New dispensation, hagiography, Orwellian historical revisionism
“EVERY record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, and every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day-by-day and minute-by-minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the party is always right.”
The above is an extract from George Orwell’s famous book 1984. Though written in 1984, Orwell’s totalitarian vision of a futuristic world has all-too-real and eerie similarities of the real situation obtaining in Zimbabwe.
As a result, a critical danger is posed by Zimbabwe’s “new dispensation” in its active participation to reconstruct history by presenting events through a strong nationalistic and extremist tendency as portrayed in Orwellian narratives.
The fear is these actions by the “second republic” are likely to breed attitudes of hostility and intolerance towards those who share a different view, especially for future generations.
Just like what is potrayed in Orwell’s 1984 book, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has renamed streets in major towns and cities in Zimbabwe, repainted pictures and has renamed buildings to present the Zanu PF “party as always right.”
There has to be courageous men and women to stop this recreation of historical events that seek to erase events in favour of political leaders to become larger than life and integral characters to the country’s liberation by writing more, factually. As long as that is not done, politicians will always try to shape and mould truth to best suit their purposes.
Examples are glaring. There are doubts to what is linked to as the heroism of the country’s liberators. When the Mnangagwa administration came to power in November 2017, the first assignment in rewriting history was to remove all memorabilia at the Zanu PF headquarters, government buildings and State House associated with former President the late Robert Mugabe, despite public acknowledgement of his immense contribution to the liberation war.
President Mnangagwa’s “heroism”, as one of the surviving members of the crocodile gang, continues to be cast in vehement disapproval because of other narratives by the gang’s founders. The gang was led by “William Ndangana and comprised James Dlamini, Victor Mlambo, Master Tresha Mazwani and Amos Kademaunga.”
There has always been a desire by the Mnangagwa administration to project its own historical version as premised on the “new dispensation” philosophy seeking to project it as a victorious army.
Defence deputy minister Victor Matemadanda last year called on all liberation war participants to come forth with narratives they remember about the war so that they can be documented.
Government further noted a new history has to be written based on “agreed facts.” By the end of this month, government promised to start compilations of the liberation war chronicles after all “narratives” were gathered.
While it is good to document the country’s history, its distortion is not the right thing to do.
Historical narratives meant to vindicate the “new dispensation” are not adding up and explanations being thrown are refuted by intellectuals and other veterans of the liberation struggle.
Strenuous efforts and huge investments are being channelled to change, distort and misrepresent history.
President Mnangagwa last year said “43 or 44-years-ago” he was released from prison and deported to Zambia, that translating to between 1976 or 1977. Author and academic Professor Miles Tendi’s objected: “Zanu ceased operating from Zambia in 1975 after Chitepo’s death. How is it possible that Zanu received him in Zambia? Tongogara was in a Zambian jail from 1975-76. How did he send Peter Baya to receive Mnangagwa?”
Similarly, the President also raised a new historical twist saying the place where the giant Mbuya Nehanda statue is erected is where she used to “rest and drink water from a river that flowed at the site.”
They say history is a one-sided account told by victors, and Zimbabwe is slowly emerging as a State fond of portraying the ruling class with new twists of bravery, heroism and an eternal fighting mentality that illuminate braggadocio.
Plot lost on Gwaradzimba, SB Moyo The deaths of “national heroes” LtGen Sibusiso Moyo and Ellen Gwaradzimba have further exposed the lack of sincerity by the Mnangwagwa administration. Through State media, the ruling class has been bordering on weird extremes to smuggle the heroic contributions of the two during the liberation struggle.
The same week the two died, also registered the deaths of Morton Malianga and Mukudzei Midzi.
Midzi, a senior figure of the liberation struggle had his role diminished by Moyo and Gwaradzimba’s because his views differed from those at the apex of power today.
Both Moyo and Gwaradzimba have been made liberation war towers by virtue of being in the Zipra War Council and Zanla Provincial Command, respectively.
These narratives have been negated by both those from Zanla and Zipra who note that the duo was “too junior”, leading government to make a climbdown through State media, admitting it “erroneously” published such.
Dangers of falsifying records
When the “second republic” is gone, there is going to be “third, fourth and fifth” republics.