At independence Prime Minister Robert Gabriel Mugabe in the presence of the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles swore to create a multi-racial nation with reconciliation of blacks and whites being the sole focus.
By Leopold Munhende
The definition of being Zimbabwean was expanded to entail those against whom ‘we’ had fought ‘our’ war, Mabhunu. They were incorporated into the general identity of being Zimbabwean, and in that context were entitled to what every other Zimbabwean received.
Fundamental to his utterances was that ‘every Zimbabwean’ would benefit from whatever resource the land held, a noble statement coming from one who had been imprisoned by the same people he was forgiving. The media and other state institutions constructed this united national identity which had been cemented by the unification of old foes, a jewel of Africa.
After a few years some Zimbabweans in the southern part of Zimbabwe’s who were perpetrating violence for different reasons began to be identified as dissidents and associated with a rival, opposition party ZAPU. From this point on wards they were no longer Zimbabweans but dissidents who had to be dealt with accordingly (Mugabe on ZTV (not dated video)).
Thus began the process of re-identifying Zimbabweans who were entitled to Zimbabwe’s ever rising number of resources.
As the 2000 elections approached, war veterans who had not been afforded any benefit for their participation or role in the liberations struggle began to demand what they said were their dues, something which most however doubt had been agreed upon. But anyway they had their way resulting in Black Friday, the day Zimbabwe’s economy took a knock after Mugabe had sanctioned the unbudgeted payment of Z$50 000 to war veterans with fear that they might sabotage his run for office.
Though it did save him from political ouster versus a fast growing Movement for Democratic Change this was the wrong way of tackling the issue as war veterans grew to think that they could have their way no matter their demands. This is better illustrated by how the late Chenjerai Hunzvi mobilised them again to forcibly seize land during the ‘chaotic’, fast track land reform programme. But because Mugabe still needed their votes he could do nothing about it and the publicly owned media such as The Herald supported these acts either by ignoring the inhuman acts or by minimally reporting on them as if they were nothing.
The Herald and its other sister publications again began to reconstruct the Zimbabwean identity, associating it with the liberation struggle, coming up with new vocabulary to describe those who did not take part in it (born-free) and there by sidelining them from accessing that which the country’s liberators were enjoying.
Now war veterans believe Zimbabwe is theirs. And that they can have their way whatever the case might be and that has proven to be a problem for the Zimbabwean nation as ‘we’ have created bullies within the system.
The reason why war veterans have been able to warrant themselves to most of Zimbabwe is that the nation is always in electoral mode and they have managed to put themselves at the epicentre of it (take a look at how Jabulani Sibanda terrorised the country before being kicked out of ZANU PF, how Chinotimba has had an impact on war veterans politics and the effect of having war veterans as the driving force of the ruling ZANU PF).
As articulated by Mugabe at independence, these people are no better off than Zimbabwean a child born yesterday. Mugabe preached equality and equal distribution of wealth across Zimbabwe hence there is no reason war veterans should think of themselves as being better than any ‘born free’.
If at all Zimbabwe’s resources were to be shared then it is the next generation which must be put in mind as these resources are being utilised or beneficiated not someone who demands them just because he engaged in a war which he personally believed in.
Situations whereby war veterans and fellow politicians partake in clandestine business dealings because ‘they think’ they own the land are what has led Zimbabwe to fall on its knees and fail to rise up again.
That land reform is exactly what changed the ‘Jewel of Africa’ (Desmond Tutu) into the begging bowl of Africa, accepting each and every donation like an orphaned child.
But the problem is not solely with the war veterans. One can never blame Joseph Chinotimba for demanding a farm for his liberation struggle exploits. The error is in a government which has become so populist it has forgotten that it has a mandate to rule the Zimbabwean people in a just and accountable manner. A government that is run by politicians who are only concerned with winning the next elections and the next after.
As long as ZANU PF fails to readdress national resource entitlement, basic human rights will not be enjoyed and war veterans will continue trampling on them knowing fully that nothing will come to them as they will simply threaten to vote Mugabe and his league out of power.
There can never be democracy without accountability. And in the prevailing environment where war veterans can just convince each other to seize a farm because of political affiliation or race or even tribe, without any noticeable condemnation from government is clear testimony that the current government is a long way from democracy.
Though this article seeks to deconstruct war veterans’ entitlement to everything, one also has to investigate the reason behind this ‘now annoying’ mantra.
After independence, every Zimbabwean who had been shut out of cities and regions meant for white people thought that justice had been served. However profiteering and corruption (Willowgate Scandal, GMB Scandal, War Vets Compensation Scandal) by the top political brass was clear testament to hundreds of thousands of war veterans who had fought passionately that they (top brass) will not change the governing system but instead had just inherited it (pseudo-heirs).
It is as a result of frustration from a system they thought represented hope and a bright future that they resorted to illegitimate ways of also becoming relevant in a society where leaders had long forgotten them. Where their leaders had proved to them that their god was their stomach and their nation only extended to their wives and kids. Unlearned as most of them were (or still are), they resorted to this cancer which has put a nation as peace loving as Zimbabwe into a spiral of chaos and thievery.
*Leopold Munhende is a fourth year Media and Society Studies student at Midlands State University. He can be contacted at leopoldkm17@gmail.com*
