Mugabe’s
reconciliation, What reconciliation?
Once
upon a time, President Robert Mugabe was the envy of many African leaders. He
was the perfect African president African leaders were encouraged to emulate.
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, our president, then Prime Minister of
Zimbabwe, preached about reconciliation with the former colonizer.
After
a bloody war that had sacrificed a lot of our people, it was such a noble
decision, a decision the former enemy gladly accepted. The policy of reconciliation
made the legendary leader a saint in the West. After that bloody liberation
war, it was indeed a pat on the back for Price Charles, “Hey mate, what’s done
is done. Let’s call it a truce and go bowling.”
Yes
the policy of reconciliation, announced soon after the historic 1980 election,
was a necessary and important for the country. The two warring factions of the
black majority and the white minority agreed on peace for the sake of the
country. One question that really bugles me is; was there a timeframe for on this
reconciliation Mr. President? The other is was there really any reconciliation
to begin with?
As
a national policy, the concept of reconciliation was supposed to incorporate
all the warring factions after the war and not only blacks and whites. It was meant
to address the rising tensions that were erupting between the two former
liberation armies, ZANLA and ZIPRA.
Mugabe’s
reconciliation, what reconciliation if I may ask Mr. President? When the then
PM Mugabe was out addressing the foreign media and diplomats in Harare and
abroad, his lieutenants were busy devising a strategy to wipe-out all the Ndebele
people in Matebeleland and Midlands. His close aide, Enos Nkala, particularly
had a great hatred for Nkomo and ZAPU, a statement he constantly repeated and emphasized
during the 1980s.
What
reconciliation Mr. President were you talking about when you had your very own
Shona troops trained specifically by the North Koreans on the best methods to
kill and wipeout the people of Ndebele origin? Whilst our learned president was
busy wining and dining with other statesmen at international conferences, the
infamous North Korean trained 5th Brigade was busy terrorizing
people in Matebeleland.
All
this time internationally Mr. Mugabe was being seen as a beacon of hope with
the policy of reconciliation as part of his many successful policies. Genocide
was also occurring at the same time in Matebeleland. Preaching about peace
whenever he was given a platform whilst on the other hand being the architect
of a mass genocide best describes the policies of our president. Double
standards is what we call it Mr. President. We are all aware of ZANU PF’s open
involvement in the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s.
One
wonders whether that policy of reconciliation was for all the people Zimbabwe?
Maybe it was only meant for those defeated former white minorities. If it was
for the whites only, then whatever happened to that reconciliation 20years
later after independence?
One wonders if the overzealous, weapon-totting
war veterans terrorizing white farmers, force-marching them off their farms was
the expiration of Mugabe’s famed policy of reconciliation? These are the very
same people who were the majority beneficiaries of the policy of
reconciliation. Mr. President, was there any reconciliation to begin with?
The
policy was a farce to begin with. It was meant to encompass all the warring
forces after the war. It was for everyone, it was supposed to be for every
Zimbabwean regardless of race, creed, culture or tribe. It would have been the
best platform on which to begin to new state; Reconciliation for everyone.
Everyone beginning on a new slate.
Even
after that historic Unity Accord of 1987, the president never really revisited
his policy of reconciliation to include the Ndebele, nor did he make an inquiry
into the disturbances. The accord was just another pat on the back for Joshua
Nkomo, “Hey Josh, sorry for your people man, it was my bad. Let’s just start
over. How about the Vice Presidency for you? Aaaaw what a good lad.”
It
is no wonder why any mentioning of Gukurahundi is considered a taboo here in
Zimbabwe. Even the minister of the present-day policy of reconciliation, Minister in the Organ of
National Healing and Reconciliation, Moses Mzila Ndlovu was
arrested when he spoke about Gukurahundi. The topic is such a thorny issue that
you cannot find it in Zimbabwe’s educational curriculum. ZANU (PF) does not
want its own people to know what exactly occurred during the period 1980-1987.
All we got to learn in school was a comment, in passing,of the disturbances in
Matebeleland and Midlands. Nothing more, nothing less.
All
this time since the “disturbances in Matebeleland and Midlands”, the Shona
people were largely spared, apart from the few sacriced during Tekere’s ZUM. It
was not until the creation of the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999
when another monster was created. In the subsequent elections that followed
till this day, anyone who supported or believed to be a member of the MDC
became highly vulnerable to state-sponsored violence. March and June 2008 is a
period that invokes the bitter memories of Gukurahundi.
Whilst
hundreds of opposition activists perished as compared to the thousands lost
during Gukurahundi, all these events have one common factor. They were all
orchestrated by one man. Strategically created at Jongwe’s offices at ZANU (PF)
headquarters, all these disturbanceshave been orchestrated by one man, who
32years ago, was a man globally known for his policy of reconciliation.
Is
it that maybe, just maybe he was misquoted then? 32 years later, after taking
the white people’s farms, he is now after their companies in the largely
unpopular Indigenization and empowerment policy. This is all happening 32 years
later when everyone thought that well, now blacks and whites can live
peacefully and happily ever-after, after that largely famed policy of
reconciliation. Maybe some played with Mr. President’s words then. Maybe it was
the excitement of finally being free.
One
thing that we all know is that Mugabe is living a life of double standards.
Across Africa he is well known as a nationalist and model leader but is he
really that? Only the Lord knows.
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