By Thomas Mapfumo
I wish to send my revolutionary greetings and congratulatory message to the people of Zimbabwe on this special occasion as our country celebrates 34 years of independence.
1980 was a momentous year in the history of our country as it marked an end to 90 years of colonialism, segregation, and racism and minority rule.
As we mark our independence, I take this opportunity to honour and salute the brave heroes and heroines of this land who sacrificed their lives, families, careers, and education to join the war of liberation.
It is such sacrifices that brought about the freedom we are enjoying today.
I also wish to extend my special gratitude to the following countries that assisted us during the war — Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, China, Russia to mention but a few. It was their love, commitment and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe that brought about our independence.
When we were singing during the war — it was about freedom, justice hence I coined my music “Chimurenga”.
Even though I was not holding a gun, it was a difficult terrain and I was constantly harassed, arrested and detained because I denounced oppression and colonialism. My dream was to see a free Zimbabwe where our citizens are able to access education, health, access to decent accommodation, and above all a better life for everyone.
Today, we need all hands on deck to do more to make real the dream of equality, justice and a better life for all. The brutalities of the past – detentions without trial, disappearances of our people, deaths in detentions, hangings of those opposed to colonialism, imprisonment, exile, massacres, assassinations, forced evictions, banishments and laws that made the lives of black Zimbabweans unbearable — are testimonies that our freedom was never free.
Although today we walk tall because our collective efforts culminated in the 18th of April being our Independence Day, we all still carry scars that remind us that our freedom, which is at times taken for granted was never free.
We cannot allow tribalism to prevail in our society, communities and in any of our various and diverse institutions.
Our nation must develop, but the worrying thing facing our country today is corruption, instead of working to develop our country there are those selfish individuals who because of their positions of influence are busy stealing from the poor. That must stop; it’s a betrayal of the values of the liberation struggle and our national independence.
Independence is not about corruption, it is about honesty, unity of purpose and the love for Zimbabwe.
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