OF FEAR OR FOOLISHNESS, HATE OR ENVY By Tavonga George Chigudugudze One of the earlier Greek philosophic sayings is that of Anaxagoras:

All things were in chaos when Mind arose and made order. It is often said in the ancient world ruled by the irrational, by dreadful unknown powers, where a man was utterly at the mercy of what he must not try to understand, the Greeks arose and the rule of reason began. The fundamental fact about the Greek was that he had to use his mind. The ancient world was a place of fear. Magical forces ruled it and magic is absolutely terrifying because it is absolutely incalculable Nothing of all the Greeks did is more astonishing than their daring to look it in the face and use their minds about it. They dared nothing less than to throw the light of reason upon dreadful power taken completely on trust everywhere else, and by the exercise of the intelligence to banish them For the first time in the world the mind was free Both the state and religion left the Athenian free to think as he pleased. Thousands years later, here I am, struggling to urge some of my fellow citizenry to make that breakthrough.

Often in time we are so nave and just too afraid to think that we must not, cannot or should not, for various reasons participate in or hold political views. Being Zimbabwean, it begs for an unquestioned understanding from those who empathize with the countrys circumstances. Ever wonder why a decent mass of schooled people, statistically backed by a literacy rate acceptable to a poor country, tolerate the absurd insanity of one man strutting it out in the wrong generation. The absurd insanity of one man crafting a country where there is no place for honest pursuits and virtually no profit to be got by honest toil. The absurd insanity of one man thinking or maybe has proved to be the only man in this country who drags. Gosh, I thought they were ravaged by prostate cancer!!!

The absurd insanity of one man who all he has mastered from the past generations is improve and progressively crafty his hanging-on skills. The absurd insanity of one man who weathers the storms he has created in his wake while the progress of the nation he so love to head is being slowed tortuously and millions suffer. One in which a climate of

legality, observance of the law and an effective judiciary have long waned. One in which man is punishable, can be made to suffer bodily or proprietary loss without breaching any law as established by ordinary courts of the land. A society where there is immense concentration on the protection of vested interests and unfair exploitation in society. A society where rule of law means but the emancipation of the spirit of humankind from coercive constraints of fear, inequality and want. Where not everyone is subject to the law equally, and where some are above the law; where it is difficulty, risky and often too dangerous for law enforcement agencies and the courts enforce and apply the law with impartiality.

A nation where criminal law is used as a social mechanism to coerce members of society through threats of pain and suffering to abstain from conduct which is self enlightening or self emancipating intellectually or economically as this is harmful and injurious to the various interests of the ruling shenanigans. A nation where the object of the law is to frustrate the welfare of society through establishing and maintaining disorder and chaos. A nation governed by a regime which does not respect human rights and criminalises ordinary democratic activity. A repressive state which uses law enforcement agencies, security forces and irregular forces such as youth militia to stifle dissent and opposition. A repressive state which criminalises legitimate democratic activity by characterizing it as treason or subversion. A state where law is used as an instrument of political repression

Under colonialists rule the rule of law was often not observed. The declaration of rights, in a series of constitutional enactments, was not justiciable. Fundamental human rights were violated with impunity. The legislature and the executive were able to deny indigenous people their political rights. A system of inequality, similar to apartheid, was in existence. Many legislative enactments were instruments of violation of human rights. Elaborate legislation, which seriously infringed rights, freedoms and liberties, was in place. The law lacked legitimacy in that it was not enacted by representatives of the population as a whole. Although judicial review existed, its reach and significance were limited. The legislature, not the law, was supreme. It was not rooted in democratic values.

Accordingly, the fundamental basis for a constitutional democracy and observance of the rule of law was absent. So after being born free and learning about the liberation struggle I thought all the comrades took up arms because they hated the system oppression; I was yet to learn, through painful experience, that some fought because they envied the system.

So they fought, and Zimbabwe attained legitimate independence from Britain, and became a Republic in the British Commonwealth, on 18 April 1980. On the same day the Constitution (created at the Lancaster House Conference, towards the end of the previous year) came into force. It contains a justiciable Declaration of Rights. Chief among the rights protected are the right to life; the right to personal liberty; the right to freedom of conscience, expression, assembly and association; the right not to be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment; the right to be afforded a fair trial within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court; the right to freedom from discrimination on the ground of race; and the right to protection from deprivation of property. When they fought they said they despised the system because it was founded on oppression. Did they?

