Zimbabwe turns 43

Features Writer
ZIMBABWE today marks 43 years of self-rule, restored dignity, justice and fair opportunities for all.

As the sun peeps across the horizon, so will Zimbabweans across the country have a moment to remember the trouble fellow countrymen went through to liberate the nation from white minority rule.

They reminisce of a time when men and women of all ages and backgrounds braved the trenches to emancipate themselves and their kith and kin from the shackles of colonialism.

Through  a protracted liberation struggle, the country gained Independence on 18 April, 1980, the day we celebrate today.

The decision by blacks living under the heavy-handed Ian Smith regime to join the protracted liberation struggle culminated in the black majority rule we enjoy today.

It was the zenith of a dream that the black majority would choose their own government when the Union Jack was lowered and the Zimbabwe flag hoisted at Rufaro Stadium in Harare 43 years ago.

For the second time running, the main national independence festivities will be held outside Harare, with this year’s celebrations scheduled for Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central province.

The festivities are running under the theme, “Zim@43: Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo/Ilizwe Lakhiwa Ngabanikazi Balo”, which captures the country’s growth trajectory under the Second Republic.

President Mnangagwa is expected to grace the celebrations.

The programme began last Thursday with the lighting of the Independence Flame by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe in Harare. The flame then made its way to the host province by road on the same day.

The children’s party kicked off the main celebrations yesterday.

The rustic town reverberated with the music of Zimdancehall sensation Freeman, Voltz JT and Leo Magozz, among others.

The youthful musicians performed at the children’s party held at Pfura Stadium where about 7 000 learners, drawn from the country’s 10 provinces, were mesmerised.

The main celebrations are taking place at Mt Darwin High School today between 6am and 2.30pm.
Sungura virtuoso Alick “Baba Sharo” Macheso is expected to entertain the guests.

At 3pm, there will be an Independence Cup match between Highlanders and Dynamos at Mt Darwin High School.

An independence musical concert at Pfura Stadium will follow at 6pm until 6am. It will be broadcast live on national television.

Some of the artistes who are set to perform at the high-profile gala are Mark Ngwazi, DT Bio Mudimba, Melody Mupindi, Selmor Mtukudzi, Holy Ten, Sandra Ndebele, Shumba Chief Hwenje, DJ Fantan, Leonard Zhakata, Mathias Mhere, Dhadza D, Jah Signal, Andy Muridzo and Suluman Chimbetu.

There will be provincial celebrations in all the other provinces across the country to mark this auspicious occasion.

Colonial Rhodesia was punctuated by brutalities against blacks and harsh segregation and repressive laws.

Rhodesia was established under the sponsorship of Cecil John Rhodes and his British South Africa Company.

He firmly believed in the White-Man’s Burden idea of the duty of the Anglo-Saxon race to help “civilise” the “darker” corners of the world and regarded British imperialism as a positive force for this purpose.

The settlers who occupied colonial Zimbabwe shared this view of the world and treated the indigenous
black population as children who needed their guidance, protection, and civilisation.

Racial segregation permeated the colonial project at every level, whether it was in sports, hotel facilities, or the use of public conveniences and amenities.

White racism in colonial Zimbabwe was also informed by a sense of fear, given the fact that whites were grossly outnumbered in the country throughout the colonial period and were always afraid of being overwhelmed by the black majority. This contributed to their determination to control the blacks and “keep them in their place”.

Independence Day grants us the opportunity to reflect on our achievements, assess the current challenges facing our nation and chart the way forward.

Zimbabweans must never take this day for granted as Western powers still relentlessly and frantically seek to reassert their imperialist grip on Zimbabwe and other African countries.

During this time, people should bury their political affiliations and reflect on the ideals, values, tenets and objectives of the liberation struggle.

They must remember the historical injustices committed by colonial oppressors.

Independence Day affords Zimbabweans the opportunity to take into cognisance that we are now masters of our own destiny. The times of being exploited as slaves are long gone.

The ability of Zimbabweans to solve their own problems without Western interference will remain the guiding principle towards ensuring the country’s success.

Before independence, most of the country’s agricultural land was held by whites, leaving blacks in semi-arid regions while they lived on fertile, expansive lands.

But the fast track land redistribution programme, which started in 2000, saw scores of blacks return to their motherland as they were once settled on reserves.

Zimbabwe has a well-developed and diversified agricultural sector, producing food crops, cash crops, and livestock.

The Government has boosted the agricultural sector by providing electricity in some rural areas through the Rural Electrification Programme and provision of free seed, fertiliser and implements.

Agriculture in Zimbabwe provides many raw materials required by the manufacturing sector and the country’s economy substantially revolves around the agricultural sector.

The country has seen a lot of infrastructural development as it forges ahead to attain upper-middle-income economy status by 2030.

So, as we celebrate together, we need to take stock of the achievements made over the past four decades and jealously guard them remembering that the independence we enjoy today must never be taken for granted, as it came through blood, sweat and tears.