Many of us made mistakes, mainly mistakes that allowed this mess to develop when it would have been much easier to take another way. The first mistake was to expect we could be given freedom.
We were like the man in the story, whose stronger neighbour drove him out of his house. The man who had been thrown out went for a walk in the bush to think out what to do. He met a lion, and the lion asked him what the problem was that so obviously was taking all his attention. The man told the lion, and the lion replied ‘Oh, is that all? I can solve that for you.’
The man was delighted and asked the lion to help. The lion went to the man’s house, put his head in the door and roared. The occupants, the neighbour’s son and new daughter-in-law, were so frightened that they jumped out the window and ran away. The lion went into the house.
The original owner soon followed. He started thanking the lion for removing the invaders. The lion sat polishing his claws, apparently not listening. Eventually the lion looked around and said ‘This is a very nice house, cool and dry. I think I’ll stay here myself.’ The man began to protest, but the lion growled, a low menacing growl that lions use to frighten their prey or rivals. The man didn’t wait. He apologised for annoying the lion and went to look for somewhere to build a new house.
If we thought anyone was going to free us from Ian Smith and then walk away to let us enjoy our freedom, we were mistaken. We realise what a lion we let into our house in 1980.
But have we learned the lesson properly? How many of us are now looking for a leopard or a rhinoceros to drive him out for us? Why should Thabo Mbeki help? The collapse of our industry means more business for South Africa. If we overload Botswana with our refugees, that makes Botswana less able to compete with South Africa. Mbeki is laughing. Will any other neighbouring leaders help us against a member of their own club? What sort of ideas might that put into the heads of their people? Forget it.
No politician is going to play Santa Claus and give us our freedom. Santa Claus wouldn’t last long in the dog-eat-dog world of politics. Some say ‘Let’s pray for freedom’ but, however hard we pray, God isn’t going to send a thunderbolt to wipe out our oppressors. God helps those who help themselves. Maybe God is teaching us what a wise man said once: we are our own liberators. If we are not liberated, we know the first people to blame for falling down on the job.
That doesn’t mean nobody else shares the blame, but we know where to start.
Post published in: Opinions