Zimbab

Zimbab-Weans! Zimbab-Whens?

Bisola Awoyemi

Which country presently boasts of over 80% in unemployment rate? Which country can also claim to have defied all economic checkpoints of inflation, with rates growing annually in the millions?

It is clear that the ZIMBAB-WEAN people have not been confrontational enough. They have shown an extreme and disturbing level of passivity—one that has qualified them as unassertive and excruciatingly submissive, for over 27 years of a brutal leader’s reign. It is only in ZIMBABWE that you will need 2 carts to go grocery shopping: one for transporting your money and the other for your necessities, yet the leader still strolls around the nation, albeit amidst high disdain, arrogantly as the head and even defy international calls and protests to give up the position he so much covets.

In all of these, the people— siblings within the continent and the watchful possessors of eyes savoring or disgusted by the experiences of the ZIMBAB-WEAN mass’ everyday survival are not clamoring praises for youbut their agonies can be felt in their outcries of an otherwise humbling contradiction;-- ZIM-BAB-WHENS! ZIM-BAB-WHENS?! If imaginable, this time, the cries are not patriotic, but somewhat revolutionary and embodied with an especial stir to cause you to either live differently or die heroically, at least if not for yourselves, but for generations to come behind you. ZIMBAB-WEANS, so you may live differently without having to be labeled with the worst economic crisis of any existing nation and stop carting your currencies in the millions. To live differently and not be the model of economic textbooks yet published, as a point of economic “NO-NO” on that which may cause inflation rates of a country to sky-rocket so badly to reach into the heavens, in fact threatening to unseat the angels—inflation rates at about 2.2 million %.

To die heroically, and have generations yet unborn, understand that you are a fighting people and are opposed to having any man elevate himself to the highest seat of power and demonize 27 years of the country’s existence. To die heroically; so that your children can live.

ZIMBAB-WHENS! When are you going to be ready to say “enough is enough”? When are you going to come together in armed resistance against the powers that be—the evil “powers” that congregate within the confines of an individual in the person of Robert Mugabe; whose reign is not only a testimonial of the worst that the African continent can be cursed with. Take a clue from your West African counterpart—Nigeria. Many a times, people ask why Nigeria does not have an imperial presence in the nation. The rhetoric can accurately be responded to as the ability of the Nation’s citizenry to perfect not just the tactics that unseated the British colonists in the 1960’s but also, any other lookalikes within the crop of its own people. We understand the strength of opposition through arts, music (eulogies to the “Abami eda” himself, Fela Anikulapo Kuti), writing and sometimes, the necessity of just violence—to borrow the use of just in “just laws” as used by MLK Junior.

For need of a brief recapitulation of the history of opposition and resistance in Nigeria, in 1993, after Bashorun M.K.O Abiola won the elections in the freest and fairest elections ever conducted on the continental soil, the then general and president of the country—General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), also known as “maradona” following his genius as an evil machinator, annulled the elections and chose to remain in power—a true replica of the Mugabe exploits and undoing, only that he had only being in power for about 8 years. When the annulment was announced, Lagos became the hot-seat of anarchy days after. From stay-at-home orders, to sit-in boycotts to riots and violence towards parastatals, the people rose above mediocrity and complacence and made the country ungovernable The military tool of the government could do little against the collective will of a strong people fighting the usurper of power—IBB. How can you call yourself a president when nobody respects your orders? You cannot be a president over unwelcoming people. Now, HERE lies the lesson for ZIMBAB-WEANS! “make the nation ungovernable for as long as he is ready to concede power to someone of your choosing. Organize your road-blocks, stay-at-home orders and stop the perpetuation of a defunct regime of 27 years.” Make the Big-H an abode of civil volatility. The Big-H will remain within the pages of History as not just the beautiful city of Queen Elizabeth, but the land of “just” civil disobedience for your own good.

