“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” Steve Biko
I have recently been thinking a lot about Biko’s statement in relation to Zimbabwe. What has been foremost in my mind is how as Zimbabweans we have allowed Mugabe to control the way we react to our political situation. In most Zimbabweans’ mind Mugabe cannot and will not be removed. A lot of reasons are proffered for this.
Most Zimbabweans you speak to hold Mugabe in awe. Some will say, “Mudhara uya akangwara zvekuti hapana anomugona.” Others will say, “Masoja ese arikusapota Mugabe saka vanaTsvangirai havana yavo.” It would appear that Mugabe’s critics are also his staunchest defenders. Mugabe has created this image of invincibility that Zimbabweans continue to feed to each other. He no longer needs to tell people or even to do anything to create fear and despondency. The fear created by stories of Mugabe’s ruthlessness and shrewdness has created an oppressed population so scared of the oppressor. Mugabe uses this weapon skilfully as it has ensured that people of Zimbabwe do not believe in their ability to change their lot.
Until we liberate our minds from the control of the tyrant we can never achieve the liberation that we yearn for. Zimbabweans hold the keys to their own liberation. We need to start believing in our ability to change our destiny if we are to confront Mugabe. The first step is for us to take away the ‘potent weapon’ from the hands of the oppressor by fighting the fear and despondency that our nervous condition has created in us as Zimbabweans. I believe that Zimbabweans suffer from mental slavery where we have come to believe that Mugabe is destined to rule ‘kusvika madhongi amera nyanga’. As Bob Marley counsels we need to emancipate ourselves from our mental slavery for none but ourselves can free our minds.
It is not going to be easy to deal with the myths and legends about Mugabe that are out there. The man is made up of stuff of urban legends but what shows me that he is human is the fact that, against his will, we have managed to corner him into accepting to share power. There may still be a remnant that believes he holds all the power but most of us have seen that Mugabe is just an owl. “Manhenga chete zizi harina nyanga” It is not impossible to continue to force Mugabe to accept people power. We need to take the initiative away from him and his friends.
Last week we witnessed Mugabe and his party try to turn back the hands of time by disrupting the Constitutional Convention. We need to stand firm and tell the rogue ‘war veterans’ that Zimbabwe belongs to all of us. As a way of taking away the weapon from the oppressor we need to participate fully in the process of crafting and revamping the Lancaster House constitution. Change in Zimbabwe can only be concretised by a new constitution. A new constitution on its own can never be the panacea to our political problems but it allows us to begin the process of cleaning up our politics. We need to make a strong statement to Mugabe that the time of impunity is gone and that we will demand accountability and participation in our governance. This requires that we believe in what numbers can do. Numbers gave the opposition a majority in parliament. Numbers forced Mugabe to a run off. Numbers will liberate us. We just need to believe in ourselves rather than Mugabe’s invincibility. None but ourselves can do this!
