Independence Celebrations: The people speak

A Flea Market Vendor and political activist, Anyway Tafireyi, said it would be madness for anyone to celebrate the ‘so called Independence’ given the prevailing political climate in the country.

“The situation on the ground suggests that we are still under an oppressive type of rule. Imagine people living under such draconian laws such as POSA and AIPA, 32 years after attaining self-rule,”said Anyway Tafireyi.

“Freedom is a preserve of a selected few who are believed to have participated in the armed Liberation Struggle for Zimbabwe. These people have access to everything they want and enjoy favourable selective justice. They can beat anyone with impunity and convene mass gatherings days on end without fear of arrest. They can even afford breaking laws of the land without being visited by the long arm of law.

“Just this last Sunday, twenty six members of the untouchable group coming from a party congress here, crammed themselves into a 15-seater commuter omnibus and displayed a party flag on the windscreen as passport to proceed uninterrupted at police roadblocks. They told the bus driver not to worry about the overload as police would not bother him on noticing the flag.”

“For me it will be business as usual on April 18, as I would be fending for my family. I am self employed and the US$ is more elusive than ever, I have no time to waste going for celebrations,” Obert Chinyama.

“There should be no selective application of justice and the country’s resources should be accessible equitably to all Zimbabweans. I would send my children to attend the event for fun as there would be a lot of entertainment from the armed forces and various artists,” woman politician, Jane Chikwanda.

“Independence should have ushered in political maturity and tolerance. It was high time we celebrated creation of a classless society at the Independence celebrations. The gatherings should symbolise brotherhood irrespective of one’s race, tribe and political affiliation,” Sam Kamundarira of Rujeko.

“President Robert Mugabe’s education and health policies brought about the important institutions closer to people. A significant number of schools and hospitals were brought almost at everybody’s doorsteps. The development has since been sabotaged by the illegal Western imposed sanctions. I have every reason to celebrate and commemorate the Independence April 18,” resettled farmer, Mavis Dirwayi – now the proud owner of an eight acre A1 plot, in the formerly white commercial Macheke area.

“I have never worked anywhere despite having achieved high pass grades at “A” Level. Like every other youth of my generation, life has been tough with no light at the end of the tunnel. I have no reason to be part of the so called Independence Celebrations,” born-free Tichafa Mayora.