When the evidence of their so called hatred of the system turned out actually to be envy, I expected the Zimbabwean people to rise upbut they didnt. Then came the reality that the peoples choice of vote will never matter in the so called democratic society I was assured the Zimbabwean people will be heard fromwe stood mute. Then came the news that our government detained and jailed journalists, lawyers and opposition supporters without a right to trial and even a right to confront their accusers I was assured we would never stand for thatwe did. When the indigenization thing, a legitimized endeavor to widen the gap between the haves and the have nots, was introduced I at least consoled myself that finally finally the Zimbabwean people will have heard enough evidently we havent. In fact, if the people of this country have spoken their messages we are okay with it all

Tortureillegal property seizuresprison without a fair trial or any trial at allillegal detentionsinstallment arrestslegislature supremacy in a so called constitutional democracyconstitutional amendments to entrench political dominanceempowerment of the already empoweredstate sponsored politically motivated violenceserious and persistent threatsintimidationgrievous assaultsabductionswe as a citizenry we are apparently not offended. There are no demonstrations at college campuses in fact there is no clear indication that young people even seem to noticebut all we all know is everyone is noticing and have since observed the progressive erosion of the rule of law but the tragedy of our day is the climate of fear in which we live.

The American Stevenson aptly pointed the tragedy of our bill of rights is the climate of fear in which we live and fear breeds repression. Too often sinister threats to the bill of rights, to freedom of the mind are concealed under the patriotic cloak of anti communism today, its the cloak of anti terrorism in the United States, its the cloak of anti colonialism in yedu yatakatora nehondo Stevenson also remarked its far easier to fight for principles than to live up to themI know we are all afraid, but the government we democratically elected must serve us, it simply must the Bill of Rights, we have to live up to that, we simply must. Protection of the welfare of society rights, we ought to make sure the government live up to that, we simply must. We the people decide.

Driven by safety and security considerations Zimbabweans would rather wait for death to come to them than to expose themselves to the vagaries of politics. Many have waited and death has come, not stealthily by night, but in broad daylight for all to see and learn from. Many have been slain very well knowing who smote them. Some are dying by wounds inflicted by their own and fellow comrades. Politics has no respect for the privacy of peoples spaces, it will charge at them like the bull in a Mexican bull fight. Some have resolved to flee and seek a home remote from all knowledge of those even dear to them, sought bondage in foreign places of refuge, others have been held captive to circumstances in the country of their birth. Of course the greater populace has hanged by, remained aloof and try to stick by the rules of the game. If they say elections are there just get your T-shirt, your green card, get to the polling booth and proclaim illiteracy.

Their circumstances all add up to a single fate, no Zimbabwean is living a totally balanced life because it has been impossible to optimize all elements that shape the life.

Like it or not every single citizen has partaken to the sour grace of political consequences. Reminiscent of the liberation war times when in the face of danger it seemed most prudent to hide from the charge of either guerillas or Selous scouts in the granary, behold the pain of discovering rather late that they were going to burn down the granary anyway!!! Many souls rested more in pain than in peace. The facts for Zimbabweans dictate one consequence; suffering, fate might as well befall us whilst we try our hand in non conventional survival strategies.

The people must awaken to the simple truth. The people do not have to be subject. The people created the government. The people can and should control the government. We the people should decide. Not them the politiciansnor them the bishopsor them the generals. It has to be we the people. And we the people are none other than we; you and me. We know, as Hobbes aptly observed long back: power corrupts hence a need for its constant check. Who checks? Of course its we the people. But not when fear is pitching tents in our hearts and the warmth of our veins have long deserted us. When he said; To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom," Bertrand Russell was damn right. Two Spartans, on the way to their death on behalf of their city, explained to a Persian why they were willing to die than submit to Xerxes: Hydarnes, came the answer, the advice you give us does not spring from a full knowledge of the situation. You know only one half of what is involved; the other half is a blank to you. You understand well what slavery is, but freedom you have never experienced, so you do not know it tastes sweet or bitter. If you ever did come to experience, you would advise us to fight for it