As if Nigeria had not had its own bout of bad leadership, General Abacha assumed the position of power after IBB. His aspirations were grandiose, wanting to become a life president as it is with Monarchies—Nigeria being his kingdom. This brings me to a pause and have me sit back and question why Africa appears to be cursed with the most treacherous, ignominious, inglorious and perfidious leaders of the world. Even in this present 21^st century, where many nations have not only endeavored to secure the future of generations of children to come, but are also conquering the space-age, yet, we still have leaders who want to embezzle and remain in power forever. General Sani Abacha—the most degerate of the beautiful people of the Nigerian entity, was the devil incarnate himself. (Actually, he is believed to be a neighboring country’s citizenry—NIGER). He killed openly, wasted some of the most enlightened minds of the country, sent many into exile, imprisoned and shared his bed at night, with Indian and Asian prostitutes—prostitutes that will later escort the general to his doom. . Even Nelson Mandela himself was outspoken against his regime and promised to see that the “erupting volcano” Abacha was sitting on exploded on him. 2 years into his reign and it dawned on the Nigerian populace that we were in for a downward spiral towards destruction. The economic nightmare of the ZIMBAB-WEAN nation would have been nothing compared to what we will speak of today under the monster—reminiscent of the reign of one yet unmatched, maybe Idi Amin or Charles Taylor. Nonetheless, our fighting spirit was awoken. Leaders of all kinds of confrontation erupted. There was the coalition of writers led by the Nobel laureate—Wole Soyinka, Anthony Enahoro, Beko Ransome Kuti and many more. There were frequent national strikes against the government. There was a coalition—a first in its genre—among all religions: muslims, Christians, and devil worshippers. They all prayed against a common enemy. I remember the prayers from church pews in those days worded alike: “Let’s pray for the Nation; its head of state. That God will touch his heart and change it for good, and if he refuses to be touched, that he dies.” In the Islamic mosques, the same was echoed in the tunes of “Allahu akbar.” For the progenitors of ancient rituals, “juju” of the greatest potency was borrowed. Many cows, and probably humans (I cannot validate this) were buried alive as sacrifice to the gods for the definite ousting of a dictator. “Ogbonis”, “Iya-aiyes”(the most dreaded), “babalawos”, and many more juju (black magic) jugglers, conjurers and diviners all raised their voices in Unison for the quick passage of this hell-bound leader to hell. In fact, there was a proliferation of Abacha’s caricature in miniature coffins all around Lagos. If this is not enough to scare the living shit out of anyone, that one in question must be a living corpse. Again, HERE lies the lesson for ZIMBAB-WHENS? Estimate what you stand to gain from the ousting of Mugabe. Dig into your resources—whether spiritual or not. Make your voices heard all over the world. Employ well seasoned mercenaries like Mandela, Wole Soyinka for an international coalition. Let your voices of oppression resound the world over. If this is not properly tapped into, Russia and China will continue to veto sanctions against an openly defunct, defiant and demonic government deserving of such.Acquire resources for a radio station whose source can never be traced and broadcast your opposition to the perpetuation of his dictatorship. Expose his true atrocities through transmission from the radio. Let your voices be heard. If you do not have your brand of “juju”, please let us know. You will marvel at its potency.

In conclusion, my very good ZIMBAB-WHEN friend and brother, always has a way of resonating support for the positive achievements (what I deem atrocities and a sheer show of foolishness) of Mugabe. He claims that he was able to take back the land from the white farmers and returned those to the rightful owners. Well, this may be true and needy, but like the saying goes: “if you must catch a monkey, you must behave like one”, he should create a smooth transition for the return of the possessed lands to the rightful owners so that he won’t be seen as racist. Likewise, do so for the economic wisdom of it.. I must add here that most of those displaced farmers are now enjoying the fruits of their labor in no other nation but Nigeria! Needless to say that, we are equally benefitting economically, from their experience and arduousness. It will be important to also assert from fact that most of the countries of the African continent suffer economically today because of the inconclusive transition from colonialism to independent rule. The political transition was somewhat smooth, but the economic bedfellow was purposely rough and jerky—a damaging transition that has not healed and remains agonizingly painful, leaving the continent with some of the poorest worldwide. Also, I tell my ZIMBAB-WEAN friend that it is easy to fight the outside power, but the “enemy within” seems impregnable and severely burdensome. Mugabe extricated the white farmers from their land, but cannot overcome his own undying appetite to cling to power and persistent tyranny over his own people, his own lookalikes. The true case of the “enemy within.”

After all is said and done, act fast.If armed resistance seems a choice that cannot be overruled, let the world know why. Awaken the giants in you and let us rid our continent of vision-barren leaders—leaders who should not dare aspire to any rank of leadership, even of a pack of hyenas, starting with Zimbabwe. ZIMBAB-WEANS wake up.