Chronicle Editor
Life begins at 40, they say.
That number signifies maturity and many people host impressive parties to celebrate their 40th birthdays.
Biblically, 40 is a very important figure as well. Before his temptation, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. After his resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days before ascending to Heaven. The Jews spent 40 years in the wilderness; Moses spent 40 days on the mountain receiving the Law. Many kings, among them David reigned for 40 years.
Tomorrow, Zimbabwe celebrates its 40th Independence anniversary. A massive party had been billed for Bulawayo. For the first time since 1980, the national Independence Day celebration was to be held out of Harare with Bulawayo having gained the honour to host it. In addition, a series of public events had been lined up for various parts of the country throughout the year to mark that momentous feat.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic cropped up. In an effort to contain the disease, the Government indefinitely banned gatherings of more than 50 people.
Shortly after announcing that ban among others, authorities effected a three-week national lockdown which ends on Sunday. Therefore, that massive party that the nation had been eagerly waiting for cannot be held.
That is a disruption which, however cannot stop citizens from marking that day in a unique way. Unique because for the first time since 1980, there would be no public events to commemorate Independence Day. The theme for this year is “Zimbabwe @40- defining the decade towards 2030.”
We, indeed, are now a proud, mature nation that has scored numerous successes over the past 40 years and is looking on the other side with hope.
The country waged a bitter liberation war which claimed the lives of thousands of combatants and civilians. Some died in Zambia and Mozambique, while others died locally. They didn’t lose their lives in vain as over the past four decades, their nation has grown and set many examples that some countries are following.
Successes have been recorded in terms of access to education. At Independence, the new democratic government enunciated the Education for All policy. It entailed free education for every citizen, especially blacks who for almost a century faced artificial impediments in their quest to gain an education. Many schools were opened countrywide for young people and adults who had missed out because of colonialism. Enrolment rose exponentially. Opportunities for higher and tertiary education were expanded. More indigenous teachers were trained at a growing number of colleges. As a result Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa.
Other people acquired various skills. Graduates from local colleges and universities are some of the most sought-after across the globe because of the rigorous, top-level education they go through.
In terms of health, hundreds of clinics and hospitals have been built, equipped and staffed by qualified nurses, doctors and other professionals. Before Independence, blacks had limited access to health services yet whites had unlimited access to superior services.
There has been much development in terms of public transport and communication infrastructure as well. This has opened up the country, enabling the formerly disadvantaged to move freely and participate in programmes to uplift them socially and economically.
The land reform programme ranks highly on the list of achievements that the country has realised since 1980. From 1890, whites gobbled up all the fertile land, displacing blacks from those lands. All the displacements were done through physical force and through use of draconian, racist laws. As the whites took over the best lands, they drove blacks to small, rocky and infertile parcels. At Independence, the new government attempted to address the land ownership imbalances through the willing buyer-willing seller approach but whites refused so sell the land. After two decades, the people, led by war veterans rose to reclaim their land on a revolutionary basis. Now, around 300 000 of them are proud owners of land that was owned by only 4 000 whites.
Sadly that land reclamation exercise angered the British, Americans and their allies who responded by imposing sanctions that have hit the economy hard.
Recovering from the adverse impact of the punitive measures is difficult, but the Second Republic is driven to ensure that the country reconnects with the world, including with those who have maintained sanctions on it, for the economy to get back on track. That is the thrust of the forward-looking theme for this year – “Zimbabwe @40- defining the decade towards 2030.”
In its message to mark the day, Zanu-PF expressed happiness at the victories the country has scored over the past 40 years, confident that any challenges that lie ahead would be overcome.
“We have triumphed over these challenges in unity,” the party said, “and drawing inspiration from our leadership, no future challenges are insurmountable.”
Online Reporter