We must all be soldiers of the revolution

We must all be soldiers of the revolution

THIS past weekend has been one of the most hectic ever in my entire life. I had to actively participate in two separate key events organized by Zimbabweans based here in South Africa.

On Saturday I had to travel to Potchefstroom, a small agrarian and university town located just over 100 kilometers from Johannesburg. I was part of delegation that was sent by the Zimbabwe CSOs Forum to help promote our vision for the Zimbabwean Diaspora there. Two key members of the forum’s interim leadership, Luke Zunga from the Concerned Zimbabweans Abroad and Joyce Dube from SAWIMA also traveled with us.

We were hosted by Golden Nyambuya, a young Zimbabwean academic I have known since my UZ student activism days. Nyambuya is currently doing some post graduate studies on Astro-Physics at the University of the North West. He managed to mobilize about twelve other Zimbabweans to attend a bray (a social gathering full of roast meat and drinks) at his campus residence.

We had a very fruitful event that I trust will go a long way in helping to inspire the Zimbabwean community based there to play a part in our quest for a new Zimbabwe. It is hoped that a new public association will be set up there to help co-ordinate the local interests of Zimbabweans based there.

"Zimbabweans living abroad can easily transform their societal status and reputation. All that is needed is to embark on a process of self-discovery and re-identification"

DANIEL MOLOKELE

On Sunday, I had yet another very hectic day. I was part of the key organizers of the inaugural meeting of the association for Zimbabwean teachers now based in South Africa. The meeting was held in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. I chaired the meeting in my capacity as the interim Chairperson of the Zimbabwe CSOs Forum. The meeting resolved to affiliate the new association to the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe.

It also elected an interim Committee to facilitate the formation process till the 31st March 2006. The committee will be chaired by Bongani Nyathi a well known former student leader and political activist. Nyathi made his name in Zimbabwe as a President of the Hillside Teachers College student body and also as the President of the Zimbabwe Student Teachers Union.

The underling theme of both these hectic events was the desperate need for Zimbabweans living abroad to transform their reputation and status. For so long now, Zimbabweans have been lowly regarded as sorry victims of a never ending crisis back at home. They have been seen as disorganized, divided and disorientated people. Many have taken advantage of the plight of the Zimbabwean people and enriched themselves unjustly.

Zimbabweans especially here in South Africa have been cast into some stereo type roles. Some think of them as a desperate people who are prepared to do any job in spite of their good qualifications. (Thanks to their excellent education system back at home!).

In fact most of them are prepared to do the basest of all jobs like being security guards, fuel station attendants, hotel and restaurant workers, farm workers to mention but a few.

It is thus my strong opinion that Zimbabweans living abroad can easily transform their societal status and reputation. All that is needed is to embark on a process of self-discovery and re-identification. Most Zimbabweans living abroad lead isolated individual lives. They exist outside the bracket of a defined community. There is no sense of belonging to any national grouping whatsoever.

The individualistic nature of Zimbabweans has left them cruelly exposed to many hardships of life. These range from acquiring the right legal status as immigrants, unfair labour relations, squalid accommodation, poor social welfare conditions, systematic deportations and constant harassment from state security officials such as the police. Most Zimbabweans are also very susceptible to bribery demands from unscrupulous government officials.

To be honest, life is so hard for the majority of Zimbabweans especially here in South Africa.

This sad state of affairs has to come to an end. And end it must! Things have to improve for the better by all means. Indeed we did not emigrate from Zimbabwe only to live even worse kind of lives. We cannot afford to suffer both at home and abroad.

It is then my firm view and conviction that for positive change to occur, the process has to start with the creation of national communities all over the Diaspora. This kind of isolated and individualistic existence must come to an end. Zimbabweans should organize themselves into institutionalized communities. These institutions will then help define and protect their common dreams and interests.

If that happens, it will be easier for Zimbabweans to be accepted by their host countries as serious and highly organized people. It will also be easier for them to be fully appreciated as assets to their host countries economies and communities. Zimbabweans are in general, a peaceful, hard working, disciplined and well educated people. They can thus easily turn themselves from being a despised and abused lot into a well respected and appreciated community.

I verily believe that once we start to work together as an organized group of communities in our respective host countries then we will become the most sought after immigrants in the world. Let us start organizing ourselves now and help build a new reputation for ourselves. We owe this not only to ourselves but also to our posterity.

Let us not agonize and antagonize one another any longer, but let us unite, mobilize and galvanize ourselves into a force to be reckoned with as a people. CONTACT DANIEL: danielmolokela@yahoo.com
Daniel Molokele is a human rights lawyer based in Johannesburg. He has been elected as the Interim Chairperson of the Zimbabwe CSO Forum (South African chapter) National Committee. His column appears here every Monday
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