Remembering Robert Mugabe

Today (Friday) it’s a holiday and we are supposed to be celebrating the life and contributions of our late former leader, Robert Mugabe.

It’s a pity that for most of us, his name conjures up anger as a result of the pain and suffering we have endured – for the majority of the 30 years he was in power and the years that have followed – because of his misrule.

I will, however, not lie that I whole-heartedly hate Mugabe. A little part of me has a soft spot for him as I benefited from some of his policies.

I did my tertiary education for next to nothing because of his broadened vision of access to education.

I am a proud owner of a farm because of the land reform programme, though done in an unsystematic way. Indeed many black people now own pieces of land that they could never have owned if it wasn’t for Mugabe.

But as they say, good deeds are written in water while evil deeds are etched in brass.

The bad deeds that Mugabe did will forever be a talking point because even to this day, some of his bad policies are the cause of our misery.

So as people enjoy this ‘free’ day, which is called Robert Mugabe National Youth Day, they will still swear and curse because in all fairness, the man does not deserve any national honour.

February 21 is Mugabe’s birthday. He would have been 96 this year. During his lifetime, the day was known as the 21st February.

He would celebrate the day, with the assistance of the Zanu PF Youth League, amid pomp and fun fare, all at the expense of the taxpayer.

The irony of this day is also the fact that the current regime decided to declare it a holiday after his demise.

How are we expected to celebrate the life of a man whose hunger for power was so undiluted such that he was willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of Zimbos for the sake of remaining at the top?

How are we expected to celebrate the life of a man who presided over the collapse of our nation?

Millions of Zimbos are scattered all over the world as economic refugees all because of Mugabe yet we are expected to honour the man.

Thousands more were sent to an early grave.

So, yes we are happy to be on holiday but we will have nothing to do with the man who is the main author of our depression.