Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
ZIMBABWE yesterday marked 45 years of independence, a milestone that this year poignantly coincided with Good Friday — the start of the Easter weekend — in what may be a first since the nation attained self-rule in 1980.
The convergence of these two important events is deeply symbolic. Both are underpinned by the themes of sacrifice, betrayal and the ultimate triumph of peace and freedom.
On Good Friday, Christians around the world commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a moment when the Son of Man shed his blood to cleanse humanity of sin and usher in peace. His betrayal by Judas Iscariot, one of his own disciples, for 30 pieces of silver is a story etched in history as the ultimate act of treachery.
Similarly, Zimbabwe’s path to independence was marked by supreme sacrifice. Sons and daughters of the soil took up arms against the brutal colonial regime, determined to liberate the country and restore dignity through black majority rule. In that struggle, too, betrayal lurked. Some among the liberation ranks were sold out, leading to arrests, torture and even death at the hands of the Rhodesian regime.
One such example is Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, who spent 15 years incarcerated at Khami Maximum Security Prison. Arrested in 1975 for distributing arms in the then Rhodesia, VP Mohadi endured brutal torture and was shuffled across detention centres in the region before finally being sent to Khami. Although prison records mark his arrest in August 1975, he recalls being detained in May, followed by three harrowing months of interrogation. His prison number was 73/75. He was only released in March 1980, on the eve of independence.
Just like Judas was paid in silver to betray Jesus, some were lured by the white settler regime to sell out the liberation struggle. But their actions did not stop the march to freedom.
The war was indeed bloody and painful, but the sacrifices bore fruit. On April 18, 1980, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time at a jubilant Rufaro Stadium, giving birth to a new nation, Zimbabwe.
For many, the coincidence of Independence Day with Good Friday this year reinforced the sacredness of both sacrifices.
“It’s a clear sign that we are a blessed nation, celebrating our Independence Day on the same day that Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross. We are free today because of the blood that was shed by our gallant sons and daughters who fought for this land. Just like Christ’s blood brought peace to the world, their sacrifice brought us freedom,” said Pardon Khanye, a youth who attended the Bulawayo provincial celebrations held at White City Stadium.
