‘Born Frees!’: A generation Zimbabwe almost forgot

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ALLOW me to give you a bit of my personal background. I was born in Zimbabwe almost 10 years after independence.

ALLOW me to give you a bit of my personal background. I was born in Zimbabwe almost 10 years after independence.

Opinion by Chris Dube

That on its own is a unique set of circumstances, largely because chances are high you have never read an article written by someone as young and concerned with politics as I am.

Anyway, my dad and mum — like so many fellow Zimbabweans in the 1990s — were hopeful for a bright future for their newly-born son and for their country.

Alas! The story of Zimbabwe’s downward spiral needs a new author. It’s well-documented in an embarrassing account of history. Fast forward to 2008. At Zimbabwe’s last general elections, I was barely old enough to vote. Needless to say I have always been politically conscious, aware of the scheming corruption and self-serving acts of politicians that dominated the news and were in charge of my fate and that of Zimbabwe.

Like millions of young Zimbabweans — those below the youthful age of 35 — I was worried about my country. To this day, I still am. Perhaps older generations think young people aren’t concerned about the direction Zimbabwe is taking. Maybe they don’t think we exist. Perhaps they see us on the street glued to our phones, earphones on, shades over our eyes, or engaged in public display of affection and they think these young ones don’t care about their country.

Or maybe they dismiss young Zimbabweans as being naïve, inactive citizens who care only about airtime, fun, alcohol and sex. Guess how wrong you are?

Like that time in 2008, Zimbabwe is at the cusp of another general election. Minus the political atmosphere, there is an interesting dynamic that may not be visible to many. There exists an entire generation, a new set of first-time voters and young adults ready to enter the real world. These are high school graduates and university students, unemployed and newly-employed. They are active citizens and taxpayers. The common denominator is that they are all young.

Look at those below 25. The majority have never voted in elections. However, we are a politically aware generation. We are very concerned about our country’s political future. This can largely be attributed to the fact that, in our young lives, we have watched politics and the older generation (our parents included) betray the hopes of our immediate future.

Our circumstances are different. While previous generations of Zimbabweans fought against white colonial rule, we are the generation whose country was fought for and won. But what did we inherit?

We got a government that implemented bad policies leading to the collapse of our economy, education and the country.

Removal of the Zimbabwe Junior Certificate and Cambridge examinations from our education system, poorly paid teachers, stayaways and strikes, shortage of books and classrooms, university closures and chaos, all contributed to the decline in educational standards.

These were circumstances faced by a young generation, circumstances which might have passed, but nonetheless affected our lives and still do. To put it bluntly, our future got doomed in the past.

For those who turned 18 in 2008, it was a harsh entry into a dying Zimbabwe. It has been political madness and an uncertain future. For my generation of first-time voters, we missed out on land reform. The Zimbabwe dollar ruined our lives, made us flee Zimbabwe and delay entry into university studies.

We faced a former liberation movement that told us to thank them for fighting for this country. We witnessed a generation that took land and farms for themselves, looted State resources and ran down a once vibrant economy.

To this day, we witness an older generation battling for political survival, still acquiring wealth and “indigenisation” stakes in big corporates, mines, companies and banks. Yet we are told to sing them praises because they shed blood for this country!

Maybe they should have died for Zimbabwe. Then we would have buried them as true heroes and Zimbabwe would not have borne the greed, looting and selfish plundering it still sees to this day. In 2013, if you’re a young person in Zimbabwe, you are on your own. If your father and mother did not gain a farm or a stake in a mine, your options are bleak.

You have inherited a country that will be cruel to your future because you were born at a wrong time in history. As a young Zimbabwean, you have a father who tells you he fought for this country, therefore, he must get the biggest slice of bread, because he worked for it. As we proceed to elections, you have special power in your hands, the power to vote. Since your future was made difficult by history you have an opportunity to set a certain future.

I sure hope you have an “O” Level or “A” Level certificate, a trade or professional qualification and at least a degree or diploma.

I hope you know someone who works in human resources. I hope you have the right-sounding surname. I hope you have access to tenders and contacts for lucrative contracts. I hope you know someone at the bank for that loan and I hope you have a sound business plan that will make you money.

Because if you don’t, you will remember that you are the forgotten generation. You will forever be expected to be grateful for those that died for this country and to those who are still alive and killing it. That’s if you, as a young Zimbabwean, continue to allow it.