admin
Leroy Dzenga Youth Diaries
A coherent interpretation of a people’s future can only be informed by nuances of the past.
The agency is higher on the young, who may have not been present when defining events occurred.
It is imperative that they try and retrace the narratives back in time, in the process gaining insight on why certain things are the way they are.
This is why countries invest money in the preservation of history even at the expense of the proverbial bread and butter.
Zimbabwe is a country with a history.
Stories that built this republic to where it is can be located within nuances of strife, tension and struggle.
Forty years after the liberation war and the resultant independence, Zimbabwe is still finding its post-colonial complexion.
This involves systematic recalibration, tensions among the actors and the eventual prevailing of the Republic.
Nation building takes time and it appears the youth do not have much time to spare these days.
Some have missing stories in their ideological repositories and it reflects on their interpretation of obtaining issues.
Maybe if they knew their history beyond compulsory curriculum content, they would want to objectively participate in this delicate process.
Zimbabwe is a country born out of a protracted liberation struggle, the vehicle through which our unfortunate encounter with colonialism came to an end.
Accounts from that period have been compressed into palpable bits by historians who have the onus to package information into a consumable format.
There is more to what happened than meets the eye. This is why the youth should explore the country’s history with a healthy dose of curiosity and an open mind.
A great number of men and women who have gone on to change the course of history should be adequately accorded their respect.
When one understands the history, they will get a clear idea on the role that young people have in the development and building of their country.
When President Mnangagwa, then a young man, found himself facing the hangman’s noose due to his role in the liberation struggle, he was what can be termed a teenager.
In him and many others who sacrificed during the time to set aside their personal aspirations in pursuit to the dream that was Zimbabwe, there was a sense of belonging to the country which the white settlers wanted to crush.
Land was central to the liberation struggle and the position nationalists took was a product of a clear understanding of history.
The world has power contestations which occur at multiple levels including continental ones.
All the friction that arises from geopolitics is a result of the constant desire by countries to control resources.
When Zimbabwe decided to effect its land reform, it did not flatter everyone across the world.
There were countries that felt they could control the country’s means of production from a distance, but this threw their plans into disarray.
Sanctions were slapped on Zimbabwe, plunging it into a lengthy spell of isolation which lasted until 2017 when re-engagement efforts begun.
The background is that there were others who did not appreciate the concept of black people determining the distribution of the biggest factor of production — land.
As a result, there was a deliberate strategy to ensure there was disillusionment within the country and outside.
Within Zimbabwe, the idea was to create agitations between the administration and its citizens.
Outside Zimbabwe, the sanctions were a tacit warning to other countries against interacting with Zimbabwe.
Although they were framed as travel restrictions, they were much more and those with decent interpretations of international relations know the effect of being sanctioned.
“Neutral” countries avoid the seemingly lesser endowed country for fear of enraging the sanctioning power.
That was the predicament Zimbabwe faced after setting an asset reclamation precedent which threatened white monopoly capital in the region.
South Africa right now is threatening to expropriate land without compensation, an issue which has been contentious.
Instead of raising valid points against the idea, those arguing against it are warning against the country becoming “another Zimbabwe”.
This shows how Zimbabwe has been kept under grip to be used as an example of what befalls states that decide to reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
In September 2019, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, DR Sibusiso Moyo, tabled in Cabinet a paper highlighting the impact on Zimbabwe and the Sadc region of the unilateral sanctions imposed by the USA and the EU.
The minister stated that Zimbabwe had lost at least US$42 billion in revenue over the past 18 years due to the sanctions.
That amount of money is enough to stabilise any African country`s economy and Zimbabwe was systematically prejudiced.
Struggles being faced in Zimbabwe have many roots, but part of it is related to the perpetual use of the country as a public spectacle summarising the cost of bravery.
It was the same bravery that got thousands of freedom fighters killed as they confronted settler forces.
Their efforts too were ridiculed; freedom fighters were branded terrorists.
Informed by this and many other layered stories, young people should understand that beyond the surface, there are issues they need to interrogate and understand to get a fuller appreciation of issues in Zimbabwe.
What we see in the economy, markets and the socio-political space is a manifestation of historical events.
It would be futile to form an opinion on the country without clearly understanding where it is coming from, in all facets.
As Zimbabwe celebrates40 years of independence, young people should strive to understand the intricacies of this maturing democracy. It will enhance their usefulness going into the future.
Feedback: [email protected]
Twitter: @leedzenga
Online Reporter