adminMicheal Mhlanga
We savored freedom in a long time, and it felt good. This is the best summary in recounting the symbolism netted by 18 November.
Creed, politics, culture and racial disparities that have marked our social discord were fleetingly forewent and the only audible screams were a unison of a mutual want, a requisite which disregarded any affiliation, because we had been granted that permission to free ourselves from ourselves, for the first time in 37 years.
The prison we were in was wrought by ourselves, our own kith and kin and we actively participated in arresting ourselves, dwarfing and limiting our own freedoms. This is who we were for all this while and if there is anyone to blame, it is us.
It is common that fingers are pointed to blame someone because we have become accustomed to being cowards refusing to take the blame that we were slow to act on our demise or we reluctantly decided to rescue ourselves from a political and economic detention.
The fruits of our actions were scourges and scars of moneyless banks, jobless citizens, corrupt citizens, despised Zimbabweans and disappointingly, an angry nation. We always thought that the world owes us something- a fallacy we convinced ourselves to be truth- Joyously, The November March proved us and to the universe wrong.
Was it scientific or spiritual?
Dear reader, the shifts in our nation demand a congruent reflection on the meaning of November 18 as it ceased to be just any Saturday or a march clamouring demands, it became a symbol of freedom, a historical memory to be always present in referring to Zimbabwe’s politics from now and ages to come. I reckon that numerous meanings of the day’s actions have been offered and we are still in the process of decoding many of the events between 14 November and Friday 24 November. Let us agree on one thing: Things happened so fast, so stealthy that Political Scientists world over were slow to catch up with analysis which transformed into predictions and later an assumption of the spectators’ role as De’bord would specify to us.
At one point if not many, science ceased to be a method of decoding and interpreting what was happening, both media and political science found themselves trapped in cages of speculation of transferring “wrong” information. Believe you me, journalism and political science was tested to the brink.
I remember pretty well how a colleague and I concluded that the political re-counting at that time are more spiritual than scientific. Brian Maregedze puts it aptly in his analysis of Ken Yamamoto’s analytic prediction, Makandiwa and Madzibaba Wimbo’s prophesies.
At one point we have to agree, the public intellectual exhausted all theories but spirituality in most instances is not wrong, remember Madzibaba Wimbo in 1957 when he predicted Cde RG Mugabe’s ascension to power in a free Zimbabwe, that’s how I deducted the past two weeks to be- at least spiritual. I will reserve that for another segment in weeks to come, but all the same, it all budged to one day: The November March.
Re-presenting lost opportunities
The day should be remembered as the liberation of public freedoms such as expressions, association movement and for the academia it was an opportunity to unlock stashes of heaped analysis on Zimbabwe’s politics without fear. I feasted on a horde of literature by Zimbabwe’s academia, all decrypting the “end of an era and the beginning of an end”.
Such were the themes that at one point one would ask himself why people have been thumping such dear knowledge and perspectives of their country which they were openly testifying to be patriotic to.
The day presented an opportunity of honesty as people not only marched in the streets but also on the internet (for me and others who enjoyed the abundant literature).
Indeed the day allowed for sincerity as people were unrestrictedly allowed to share their despair, frustration and the betrayal of the liberation ethos by some people they lived with for this long.
The opportunity which was once there in 1979 after the Lancaster signings and the build up to the first ever inclusive elections was re-presented, assuredly those who have lived long, lived to share again the same euphoric experience, describing how this time it was up-tempo and unbelieved to some. There was no need to revise Geoff Hills book What Happens After Mugabe after all what mattered was the re-presentation of an opportunity of freely expressing oneself, and that was affirmed to be important for the Zimbabwean citizen.
It is one of the reasons why it was a peaceful action, people did not care about what is in the shops or other people’s properties. They simply cared less about personal differences, they desperately were yearning for that freedom to express themselves and dispel their broken hearts- a focused angry but civil Zimbabwean, maybe a lot of countries should learn from The November March.
Revival of the public sphere
In 1964, a German scholar Jugern Habermas academically conceptualised what in Social Sciences and Arts is known as the Public Sphere. To adequately relate his scholarship with this article, Habermas referred to the Public Sphere as the realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed. He prescribes that in this enclave, access is granted to all citizens.
A portion of the public sphere comes into being in every conversation in which private individuals assemble to form a public body.
What makes much sense from Habermas’ conceptualisation in relation to The November March is how in 1992 though Henrick Ornebring he argues that any televised or radio broadcasted roundtable discussions (by that time those were the top media of broadcasting) are an example of a decline of the public sphere. To Habermas (and many of his students) electronic discussions create a façade of public discussions yet in actual reality they distort and corrupt debates on public issues and in fact function as a consumer good like any other.
Whilst lodged in this nutritious knowledge dish, we learn that televised debates and mostly actions in our multiple Whatsapp groups are merely chimera, illusions of an authentic public discussion. That action on Saturday dear reader, was a discussion with realities and ‘To Whom It May Concern’. It also was a debate with ourselves as ideas and visions were shared.
I invited Habermas to this discussion to show that, November 18 became the re-enactment of the true public sphere. It unlocked the most important process and phenomenon in a democracy which Karl Popper reminds that there is no absolute rightness or wrong in democracy “You may be right, I may be wrong, but together we are closer to the truth”.
That is what that day should always mean to you and I. It re-presents the chapter of democracy in our society which is effectively necessitated by the public sphere’s existence and its role in allowing citizens to exchange ideas, interrogate what is perceived to be true or sacrosanct, and if need be, recall or discard it. Such is the positivity of a healthy democracy which was marked and shall be remembered to have been re-presented on that day.
On that day, an unfiltered experience in defining the Public Sphere in its originality was re-gained, we recovered not only a free space of freedom but also, our humanity, an undaunted pride of being called Zimbabweans, peaceful and educated people who are keen to restore their legacy of the liberation struggle and independence-it is The November March which re-brought that once-existed-1980-feeling.
Iwe neni tine basa
Now that we have “tested freedom”, it grows down to two important specimens in this dispensation. Firstly and importantly, you and I have to be responsible with our freedoms. Just because you have freedom of expression doesn’t suddenly eliminate proper and civil processes of registering displeasure or contribution.
I think in our civility we have to acknowledge that rules and systems of engagement exist to protect harmony and an ambience of tranquility existing in the peaceful nation. We are prone to temptations of being irresponsible liberals and in the process when the law applies we speedily scream that the freedoms have vanished-No!, let us enjoy the freedom responsibly. Be your brother’s keeper.
To the government, you have a social contract to uphold. Protect that freedom you helped us taste and serve the people as they responsibly enjoy those freedoms. Everyone has a social contract and adhering to it is equally beneficial.
Remember that on Friday 24 November, The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, HE Emmerson D Mnangagwa said “The voice of the people is the voice of God .”
Mina lawe silomsebenzi
Follow @mhlanga_micheal
Bongani Ndlovu