My experience at ‘Freedom Square’ in Zimbabwe

By Davison Muchadenyika

When you see things that you have never seen in life, for posterity it is by nature that documentation is necessary. July 29, 2013, a day before the watershed election, I witnessed the extraordinary. I saw a crowd; multitude of Zimbabweans from all walks of life attending the Cross over rally.

The rally concluded the election campaigns. It was difficult to resist going to this rally. I have never been to a rally before, but inside my busy academic schedules, I had to set aside the day to hear the last words of change.

I saw Zimbabweans full of hope, determination and courage. Octogenarians were ready to receive old age pensions and social protection from a government that cares. Young people were ready to retrieve their degrees, certificates and curriculum vitae to apply for jobs in a new Zimbabwe.

The unmarried were full of anxiety to wed in a new society to which wealthy and money is accessed through hard work. Those with primary school children were ready for the new government to pay school fees for their kids.

University students were already thinking about opening bank accounts so as to receive student grants for the first time in nearly a decade. Post graduate students like me were already thinking of government ministries to serve. The atmosphere was full of hope.

I could see with my eyes the inevitable change in peoples’ faces, eyes and conversations. It was not only about change. Rather it was a determined change. Change rooted in a new governance culture; change that respects the rule of law; change that brings a government with transparency, accountability and trust as passwords.

It was clear in people’s minds and conversations that change belongs to them. It was also clear that voting in peace was an indispensable vehicle of change. Indeed, I was further exuberant realising that all the people I conversed with were registered voters ready to deliver a New Zimbabwe.

People knew that July 31, 2013 is a decisive day in the democratic and governance highway for the country. The message was clear: take it easy and fix change right away in the ballot box.

All this was happening at the Sheraton grounds. The place was renamed freedom square. The venue was no similar to Tahrir square. The surface is unpaved, with red soil which coincided with the regalia. Our freedom square is not in the midst of the central business district.

Ours is very dusty and one has to brave the red soil to sit down. That we did in earnest. The weather was against us. Even the searing from the sunshine could not deter tens of thousands Zimbabweans ready for the cross over.

Temperatures reached a maximum of 26 degrees but we remained steadfast waiting for the last message from the President. As we waited, sat and danced under the scorching sun for more than four hours, I even congratulated myself of having such legendary patience.

I am one person who values time and milestones in anything, I do. It was indeed the freedom square as people ululated and chatted readying for a new Zimbabwe.

The vision exhibited by the gathering is out of the ordinary. Indeed when people want change, they definitely want it. It is the will of people that no human being should be against. It is the will of people that people themselves are ready to lose anything in a bid to cross over to the Promised Land.

Simply put, I learnt one thing: if people want political change, in the long run authoritarian regimes will give in to people’s demands. Failure to give in will result in humiliation.

I saw them; young and old, SRBs (strong rural background), and the so called ‘salads’, graduates and students, the employed and unemployed, professors and DPhil students, those living with disabilities, expecting mothers and those breastfeeding, single and married, other were in couples; the shared vision was change. Now and them people reiterated the importance of peaceful change, change that losers are comfortable to wine and dine with winners.

No stadium within Zimbabwean borders can cater for that capacity crowd. Maybe, Soccer City in Johannesburg; or Cairo International Stadium in Egypt. The gathering constantly reminded each other that they came voluntarily without any coercion. “Tauya tega isu”.

The discipline amongst the crowd was amazing. People were controlling themselves. It was a peoples’ gathering. A gathering to break history; a gathering to be remembered in the Zimbabwean political history.

The freedom square was full of hope.

Change is upon us.