ALTHOUGH Bulawayo residents have welcomed the Independence Day holiday, some have bemoaned its significance saying it had lost meaning to them because of the economic challenges besetting the country.
JUNIOR MOYO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Speaking to Southern Eye yesterday, some residents said the significance of Independence Day had been soiled by rampant unemployment and perpetual economic instability for more than two decades. Mpopoma resident Liam Masamvi said there was nothing to celebrate on Independence Day as economic hardships had eroded its meaning and importance.
“We are happy about Independence Day as it marks the liberation of this country, but we are economically unhappy. Most of us have a problem of unemployment as we sometimes get short-term jobs where you work and never get paid,” he said.
Emmanuel Masina from Plumtree said Independence Day seemed to be just a formality of a memorial rather than having any meaning.
“I don’t feel the independence as I have never had formal employment for 15 years. I see the celebrations as any other memorial service because we will indeed enjoy for one day only to find out the next day that we can’t feed our families,” he said.
Lobengula West resident Sithembile Moyo, a vendor, said Independence Day had lost meaning to her as money was her first priority.
“I can’t even go to Independence Day celebrations because I will be trying to look for money to fend for my children since there is an economic crisis in the country,” she said.
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McDonald Jangira from Chiweshe said independence should be diverse to give meaning to Zimbabweans who fought to liberate this country.
“We can say we are independent politically, but we are not independent economically or socially. We need a diversified independence where we have freedom of economic growth.
“We need to be empowered by Zim-Asset material wise so that we can start income generating projects for ourselves instead of spending time in bars trying to console ourselves,” Jangira said.
However, Shepherd Tsikira from Mpopoma said Independence Day was an important day that everyone should cherish as it marks the liberation of the country.
