In a world where resilience shapes character, my journey from the heart of Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom, and through the stark corridors of incarceration, has imbued me with a perspective that goes beyond the superficial. As I tread on a path of reformation, I delve into political commentary, with a heart still tethered to the struggles of my homeland. Through my blog, I navigate the tumultuous waters of asylum, bearing the banner of truth against the Zimbabwean ruling elite’s fallacious narrative of peace.
The political top brass of Zimbabwe often indulge in self-praise, lauding their supposed maintenance of peace, chiefly enforced by the nation’s security forces. This claim, to me, is a stark reflection of either an audacious mendacity or a severe detachment from the brutal realities that ordinary citizens endure daily.
A poignant portrayal of Zimbabwe’s grim reality is vividly depicted in Oliver Mtukudzi’s music video ‘Tozesa Baba’. The scene where a petrified wife trembles at the return of her drunken husband resonates with the oppressive dread that hangs over Zimbabweans under the ruling clique. The husband’s menace, though devoid of physical violence in the video, mirrors the regime’s subtle yet profound reign of terror that has gripped the nation.
The lyrics of ‘Tozesa Baba’, translating to ‘We fear our father (or husband)’, encapsulates the pervasive fear, an everyday reality for many in Zimbabwe. The ruling elite, masked by a façade of tranquility, fail to acknowledge the prevalent distress, much like the husband in the video, oblivious to the terror he instils.
The words of Baruch Spinoza, “Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice”, and those of Albert Einstein, “Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, of law, of order”, resonate profoundly. The Zimbabwean administration’s denial of a crisis, solely because the streets aren’t littered with corpses, is a shallow perception of peace.
The haunting memories of unarmed civilians being gunned down by security forces during protests in August 2018 and January 2019, remain etched in the minds of Zimbabweans. The incessant state-sponsored repression, brutality, abductions, torture, and the arbitrary arrests of citizens, journalists, and activists, further debunk the regime’s false narrative of peace.
Zimbabwe’s situation is akin to a household where the ‘father’ basks in opulence while the ‘wife and children’ languish in abject poverty. The facade of peace, much like the masks of tranquility in Mtukudzi’s narrative, conceals the harrowing tales of abuse and fear that have become a norm rather than an exception for Zimbabweans.
The relentless quest for truth continues, as I, a reformed soul with a tale tinged with shades of grey yet beaming with hope, strive to shed light on the veiled atrocities plaguing my motherland. Through this narrative, I echo the cries of the unheard, hoping to unmask the pretentious veil of peace that shrouds Zimbabwe, and urge the world to see beyond the mendacious claims of tranquility by the Harare administration.
About The Author
