On the April 18, 1980 the rightful owner of Zimbabwe, the living Lord God, gave you stewardship of Zimbabwe. You took over a nation, war torn and bloodied but with a vibrant and pristine infrastructure and, against all the odds with a strong economy.
Today we live in a corrupt, greedy, selfish, politically violent, oppressive and derelict country. This last weekend I went back to my hometown with a fellow Masvingoite, and his Dutch wife and son, who had been out of the country for 40 years.
He had this burning desire to return to where he grew up and share it with his family. I had warned him that much had changed in Zimbabwe. But nothing prepared him for just how much our nation had changed. We visited our old schools; Victoria Junior and Victoria High. We toured our old hostels, Vincent House and Cowling House. We were utterly shocked at the state of degradation and neglect.
Whilst taking a photograph of the old bell tower a man rushed out of the court and demanded we delete the picture. I told him not to harass a much needed visitor to our country and told him that we were not taking photos of military installations.
Every day I face desperate vendors trying to make a living. No jobs for family providers. Every day I fall into potholes, pass dirty and neglected government buildings including police stations and hospitals, bent and buckled street lamps and see rubbish lying all around. The degradation and destruction is stupefying.
All the people want from their leaders is, “We are sorry. We have messed up. Forgive us and help us put things right. Let us work together now”. – NAN, by e-mail
Post published in: Letters to the Editor