Written by Descent Collins Bajila and edited by Prince Gora.
Just a few hours after Makomborero Haruzivishe was arrested on February 18th, Thandekile Moyo asked a pertinent question. She tagged a few friends on Twitter and posted, “Dearest comrades, I only have one question for you, for us. WWMD? Were it you in prison right now, WHAT WOULD MAKO DO?
The question provoked a lot of people who pestered her for answers and the way forward until she was compelled to post again, “Friends have been messaging me since yesterday. What needs to be done? What can we do? Good people, we all know what needs to be done. We all know what Makomborero has done for us. We all know that the hashtag wont work. This is the hour of reckoning!” I have tried to meditate on the question and I feel very challenged. For nearly 8 months, Mako has known that his day with the police is coming. He knew that it was not a question of ‘if’ but of ‘when’ they would pounce on him. At one time I met him with Youngerson Matete and Takudzwa Ngadziore and sensed that he was conscious of the fact that he could be arrested any minute from then but still he would not shy away from the duty of perfecting the revolutionary mentoring of his successors in the student movement. He knew that he could be arrested if he attended comrades' court appearances but still proceeded to do that on countless occasions. He knew that he could be arrested if he appeared at funerals and bereavements of comrades, but still he travelled to mourn and give solidarity to the Dinar family in Gutu, the Dzamara family in Mutoko, the Siziba family in Bulawayo and that is to mention but a few of is selfless such sacrifices. The imminence of his arrest never stopped him from giving solidarity to comrades in need. It didnt stop him from travelling to Masvingo with others to build the Youth Assembly. It didnt stop him from attending the national council in Bulawayo or from attending countless other party functions. The struggle is his life. Friends and comrades alike have at one time or another urged Mako to lay low, to tone down his activism. He has given the same reply always, “How do I lay low when Muchehiwa is battling for his life and Taku is in jail? You cant ask that of me!” When people told Mako to go underground, maybe even flee to South Africa or beyond, he called Thandekile and said, “Mamo, people don`t understand. When Itai disappeared, his mum asked me kuti aripi mumwe wako? She asked me the same when Patson was abducted. Now they are both gone. I owe it to them to keep fighting!”
Comrades, I appeal to all of you, all of us to think of what Mako would do if we were arrested. Would he be in Harare and skip your court appearance? Would he just design a hashtag about your freedom and make you famous? Would he just change his social media profile picture to yours and then continue with his life? Or would he start an analysis of why you did the things that led to your arrest?
What would Mako do?
