An open letter to Robert Mugabe

Dear Mr President

I listened to your Independence Day speech, delivered in Shona and English. I know you speak fluent Ndebele yet, strangely, you neglected to give a Ndebele version of your speech, which would have expressed the unity that you and the struggle icon Joshua Nkomo achieved. 

On the subject of Ndebeles, do you intend to apologize for Gukurahundi before you meet your ancestors?

I listened intently, hoping to hear you preach the message of reconciliation that earned you much praise in 1980 – about beating weapons into ploughshares. Lately, your party does very little beating. Except when they beat up supporters of opposition.

Sadly, instead of reconciliation, I heard violence and hate speech: “This 90 year old man can punch you… We did not fight for this Zimbabwe so it can be homosexual territory.”

I was a barefooted herdboy in the 70s, when villagers huddled around a wireless receiver, which crackled with static as, they listened to the Voice of Zimbabwe. Perhaps I was too young to remember, but I can’t ever recall you saying then that the war was about getting rid of homosexuals. All I can remember was you saying we want one man one vote and equality for all.

I ask you, respectfully, is genocide less of a sin than homesexuality?

Yours faithfully

Jerà

Twitter: @JeraAfrika

Originally published by The Zimbabwean newspaper