By Pupurayi Togarepi
In the 1960s and 70s men and women from diverse backgrounds in our motherland Zimbabwe left their homes to fight for the liberation of their country.
These gallant sons of the soil, some of who are still among us like President Emmerson Mnangagwa, didn’t see the world through narrow tribal or regional lances but rather theirs was a sense of duty anchored in patriotism and grounded in brotherhood and sisterhood.
They fought side by side oblivious to toxic tribalism.
Our forefathers thus were the trailblazers and cleared the path for setting up a nation that we call Zimbabwe home today.
But then some mischievous elements within our midst, some who are still streaming milk from their noses are making terrible and toxic noises.
No, there we should draw a line and we draw it in concrete, alive to the ills of the ‘isms.
It is disheartening to see and hear counter revolutionaries today barking about tribalism in toxic tones. Yes there are some who whisper of clansmen and tribal politics trying to stir up emotions and reverse the gains we have made as a country because of their narrow and parochial interests.
They are some misguided elements who speak of tribalism and regionalism, trying horribly to say that the New Dispensation is not inclusive enough, nothing could be further from the truth, actually we have never had a more inclusive and sensitive government as we have now. People currently occupying offices in government are in their positions because of qualification and not their places of origin or relation.
Indeed we cannot paddock ourselves into imagery tribes when what separates us is by and large dialectical and not tribal.
What is a karanga, what is a zezuro and indeed what is a Ndebele, if aliens were to visit this great country will they locate a Ndebele tribe or Shona tribe or rather what they will find are black Zimbabweans with aspirations and dreams, myths and historical ties.
We cannot be imprisoned forever by mindsets that were created by our erstwhile colonisers, who, in their quest for dominance and exploitation created borders and provinces that we have continued to use much to our detriment.
Perhaps it is time we rename all the provinces that seek to identify inhabitants with certain languages, names like Matabeleland (for Ndebeles) Mashonaland (for Shonas) and Manicaland (for Manyikas) have to go, for such derogative terms are not only retrogressive but also relics from colonialism and remain traps of primitive thoughts and behaviors.
It noteworthy to realise that some people today who identify with a certain region once belonged to a certain region, for instances people in Chikomba district, presently located in Mashonaland East province they were once in Masvingo province.
Thus it is insane to suggest that there is regionalism or tribalism in the present government when Zimbabwean have a right to relocate to any area of preference.
People are appointed on the basis of competence, loyalty, and trust. As Deng the Chinese reformist President once said “I don’t care if the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice” let’s give those who have been selected to lead us a chance without dwelling on petty and selfish agendas that only divide than unite us.
As our President often preaches, let us be bound by love, preach love and live in love. These ‘isms’ will only distract us from the task at hand, to develop our Great Country.
