Let your convictions guide you
IWANTED to write a letter to my mother, to help her understand why we continue to stand up even when the odds are stacked against us. I want to tell her that I am sorry for making her worry, for forcing her to her knees all night and for the look I see on her face each time she senses I am in trouble.
But that’s a conversation I will leave for the moments when we are together. Right now, I will simply say, that the most important thing I can say to every young Zimbabwean who dreams of more is this: Let your convictions guide you.
You alone knows the future you hope for. You alone knows the Zimbabwe you want. Stand up for what you believe in.
They say “courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear”.
To me, the status of our healthcare system, our economy and our general well-being as children of Zimbabwe require our collective courage. Courage to speak out and say, I want better.
So, whether there are one hundred of us or just a few of us, we should never be ashamed of living by the strength of our convictions.
So here are some facts: On July 31, we walked in protest against a system we believe is failing us. We held placards that said, “Babies’ Lives Matter”, “COVID kills, so does CORRUPTION”, “I am peacefully protesting”, “No to Violence” etc.
Armed with our placards, wearing masks and in a socially distanced manner, we headed down the road in peaceful protest. We were soon followed by unidentified individuals in a 4X4.
Sensing danger and having asked friends to drive nearby in case of any trouble, we kept walking. It soon became clear that this vehicle was not going to leave us alone. We got into our friends’ car and headed to the nearest public place. Shortly after, we were surrounded by riot police brandishing guns and batons. They arrested us. Those are the simple facts. None of what we did is a crime.
The reality is we were lucky. While sleeping in cells, we encountered two young men, Terry Guta and Loveridge Chinzvende, who were taken by unidentified individuals, severely beaten and dumped at a police station. Their crime was merely holding up placards and peacefully protesting in their neighbourhoods.
You see, it’s really easy to become distracted by endless debates on the efficacy of protest, which party did what etc. But the reality is, this State is consuming its own citizens.
None of us are safe until the rule of law actually becomes the rule of law. We are being held hostage by a select few and instead of fighting together, we end up fighting each other.
I don’t belong to a political party, and while MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere is one of my dearest friends, and our political views sometimes diverge, we are bound by our belief that every Zimbabwean has a right to enjoy the promises of independence.
In fact, it is what unites all of us: Jessica Drury, Tinashe Murapata, Tino Muskwe, Josee Lotter, and Simon Drury. This shared belief landed us in the same cell as Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barns. And while we were fortunate enough to get bail, there are many others who have been denied the same #FreeHopewell #FreeJacob.
What kind of country are we building, if people are not allowed to speak out without the risk of being arrested, assaulted and killed? Surely, this isn’t the Zimbabwe any of us want. The thing about unjust societies is this, eventually everyone suffers, so we can either stand by in silence or stand up in defiance. The choice is ours.