Zimbabwe is diverse but one: Reflecting on Hon Cain Mathema’s Theory of Development We hold elections to build a nation and not the other way round. It is on this note that this article seeks to remind everyone that elections will come and go but the Zimb
SINCE the onset of the year 2022, no topic has dominated the
Zimbabwean political and intellectual circles more than the debate on the slated 2023 upcoming elections.
While the occurrence of this debate serves to confirm that Zimbabwe is indeed enjoying its hard won independence, the debate is also an affirmation that Zimbabweans have the power to build the type of nation they want.
The position taken in this article is that nation building is much more important than elections themselves. In any case, elections are just but another tool for nation building.
We hold elections to build a nation and not the other way round. It is on this note that this article seeks to remind everyone that elections will come and go but the Zimbabwean nation will remain.
To expand on this debate, this article will review a book publication by Hon Cain Mathema called “Zimbabwe is diverse but one”. The main aim of Hon Cain Mathema’s book is to fight tribalism and every other forms of discrimination, by showing that even if the black people of Zimbabwe are diverse ethnically and ideologically that is, belonging to different tribes and socio-political establishments, they are at the same time one because they are all Zimbabwean.
According to Hon Cain Mathema, tribalism in Zimbabwe was created by the colonial system led by its racist leaders like Cecil John Rhodes. When the colonialists and imperialists first invaded the country in 1890, they said they had come to liberate the “Shona people from Ndebele oppression.” These days the imperialists are saying they want to liberate people from the ruling elite. It’s always a case of pitting one group against the other.
Funny enough, this strategy of dividing African people along margins of ethnicity has also been used in almost every postcolonial
African country.
In countries like Rwanda, the Hutus were pitted against the
Tutsis while in
South Africa the Inkatha Freedom Party (perceived to be Zulu dominated) was pitted against the
African National Congress (perceived to be Xhosa dominated at the time).
Hon Cain Mathema’s view that tribalism and political activism along margins of ethnicity is a colonial construct, is also shared by Professor Mahmood Mamdani in his book titled “When Victims become killers”. Professor Mamdani coaxes to the surface the historical and geo-political forces that made it possible for all post-colonial states to find themselves grappling with the problem of tribalism. Professor Mamdani like Hon Cain Mathema, finds answers in the nature of political identities generated during colonialism and the failure of some
postindependent identities.
According to Hon Cain Mathema, tribalism has also been utilised to advance the illegal and undemocratic regime change agenda in Zimbabwe, which includes the illegal sanctions imposed on the country to remove Zanu-PF from power because they (Zanu-PF) are working towards giving Zimbabwe its economic independence and setting an example for other African countries that it is possible to defeat imperialism and realise full economic independence.
In his book, Hon Cain Mathema shows that part of the regime change agenda included the formation of the opposition (which has now split into several parties). The opposition according to Hon Cain Mathema, was formed and sponsored by known former Rhodesian soldiers, policemen and intelligence officers who were very much uncomfortable with the idea of Zimbabwe attaining its full economic independence. It is on that note that some of the oldest tricks of colonialism for example tribalism was redeployed through some sections of the opposition which were knowingly and unknowingly working with Zimbabwe’s detractors.
The book concludes that Zimbabweans must never accept to be divided on tribal grounds. There is a functional relationship between national unity and national development. National Unity continues to be a binding force, it arouses and sustains patriotism. As the philosophy goes, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo; Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo.
Tedious Teddy Ncube is a Political Scientist and Public Policy Analyst.
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