CELEBRATING ONE LIFE AMID DESPAIR FOR ALL
By Joyce Murimba
(21 February 2012) While I am one to celebrate life in all its various forms, I find it somewhat difficult to celebrate the continued life of the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe RG Mugabe. News that the octogenarian president soon to be nonagenarian (if we are to believe his assertions that he is still fit as fiddle) has spent $US1million on his birthday celebrations should be disturbing to everyone who cares about the future of the country and the well-being of Zimbabweans.
That the elderly stateman would sanction such extravagancies in a country marred by widespread hunger and poverty, amid a crippling typhoid outbreak, demonstrates the level to which our purported leaders have lost touch with reality and the people.
Not unexpectedly, Mugabe is teasing with his trusted henchmen and trying to find something to celebrate. However even the seasoned praise singers like Rugare Gumbo were seen to be lost for words when asked by an e-News Reporter what there was to celebrate on the 88th birthday of Mugabe. He did manage to stammer about the education bla bla blah. What he failed to mention was that these achievements were realised in the 1980s and early 1990s and that we should continue to celebrate these historic achievements twenty years down the line is indicative of the lack of any recent achievements in the President, s long life. This has unfortunately translated into a lost generation of Zimbabweans characterised by fragmentation of families and the loss of tradional values as more people scattered around the world in the search of a decent living. The ones that stayed behind were forced into unscrupulous dealings to survive and unfortunately this has resulted in a soceity where corruption, nepotism, profiteering and institutional violence are accepted means of ensuring one”s survival. In my opinion, we will never recover from the annihilation of the moral fabric of our society.
Back to the 88th birthday I am sure I am not the only one who did not leap with joy when Mugabe pronounced that he was expecting to live for few more years, at least . Having failed to get rid of Mugabe through democratic means, a number of people were and still are, I am sure, hoping that nature would somehow manage to rid the Zimbabweans populace of the long-time Dictator. Our only hope is that the president is as correct about his health as he is about the role that he needs to play in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe. Otherwise we are doomed to be a state where one man and his few cronies continues to celebrate past glories using national resources while the rest of nation continues to despair. It is unfortunate that as Mugabe is celebrating his long life our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers etc are having their lives ended prematurely due to lack of access to healthcare and drugs. Much as I do celebrate life, as long as Mugabe continues to represent all that has gone wrong with the once promising country of Zimbabwe I will find myself in the awkward un African situation of quietly lamenting the continuation of life. I suppose I will ultimately be forgiven because I do strongly believe that the continuation of good for Migabe means continued suffering and loss of life for millions of Zimbabweans————————-
Disclaimer: Joyce Murimba is a human rights activist who writes in her personal capacity. Any views stated or implied are her personal views and not necessarily the views of ROHR Zimbabwe. She can be contacted on e-mail jmurimba@yahoo.com
LEICESTER GENERAL MEETING_ ROHR ZIMBABWE: SATURDAY 10TH March 2012
Date: Saturday 10th March 2012
Time: 13:30 – 17:30hrs
Venue
Business Box,
3 Oswin Road,
Brailsford Industrial Estate,
Braustone,
Leicester,
LE3 IHR
Opposite Braustone Leisure Centre
Message
Come and get updates on the developments in ROHR Zimbabwe, including the latest on what is happening on the ground in Zimbabwe and South Africa. We will avail full details of the founding of the organization as well as clarification on the matter of misappropriation of funds that has since been reported to the Police. We will also afford you a question and answer session where we will be pleased to address any matters that might still be unclear to you. This is also going to be the platform for you to have a say in charting the way forward for ROHR Zimbabwe. It is the time to join in and contribute towards the struggle for Peace, Justice and Freedom in Zimbabwe. The Chairperson of The Board of Trustees, Grace Mupfurutsa as well as members of The National Executive Committee of the UK Chapter will attend.
For more information contact: –
- Mapfumo 07429654465 / 07932216070, Maureen Ngwenya 07752979290, Faith Mzemba 07904803702, Maureen Mapfumo 07931838895, P. Chibanguza 07908406069, P. Karimanzira 07538534375 or Dennis Chikozhera 07865621047/07901742649
