassination on October 15, 1987, said: “While revolutionaries as individuals may be murdered (or die), it is difficult to kill ideas”.

A lot can be discerned here, in relation to the African story in general, and pertinently the Zimbabwean one.

Revolutionaries, like Joshua Nkomo, Robert Mugabe, Julius Nyerere, Samora Machel, Amilcar Cabral, Kwame Nkrumah, and Josiah Tongogara, as individuals, may exit the scene, but their ideas will remain behind as a legacy.

Individuals per se, are therefore, not greater than their own ideas, for they are outlived by them. 

So, the ideas that they leave behind, may not only be a true reflection of their nature, but may also surpass even their own expectations.

It suffices that a revolutionary, as a mortal being departs the world, but the revolution remains. Hence, as a product of the revolution, the revolutionary is not greater than it. Since it is premised on ideology, the revolution is inheritable. 

That is why it remains perpetually on course after the departure of its pioneers, who are mere humans.

Revolutionary leaders, therefore, should always implore their lieutenants of the folly of dangling the ethnic carrot in the face of the people as this is detrimental to nation-building.

It leads to the collapse of the nation-state, because, as Franz Fanon points out in “The Wretched of the Earth” (1967): “This tribalising of the central authority, it is certain, encourages regionalist ideas and separatism.”

African leaders, as the custodians of the revolution, are answerable to the people — the owners of the revolution.

The peace we are enjoying in this country has been a result of our leadership’s ability to play down the ethnic scourge through the signing of the Unity Accord on December 22, 1987.

Political careers hinged on regionalism do not only scathe individuals, but the wounds also hurt the entire nation. It fans acrimony and violence. 

Those with true political clout should have their mettle tested in the national fray, instead of bullying others in the provinces.

The scriptures tell us that a prophet is never appreciated in his own town. This does not mean he ceases to be a prophet. It simply means he should spread his wings, and help others besides those from his own community.

If he remains in his hometown, his prophecies will become questionable as they will not be clearly separated from the reality he already knows. 

But, if his reputation grows in other provinces, as is the case with true prophets, then, naturally, he remains a hero in his home area.

The late nationalist and Vice-President, Joshua Nkomo, earned the title Father Zimbabwe, because of his unifying ideas. Despite his ethnic background, which could have limited him had he chosen to, his star shone brightest in Harare, formerly Salisbury, where his political career took shape.

The values that he embraced as a Zimbabwean and not a descendant of a single ethnic group, brought not only freedom to Zimbabweans, but the much-needed Unity Accord of 1987. We should emulate him, therefore, by going beyond our differences this year, and collectively find solutions for the future.