Even though history concerns the past, it can be carefully prescribed as a pill to cure the worries of the future.
History is not entirely an elixir of goodness, as often bad historical events repeat themselves with reckless abandon.
History informs on issues that precipitate conflicts, hence, it can be used to promote dialogue in place of destructive wars.
History is like déjà vu, it enjoys repeating itself at every opportunity.
The onus to embrace or reject history repeating itself is upon humans.
Unfortunately, humans either ignore heeding the good lessons or become too arrogant, contemplate acting upon adverse historical re-runs.
The World War 1, a war deemed to end all wars, had a sequel, thanks to Adolf Hitler starting World War 2.
Hitler moulded himself around historical figures such as Julius Caesar of Rome, Tshaka the Zulu King, Genghis Khan of Mongolia, Alexander the Great, Attilla the Hun and others who were attuned for conquest.
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Hitler’s downfall was that, he desired the annihilation of anything that was not Arian in pursuit of a thousand-year Reich. The Nazi architect’s dream of a thousand-year Reich fell short by almost a whopping 990 years.
History informs the world that Hitler managed to rally most Germans in cult hero fashion.
One man’s villain can be another man’s hero.
This may explain why the likes of Joshua Nkomo, Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara, Osama Bin Laden and President Robert Mugabe, were seen as villainous terrorists by some and as heroic liberators by others.
Talking about our own Mugabe, he seems to have failed to moderate himself on a narrow path of political honesty to enable him to transcend the hero-villain duality.
Mugabe is an undisputed hero of the liberation struggle, whatever his finer role was during the war, but his hero status has been tainted by villainy in the manner he addresses his ambitions.
Zanu PF’s Mugabe is obsessed with personal ambition for a long stint in power like Nazi under Hitler. The President could be nursing a ninety-year Mugabe Reich to rival the 90 years posted by the white colonial establishment.
He is plotting hard for a Mugabe dynasty that could last ninety years. Having already ruled for 35 years, he can easily claw another five to eight years at the helm, thanks to oriental medical support.
If he chooses to stay for another eight years in power, it means he would have done almost half the time he envisages for the 90-year Gushungo Reich.
After defeating a colonial system that had a 90-year illegal sojourn, he feels he reserves the right to have his lineage rule, or at least, legally ruin his own country for 90 years to match the settlers’ duration in power.
The plan could be that First Lady Grace Mugabe rules in about five to eight years when she would be 55 to 58 years old, a ripe age in any language.
In turn, she could easily muster 10 to 15 years in power before one member of her “royal” brood takes over for a 25-year stint.
A 90-year Gushungo Reich spanning from 1980 to 2070 is a possibility, unless Zimbabweans learn from history to derail the repeat of unfavourable occurrences.
There is no legality forbidding Mugabe from dreaming of a 90-year Gushungo Reich.
With due respect to Zimbabwean voters, Mugabe and his little ones do stand a realistic chance to be elected until kingdom come.
The onus seems to be on Mugabe himself, to analyse Zimbabwe’s situation and quit while his star twinkles.
He could make a wise decision to avoid making the nation a worthless Mugabe colony for 90 years. Mugabe was mentored and tutored by Tanzania’s Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who knew when to quit.
Mugabe has seen other leaders go; Nelson Mandela, Ketumile Masire, Sam Nujoma, Joaquim Chissano, Kenneth Kaunda and many others around him.
He has not witnessed any of the leaders being victimised for their wrongs during their reign to render him indecisive on quitting.
Knowing the ambition within him, there is a possibility that he may even review his wish for a 90-year Gushungo Reich upwards to match Hitler’s 1 000-year Reich.
The justification is that, it would be turning around Rhodesia’s Ian Smith infamous belief that there would be no African rule in his lifetime.
“Not in a thousand years”, Smith enthused. In his rant, Smith failed to learn from his German mentor, who managed 12 or so years on an envisaged 1 000-year Reich.
Mugabe would have learnt from the two men, Hitler by virtue of Mugabe claiming to be 10 times a Hitler and Smith by virtue of the protracted war pitting the two in resolving the Rhodesia versus Zimbabwe quandary.
Mugabe has a right to an ambition for himself and for his family.
Unfortunately, his ambitions trample on the country’s population.
Mugabe may not be realising his services are no longer beneficial to Zimbabwe, just because Zimbabweans are complicit in his destructive ambitions.
History should inform Zimbabweans that they wield the power and that they are the ones who empower the executive to execute bad governance.
The country’s population needs a paradigm shift in the way it relates to the leadership.
