Where does Gushungo’s power come from?

By Tendai Kwari

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Dzimbahwe, a country rich in mineral resources, inhabited by a poor people, an old ruler called Gushungo, survived by keeping his poor people in his service. The poor people of Dzimbahwe were living in abject poverty, repression and perpetual fear. 

Each morning, with the help of his sycophantic, power obsessed Generals, who believed they were indispensable, Gushungo would assemble the poor people in his courtyard, and order the Generals to drive the poor people to his fields to plough, plant and harvest.

Those who failed to do so would be ruthlessly dealt with, some would get incarcerated in a lice infested, dark, deep dungeon, where they would be left to rot. The less fortunate would get thrown in a pool teaming with crocodiles. The pool was simply called the Pool-of-death.

For years, the people of Dzimbahwe suffered bitterly, but dared not complain. Many young people fled Dzimbahwe and were working as slaves and servants in neighbouring kingdoms. A generation had been born that knew only service to Gushungo.

One day, a small boy asked the elders: “Did Gushungo plant all the crops in the fields of Dzimbahwe?” The elders said: “No, for years we have worked Gushungo’s fields” The small boy further asked: “Can’t we take the harvest without Gushungo’s permission?” The elders replied: “Yes, we all can.”

The small boy continued: “Then, why should we depend on Gushungo; why must we all serve him?”

Before the small boy was able to finish his statement, all the people of Dzimbahwe suddenly became enlightened and awakened.

Because they were enlightened, on the same night, watching that Gushungo, old and frail, had fallen asleep and his sycophantic and gluttonous Generals were lavishing and partying with their numerous concubines, the subjects tore down all the barns in which the harvests from the fields were stored.

They also took the food Gushungo had in storage, brought all with them to their homes, and never returned. Gushungo died of starvation and some of his Generals fled to neighbouring kingdoms.

We should note that Gushungo SURVIVED by keeping the poor people of Dzimbahwe in his service. The people were capable of surviving on their own as they had for countless years before Gushungo became their ruler. The Generals helped Gushungo by intimidating the poor people into submission.

The Generals felt that they were better off with Gushungo’s protection. Gushungo himself could not set his people free, as he wished; the Generals will not allow him. In fact, Gushungo was also a prisoner of his own Generals.

The very freedom the people of Dzimbahwe had all along yearned for manifested when they realised that they are the ones with POWER, not Gushungo and his Generals! The urgency of the need to escalate their freedom was born and there was no stopping it.

The people of Dzimbahwe did not leave any food for Gushungo and his Generals. The food belonged to them in the first place and had to be taken back. The injustice that had been committed had to be corrected.

The people of Dzimbahwe chose not to kick out Gushungo and stay in his palace, mocking his evil memory. It was because they were not motivated by revenge, they were motivated by justice. In mind and body, they completely forsook the dictatorial ways that they had suffered and never, ever returned to them.

They left Gushungo alive. He was already old, they probably could have killed him and got the satisfaction that comes from having revenge but they chose to instead deny him the very thing that was keeping him alive, their SERVICE, their obedience, their allegiance.

Gushungo was left with only one fate. DEATH by starvation.

The power of the leader of any nation emanate from us? If we are able to master this insight into how political power works, we will be better placed to exercise it. All it takes for evil to rule a land is for good men to remain silent.