Date: Friday, November 28, 2014.
Dear Comrades, National Democrats, Friends, Young Patriots, And
Revolutionary Cadres of the relatively new but obviously visionary
organisation of national youths, all envisaging socio-economic freedom
in Zimbabwe here gathered.
As we launch this organization, a new vehicle for our socio-economic
struggles, there is a reminder at the back of our minds that the past 34
years of Independence have been un-fulfilling, disappointing and of
late openly retrogressive in terms of the national socio-economic
progress. The continued failure to bring this prosperity may
historically confirm the colonialist’s propaganda that the African is
not capable of self-governance if unrectified. This is the betrayal
visited upon us by the ruling class.
This progress should have been made by our national government, to
vindicate the broken sweat, the shed blood, and the extinguished life of
fellow youths who rendered the ultimate sacrifice in the 1970’s in
bringing down the unthinkable evil of colonialism.
It is that young cadre, who never saw the new day of independence, whose
sacrifice we must defend now from the throes of continued betrayal in
pseudo-nationalism and partocracy (rule by a party as exposed to rule by
a collective government). Indeed for us, Josiah Tongogara and other
young fighters, never aged or became some old men and women living in
opulence, mansions and high offices, but remain ideological youth, foot
soldiers with us in different eras.
Next year, 2015 will be a unique year in that all those classified as
youths will be people, who never saw the colonial day, but still know
oppression and exploitation from our supposedly new day, that confronts
us through black faces. We who never saw the armed struggle and them who
never saw the worrying post-independence material circumstances of the
national peoples share a special connection and have a telepathic link
through generations, and we must learn from them.
As Franz Fanon educates us every generation has its mission which it has
to fulfill or betray at the end of the day. While confronted with their
situation, they thought in terms of action. Che Guavara cautions us
that: “The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You
have to make it fall.”
While today we do not fight with arms; we will have to still tand on our
feet, be foot soldiers together and arms-in-arms to seek socio-economic
freedom without which the concrete foundation of independence, the
sovereign stone-walled and beautiful house of post-independence
Zimbabwe, remains without a roof largely exposing us to the social
weather-elements of poverty. Haunted by unemployment, many youths have
sought solace in drugs, crime and prostitution, all dangerous routes.
We are ensnared by the privatisation of basic services such as water,
transport, education and health. A young generation which has not
productively worked in the current high unemployment scandal, whether
university graduates or not, will not afford the services. But what is
most heinous deed is the privatization of Zimbabwe itself and its
important national institutions by a small ruling class.
Nigerian Writer Chinua Achebe’s theme of political classes that ‘steal
more than the people can see’ in his book Man of the People,
characterized in the stealing of a blind man’s walking stick, rings true
for our situation. Our key collective natural resources such as
diamonds have continued to disappear into the bottomless pockets of a
ruling class that has mutated from being servants of the people, and
thrown away the socialist leadership code crafted in the 1980’s to avoid
financial abuse of national office, and the people’s institutions. Even
the land on which we walk, most of it has been privatized, as we see
few people have looted vast tracts of farmland.
Everyday we see the national and municipal police chasing vendors,
stealing from them. We see the police stealing from the poor nation
through bribes in broad daylight. Even those amongst us who are working
and employed, after breaking their backs in the few factories have to
face our taxman who is among the most vicious in the world. They have to
support huge families of unemployed kith and kin. Yet they earn below
economic expectations, something more pronounced among youth employees
who are always junior staff in shocking income variances.
It is a national proposition that is hard to accept, therefore, that the
incorporation of a few youths into the system through the meager
empowerment funds is what can change our collective material conditions.
The best way to free a woman/man is allow her/him to productively work
for herself/himself as well as create wealth for the whole nation of
Zimbabwe.
All these contradictions in the system must be addressed. Thus YZEF must
organize, mobilize and strategise to safeguard the socio-economic
rights enshrined in the new Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Therefore, esteemed colleagues, it is no one but ourselves who must
liberate Zimbabwe and now. I, therefore, conclude by saying the launch
of YZEF is a happy occasion.
Thank you!!! Vox dei Vox populi!!! Aluta Continua!!!
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