Double celebration 38 years on

EDITOR — The late master of song, Dendera maestro and liberation war hero Simon “Chopper” Chimbetu is one cadre who was consistent in defending Zimbabwe and its liberation history through his numerous touching songs. One such timeless classic is “Pane Asipo”.

In this song Chopper, as he was affectionately known, reminds fellow comrades and Zimbabweans at large that while we are celebrating, feasting and enjoying life in free Zimbabwe, we however are making the grave mistake of forgetting those who suffered and perished for this freedom we enjoy today.

Goes the song “Gungano rataitairi, pane asipo. Kuguta kwataita uku, pane asina.Tatadza kunganwa isu, kukanganwa takoniwa…”

This song came at the height of Zimbabwe’s economic challenges which ironically we still have today but back then the ruling elite would feast as if there was no tomorrow.

Expensive birthday bashes, unrestrained Government spending and unproductive international trips were the order of the day.

This would happen while the ordinary citizens continued to suffer and an attempt to raise concern over these issues with authorities would be met with inexplicable hostility and labelling. It’s either you will be called muMDC, or vaMaiMujuru.

If you would be unfortunate to be labelled as above then the next thing is that life would be horrible for you.

So its either you chose to suffer silently or speak and be labelled and marked. Many spoke though and they faced the consequences.

Others were cowards and they would do all they could to “clear” themselves and prove loyalty to Robert Mugabe.

We are celebrating not only our independence from white settlers but also independence from our fellow black oppressors.

Now we are free and it’s worth celebrating. The police that was supposed to protect us had become an instrument of oppression under Mugabe but now we are free.

As we celebrate and enjoy life in new Zimbabwe let us never forget the brothers and sisters who perished in the liberation struggle.

Let us not forget those who still survive but bear the scars of the liberation struggle and let us not forget that every Zimbabwean is longing for a decent life and they deserve it.

We know there are some who are not happy with the new order.

The President has said, “We have forgiven you but we will not forget” and he has also said, “The past is dead and buried and we are living for now and the future. If anything we can only learn from the past.” Shame Isaki