Party principles found in song

MUSIC and song have long been used as a means of bringing people together. They are also a way through which people have been able to communicate ideas, messages, culture and beliefs.

When African slaves worked on the plantations in the Americas they turned to song as a means of remaining resolute and keeping their faith. According to the Harriet Tubman Historical Society, singing was a tradition brought from Africa by the first slaves; it served many purposes such as providing repetitive rhythm for repetitive manual work, inspiration and motivation.

Harriet Tubman, who freed slaves through what was known as the Underground Railroad, used song to communicate different messages to those preparing to escape. The popular Negro spiritual song “Wade in the Water” was used to tell slaves to get into the water to avoid being seen and make it through.

In a similar manner, music and song held an important part of the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe. Liberation war fighters would use song as a means of communication, of building morale as well as keeping vigil throughout the night.

Last Thursday, veterans of the liberation struggle met their patron President Mugabe at the City Sports Centre and the meeting was one which the war veterans wanted to communicate their concerns on various issues to their patron, who is the Head of State and Government and Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Their concerns were divided into different thematic areas namely; statutory benefits, economic empowerment and preferential access to economic opportunities and natural resources, Party ideology, threats to the Party and Revolution and Liberation War Heritage.

While they waited for the President to arrive, the war veterans broke into various liberation war songs such as “Tonga marudzi” and “Zimbabwe”.

The atmosphere was electric with the entire arena breaking into song.

The songs seemed to invoke a sense of nostalgia in the veterans, the emotion of the moment and of the music clearly visible on their faces.

After the arrival of the President to a full arena chanting “Gushungo’’, showing solidarity with their patron, the war veterans began to make their presentations on the different themes.

One of the key themes that was prominent was the need to return to the principles of the Party that were established during the liberation struggle.

As if to better communicate their message during a change-over of speakers between two of the thematic presentations, the war veterans broke into the liberation song “Nzira dzemasoja”, a song adapted from Chairman Mao’s military doctrine “Three Rules of Disciple and Eight Points of Attention.”

The doctrine was developed as a code of conduct for the Chinese Red Army. It focused on respect for people and property particularly the ordinary people and peasants who contributed to the war effort.

In adopting these principles during the Second Chimurenga, the freedom fighters equally valued the wider Zimbabwean population and knew that the war was a collective effort for the liberation of all Zimbabweans.

“Kune nzira dzemasoja dzekuzvibata nadzo//Tererai mitemo yose nenzira dzakanaka” — There are ways in which soldiers must conduct themselves// follow these rules in a proper way, the opening lyrics to the song state.

“Bhadharai zvamunotenga nenzira dzakanaka//Mudzorere zvinhu zvose zvamunenge matora” — Pay for everything that you buy in a good way// return everything that you take, part of the song states.

While the song was being sung some of the comrades seemed transfixed, perhaps remembering the days when these were the maxims by which they lived.

The song seemed to serve as a reminder to the President and the other members of the Party leadership gathered about the ideology and ethos on which the Party was founded and represented.

This was made evident through some of the recommendations brought forward by the war veterans particularly in the thematic area concerning Party Ideology.

The war veterans stated that they were the vanguard of the Party, that they were stockholders and not just stakeholders and were a critical component in preserving and spreading the ethos of the Party as they lived the experiences of its founding and of the liberation struggle.

The significance of that particular song was to reinforce the idea that there are some within the Party who lack the understanding of the core values of the liberation struggle and the liberation movement party.

It also served as a means to show that there are ways in which political orientation was carried out and how this was no longer the case as they pointed out that some of the slogans and songs did not reflect Party ideology.

One of their resolutions was in fact that all Party slogans and songs should first be approved by the Central Committee as they were instrumental in communicating Party ideology and educating the masses whenever the Party was gathered.

In his address to the war veterans President Mugabe spoke on principles found in the “nzira dzemasoja” song. He pointed out the fact that there was a culture in Zimbabwe of borrowing but not wanting to pay back.

“We borrow and borrow and borrow and borrow and continue to borrow. But when you borrow and become a borrower or a debtor you must realise that you have an obligation to pay tomorrow. That must sink in our minds,” he said.

He challenged the war veterans not to wait for hand outs but to buy into the various sectors they identified during their presentations.

President Mugabe reminded the war veterans that everything they did was for the masses of Zimbabwe to whom they belonged.

They did not go to war in order for themselves to be paid, he said, but did so to liberate the country from an oppressive regime.

Both the war veterans and the President showed an understanding of the principles on which the liberation struggle was won.

The war veterans were unanimously behind their Patron.

Both seemed to suggest that there was a need for the other to show some introspection and meditate on the lyrics of “nzira dzemasoja” to fall back in line with the ideological foundation of Zanu-PF.

What the war veterans sought to communicate and did so effectively was that they understood the founding principles of Zanu-PF and therefore could not be excluded from the Party going forward.

The message both explicit and subliminal was clear from the parties attending the meeting at the City Sports Centre. With the President promising to make the meeting an annual event, it can be considered a success for the war veterans who now have better access to air their views and concerns to their patron and President.