…. as key opposition leaders are unjustifiable targeted by the state media and ruling party leaders
By Dr. Tinashe Gumbo
The past few days have confirmed the need for unity in diversity, tolerance, shared national vision and a sense of oneness in a crisis in Zimbabwe.
Within a short space of time, we have lost many lives due to the deadly Corona virus. While we are not the only ones who have been seriously hit by COVID-19, the way we have particularly responded to the crisis is a cause for concern.
When we were expected to be working together to minimise the effects of this pandemic, we are visibly divided as a society.
We are not able to mourn our COVID-19 victims together. We are not even concerned together about the potential social, economic and political developments caused by the rate at which we are losing our leaders, friends and relatives.
What is currently hanging on our various social media platforms and what is being shared through the official public media and by key ruling party stalwarts have not been helpful to an already fragile society like ours. What is visible is a deeply divided country, one which has virtually thrown away the whole concept of Ubuntu.
Yet, one component of our society strongly feels that at times Ubuntu can not be matched to “the level of poverty caused by some of our leaders who are under threat of COVID-19”.
Here lies two strong arguments for and against the Ubuntu concept. Ubuntu is the capacity in African culture to express compassion, reciprocity, dignity, humanity and mutuality in the interests in building and maintaining societies with mutual caring and also justice in its various forms.
COVID-19 official protocols have already affected our traditional ways of handling funerals and other social events. It has forced us to forego some of the cultural procedures expected of us as Africans when we are faced with the enemy, death.
However, our reaction to the death of our fellow citizens in the last couple of days has been greatly corrupted by the way our politics has been shaping up. COVID-19 has come to expose the already deep sitted hatred among our people.
One half of our society has clearly seen it fit to openly “celebrate” death, not only death but death of those they feel “robbed” them of their future. This is unprecedented in the long history of Zimbabwe.
Those falling within this celebrating group are fiercely and even militarily holding to their position that indeed, Ubuntu can be justifiably thrown to the dogs at times. Yooo! The colleagues are firmly rooted in their stance.
On the other hand, another half of our society, through the official national broadcasters and ruling party structures, have chosen to attack individuals within the opposition political parties thereby further widening the social and political cracks that exist within an already polarised nation. Worse still, Government officials through their supposed public social media platforms have even went on to amplify some conspiracy theories, which is dangerous for a divided nation like ours.
This situation simply calls for unity among Zimbabweans. It calls for us to embrace a common national vision-not one forced onto the people by a small section of a single political party.
While others are celebrating the death of fellow Zimbabweans because they do not belong to the same political parties, South Africans are currently united in mourning one of their own.
The death of Minister Jackson Mthembu, who was laid to rest this afternoon in Mpumalanga Province, clearly showed that it possible for people from different political parties to mourn a fellow citizen together.
Following the events in South Africa since the demise of Mthembu, one saw goodness in a crisis. Yet, this has not been the case in our motherland, Zimbabwe.
Our Government and ruling party leaders through the public official media and also through their private social media platforms, did not help the situation. Instead of promoting unity, and instead of using reconciliatory tones, they chose to aim at individual opposition leaders. Instead of rallying the nation towards a national solution in a crisis, we saw them accusing some key opposition leaders of working against our country.
This was and remains unnecessary.
The case in point is that of Hon Tendai Biti. Surely, Hon Biti can not be accused of working against his country. In any case, the “celebration” of the unfortunate developments due to COVID-19, is coming from different citizens and not Biti alone, not even opposition activists alone but “citizens”. Indeed, it is coming from a generation that feels that its future was robbed.
From those that feel that their rights have been variously violated. This is a generation that has been crying for help but “has not been heard”. Surely, this goes beyond Biti or any other single opposition leader.
The citizens are hurt, they are hurt to the extent of forgetting about Ubuntu. Following discussions on the social media platforms, one can see the trend: citizens are raising pertinent issues that have always been dividing our country.
Lack of accountability with regards to COVID-19 donations and indeed other public resources; a leadership that has not been prioritising local health institutions over the years; a leadership that has failed to say “sorry” for the past atrocities (mainly politically motivated)….the list is long but surely seems convincing.
Unity and shared vision is the way to go in a crisis. It is unfortunate that our people have been forced to celebrate death, which is not characteristic of Zimbabweans and Africans at large. The President called for unity in his address to the nation yesterday. He invited solidarity but it looks like this came too late and in a mild form.
We need to work together to fight COVID-19 as the pandemic knows no political party or tribe. Already, we have been hit in one way or the other.
We have lost friends, relatives and national leaders. We have even lost our clergy who have been our frontliners in this pandemic period. We have lost our unsung heroes and heroines in the name of medical personnel and grave diggers. Our medical colleagues are particularly critical and need our support and not accusation as we hear from some Government figures.
For the sake of moving forward, I humbly appeal to our political parties from both halves to cool it down.
Tinashe Gumbo is a human rights defender and social commentator from Mberengwa.
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