Everyman has the right to decide his own destiny, and in this judgement there is no partiality. – Bob Marley, from lyrics of Zimbabwe, a song, and an album dedicated to Zimbabwe at independence in April 1980
THE crowd of over 100,000 that packed the Rufaro Stadium, Harare, on 18 April 1980, was full of expectations for the new country. When Bob Marley hit the song, Zimbabwe, tears rolled, the drums pelted to new rhythms, the guitars strummed, and the crowd went into frenzy. The lyrics could have been lost on everyone.
President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari donated $15 million to Zimbabwe. Part of the money was used in training Zimbabwean students in Nigerian universities, their government workers in the Administrative Staff College Of Nigeria in Badagry, and their soldiers in the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna.
The expectations evaporated quickly. Edgar Zivanai ‘Two Boy’ Tekere, the ZANU-PF Secretary General, largely seen as a major challenger to President Robert Mugabe, invited Bob Marley to that performance. Marley’s music inspired the guerrilla fighters during the battles to liberate Zimbabwe. Tekere, a founding member of ZANU PF, was a colleague of Mugabe’s in the guerrilla war that they organised from Mozambique.
His disagreement with Mugabe was early and he lost his position as Minister. Another Mugabe ally Lt-Gen Lookout Masuku, commander of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army, died mysteriously in 1986, four years after he was accused of planning to overthrow Mugabe.
“Who is Mugabe to declare Tekere a hero? No-one in the current party’s (ruling) politburo qualifies to deliberate on the heroism of the late, great nationalist Tekere,” Enos Nkala, a co-ZANU founder, asked at Tekere’s funeral which Mugabe did not attend.
Other modern fathers of Zimbabwe like Joshua Nkomo, Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole, Canaan Banana have long fallen out with Mugabe.
Zimbabwe’s 13 million people wallow in the scourge of Mugabe, who at 89 has won a seventh tenure. Age may be the only thing that would stop him from beating the 42-year record of Gabon’s Albert Omar Bongo, who only death, at 71, separated from power.
About 85 per cent of its population, 11.05 million, is under 64 years old. Mugabe is the only president that more than 90 per cent of the population knows.
Zimbabweans would be under worse pressure to find leaders when Mugabe expires. Cote d’Ivoire is still in turmoil, 21 years after Felix Houphouët-Boigny, its first president who ruled for 33 years. Mugabe is running Zimbabwe into a futile future that would unveil when he is gone.
It is up to Zimbabweans to decide their destiny, just as Bob Marley sang 33 years ago, and everyone danced in exhilaration.
Showing posts with label Zimbabwe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zimbabwe. Show all posts
Monday, 2 September 2013
Friday, 19 July 2013
CHAN 2014: Gaiya charges Eagles to make history against Cote d’Ivoire
Abuja - Godfrey Gaiya, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports, on Friday in Abuja charged the Super Eagles to make history in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Cote d'Ivoire.
Gaiya said this while addressing the players, after watching the team's friendly match against FC Abuja, in which the Eagles won 1-0.
The match was played at the FIFA Goal Project pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.
The Super Eagles had on July 16 resumed camping for the return leg of the CHAN qualifier against the Elephants of Cote d`Ivoire.
The Eagles won the first leg 4-1 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, on July 6 and the return leg will hold on July 27 in Abidjan, Cote d`Ivoire.
He said the players have the opportunity to be the first Super Eagles team to qualify for CHAN which has had two previous editions.
``You should forget what happened in Kaduna as if nothing happened; go there and play on a zero level.
``We will be there to cheer you up and encourage you to make another history because your victory in Abidjan will be Nigeria’s first time of qualifying for CHAN.
``This invariably means you have the opportunity to make history; so, go there and do your best.
``We are not unmindful of the challenges that might be before you, but we promise to do everything possible to address them and we will do that tirelessly.
``So, as we do our own part, you should also do yours and we, as a committee, promise to be solidly behind you,’’ Gaiya said.
He said that the friendly match was a good test for the team as it afforded them an opportunity to play together as a team.
``The desire for any practise match is not really for the score line, but to see how the team can really perform given a certain arrangement and other phases.
``The team that played this morning was not entirely the first 11, but the coach needed to give other players an opportunity to try out.
``And I think with that in mind, it was a good one and I am impressed,’’ the honourable member said.
Gaiya, however, said he envisages that the team’s match against the Ivorians would not be easy but believes the Super Eagles will triumph.
``There is no away-match that is easy, and from history, the Ivorians are always difficult at home.
``Having said that, I know Nigeria has the players, the capacity and in the end, we will scale through,’’ he said.
The honourable member said Nigerians expect nothing less from the team than to go through because it will showcase the domestic league more at the international level.
``This is because it is a tournament which is in its third edition and Nigeria has never qualified, so, the yearning of every Nigerian is for us to participate with our home-based players.
``If they do well, it will be a testimony to the development style we have seen in the domestic league; it will showcase our domestic league at the highest level.
``Nigerians expect that we should go there and qualify and also go to South Africa.
``With that, we will be able to show the world that our home-based players are capable of holding their own against the very best teams in Africa,’’ Gaiya said.
CHAN is played between the best African national teams, exclusively featuring home-based players. (NAN)
Gaiya said this while addressing the players, after watching the team's friendly match against FC Abuja, in which the Eagles won 1-0.
The match was played at the FIFA Goal Project pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.
The Super Eagles had on July 16 resumed camping for the return leg of the CHAN qualifier against the Elephants of Cote d`Ivoire.
The Eagles won the first leg 4-1 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, on July 6 and the return leg will hold on July 27 in Abidjan, Cote d`Ivoire.
He said the players have the opportunity to be the first Super Eagles team to qualify for CHAN which has had two previous editions.
``You should forget what happened in Kaduna as if nothing happened; go there and play on a zero level.
``We will be there to cheer you up and encourage you to make another history because your victory in Abidjan will be Nigeria’s first time of qualifying for CHAN.
``This invariably means you have the opportunity to make history; so, go there and do your best.
``We are not unmindful of the challenges that might be before you, but we promise to do everything possible to address them and we will do that tirelessly.
``So, as we do our own part, you should also do yours and we, as a committee, promise to be solidly behind you,’’ Gaiya said.
He said that the friendly match was a good test for the team as it afforded them an opportunity to play together as a team.
``The desire for any practise match is not really for the score line, but to see how the team can really perform given a certain arrangement and other phases.
``The team that played this morning was not entirely the first 11, but the coach needed to give other players an opportunity to try out.
``And I think with that in mind, it was a good one and I am impressed,’’ the honourable member said.
Gaiya, however, said he envisages that the team’s match against the Ivorians would not be easy but believes the Super Eagles will triumph.
``There is no away-match that is easy, and from history, the Ivorians are always difficult at home.
``Having said that, I know Nigeria has the players, the capacity and in the end, we will scale through,’’ he said.
The honourable member said Nigerians expect nothing less from the team than to go through because it will showcase the domestic league more at the international level.
``This is because it is a tournament which is in its third edition and Nigeria has never qualified, so, the yearning of every Nigerian is for us to participate with our home-based players.
``If they do well, it will be a testimony to the development style we have seen in the domestic league; it will showcase our domestic league at the highest level.
``Nigerians expect that we should go there and qualify and also go to South Africa.
``With that, we will be able to show the world that our home-based players are capable of holding their own against the very best teams in Africa,’’ Gaiya said.
CHAN is played between the best African national teams, exclusively featuring home-based players. (NAN)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)