The Sunday News
Meluleki Moyo
SPANNING about 34 centuries and boasting of a well-documented history than any surviving language, Greek is the only remnant of the Hellenic lingua franca. Like Latin, the Greek language is a predominant source of international scientific vocabulary and its roots often inspire the coining of new words for other languages.
In Thelema, a fraternal religion founded by English author, Aleister Crowley, the number 93 is of great significance. The central philosophy of Crowley’s religion is embedded in two phrases borrowed from Crowley’s Book of the Law: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”, and “Love is the law, love under will”.
The primary terms in the two phrases are “will” and “love”. In Greek, the terms are thelema and agape, respectively.
When combined and subjected to the sophisticated Greek technique of isopsephy, which implies the numerical value to each letter, the Greek words thelema (will) and agape (love) add up to a numerical value of 93.
Ninety three years is hence a precise, shorthand and summative reflection of the cumbersome and thorny, yet well lived and exemplary life of His Excellency, President Mugabe who has lived for the betterment of the black majority. Throughout his political career, he has carried the emancipation flag even beyond our borders.
Indeed, where there is determination, there is a way and where there is selflessness, love abounds. The number 93 goes synonymous with creative expressions of concerns and solutions for humanity. It is generous with its creative assistance for individuals and organisations intent on doing the world some good.
President Mugabe has demonstrated great love and willingness in empowering the masses. Added to the historic Land Reform Programme, President Mugabe has brought Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme and Command Agriculture. As a result, he has and continues to win the hearts of the people simply because he gives them just what they want and as a gesture of appreciation, the masses perpetually endorse him.
President Mugabe has over the years opened avenues for indigenous people through pressure groups like the Affirmative Action Group, Indigenous Business Women’s Organisation and a host of other policies aimed at giving the masses economic empowerment. Consequently, indigenous entrepreneurs have made a mark in the previously white dominated terrains like banking, communications, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality.
Talk of the (Strive) Masiyiwas, the (Roger) Bokas, the (Phillip) Chiyangwas and the (Nigel) Chanakiras! Zvakavanakira for sure and the list is endless. Thanks to the efforts of President Mugabe and other like-minded nationalists. Some no longer walk on this Zimba remabwe but the fruits of their efforts are visible for all who choose to see.
Through the land reform exercise executed at the turn of the millennium, President Mugabe has arguably fulfilled the wishes of departed comrades, such as the late Father Zimbabwe, Dr Joshua Nkomo who did not mince his words when he said “Nxa ufuna imali phendulela ibala elithi mali?” May his dear departed soul rest in peace. With the land, we are at least better orphans.
One of the grievances which propelled Africans to take up arms against the colonialists was land dispossession. Courtesy of that draconic piece of legislation, the Land Apportionment Act (1930), the white skinned gobbled all the arable land to themselves. They even unashamedly preserved vast tracks for the yet-to-be-born whites while Africans were pushed to the infertile, tsetse fly infested peripheries in their numbers as though they were corpses.
Today, we rub our hands in glee as close to 11 million hectares of land have so far been reclaimed (not wrestled) from about 4 500 selfish whites and redistributed to close to 380 000 blacks. Thanks to President Mugabe for giving us the custodian of our umbilical cords, the land. Our identity has been restored.
One of the reasons that President Mugabe is loved, even by his critics rests in his powerful legacy. In resemblance of those captives taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by the arrogant King Nebuchadnezzar. When their tormenters demanded a song of joy upon reaching the rivers of Babylon, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion so we can rejoice”, the captives were adamant and in tears, they hung their harps on the poplars. Many were massacred.
President Mugabe was one of those many gallant sons and daughters of this land who refused to sing praises while working for the coloniser. They hung up cowardice and fought tirelessly as they led the protracted liberation struggle in the 1970s. Although many were massacred, their bravery brought an end to the exploitation of blacks in that horse-rider kind of a relationship.
Like a harassed and pestered horse losing its cool, they shook and the white skinned riders fell, heralding in the entire collapse of that oppressive colonial regime.
Like the arrogant and overzealous King Nebuchadnezzar whose faculties were restored after spending years at the University of Grass like, the former colonialists at the dawn of our independence had their humanity restored. Added to understanding was the one men one vote principle, they learnt how to co-exist with others regardless of skin colour. Ian Smith, for instance, died a proud owner of a farm in Shurugwi, under President Mugabe’s leadership.
In as much as the independence in 1980 brought political liberation, such liberation did not mean mental emancipation. The masses still needed to be liberated from the chains of ignorance. To this end, President Mugabe spearheaded an education for all policy. The policy ushered in a massive expansion in pupil enrolment and the expansion of teacher education facilities through programmes like (Morgan) Zintec among others. This saw a commitment to education and an improved quality in educational standards. At the same time, access to tertiary education was improved and this set the stage for research.
Education goes a long way in instilling value, attitudes and behaviours that align with those expected in a society and it has paid dividends for social sanity in our land. The electorate has had the liberty to choose between real and counterfeit politicians. Thanks to our high levels of literacy.
Political formations like the recently fragmented ZimPF and the ever fragmenting MDC have suffered still births in their quest to rise up to the political occasion. Not forgetting those bow wows, the squabbling Mthwakazi factions competing for recognition in their apparent relentless effort to reverse the gains of our independence and the 1987 Unity Accord, in which the late Dr Joshua Nkomo is a signatory.
As President Mugabe has just celebrated his 93rd birthday, it rests with the youths, the custodians of our heritage, from all walks of life to emulate his selfless and responsible character. Its high time youths abstain from life shattering substances and activities, and bearing in mind that the fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short (Proverbs 10: 27).
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