Times Of Swaziland: SHOULD WE CELEBRATE ZIM CHANGES? SHOULD WE CELEBRATE ZIM CHANGES? ================================================================================ By Musa Hlophe on 03/12/2017 09:32:00 In some of my previous articles, I cited some questions posed by the author of the book; ‘When Mugabe Goes!’ - Geoff Hill and what he was saying could be the challenge to whosoever took over from Mugabe. But I am not going to delve into what Hill is saying in his book, which is worth reading if one seeks to understand what could be facing the new President, Mnangagwa and his associates. However, before going deep into today’s theme, allow me to mention just two things or issues which have touched my soul this week. Firstly, may I take this opportunity to convey my sincere condolences to the Dube family for the passing of one of the stalwarts of our time, Brigadier Fonono Dube. Leaders of the late Dube’s calibre are rare. He sarved King Sobhuza II with distinction, and now ends his wonderful career while serving His Majesty King Mswati III. His leadership was characterised by a deep sense of duty and humility. He fully understood that leadership is not about one overloading others with his authority by throwing about his weight, but he understood that it was service to those under his leadership as well as those above him. My condolences also go to Their Majesties for losing one of the best if not the most loyal servant. I also mourn with those with whom he served this country together with the citizenry. May his Soul Rest in Peace! Another issue of grave concern if not disappointing, is the story published by one of the daily news papers last week headlined; ‘Law Society opposes admission, says: ‘Zim Lawyer must go back home’. Without going into the merits of the case, as it is still before court, my disappointment comes from the fact that I find it totally misrepresenting the true Swazi who must have been brought up knowing that tribalism is totally un-African and quite barbaric. Southern African Development Community (SADC) talks about the integration of the peoples of this region; and integration means citizens of this region must be free to ply their services anywhere in the region where they choose to be. If it is true that our legal eagles are actually opposing the lawyer in question’s registration, then they are short sighted and likely to provoke similar reactions from the other SADC lawyers to object to Swazi professionals plying their trades within SADC and doing well for that matter. Let me end with this challenge, and hope our young generation shall take and seriously consider: the message of Pan Africanism. It is a theory we were taught in schools that tribalism was just a tool used by the colonialists to divide the African people so capitalism and neo-colonialism has made our new generation ignore the humanity which King Sobhuza II taught us: that we were Africans first and then Swazis. Because of this influence, our generation were able to recognise all the liberation leaders who were waging war against the colonial oppressors of the African Peoples who were then fighting to liberate themselves from colonial oppression and exploitation. As a result of having embraced our being Africans as students, we began to create links with other student movements both in Europe and South Africa; with the white South African student movement led by the now Lord Peter Hain in the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, who were helping us mobilize resources from their European counterparts in order to be able to fund our activities in the country, which included mobilizing political opinion against the myth that Swazis were going to share seats in Parliament at 50/50 with white settlers who were only 10 000 in a population of half a million people at the time . We also used those funds to support needy students by sponsoring them so that they could pursue their education. We also helped those among us who would have been dismissed for their perceived political consciousness by some reactionary school principals. We were brought up to know that every inch of Africa belonged to all of us- hence the establishment of the African Union. No African must be a foreigner within Africa. Such behaviour ignores the fact that tomorrow it shall be the same Swazi lawyers seeking work in a liberated Zimbabwe. Right now we have one of our best talents in Namibia because the injustice of his own country could not allow him to judge on the basis of truth. The Law Society must grow and stop this, unless it wants those of its membership who are working in the region to be kicked out and sent back here where they say the field is saturated! It is a very sad if not backward attitude by the learned friends. Back to Zimbabwe and the recent changes which took place in the past three weeks. Should we really celebrate the changes in Zimbabwe? If so, why? What has changed to make us think that change for the better has arrived? I watched my sister Beatrice Mndzebele - Mtetwa being interviewed on AlJazeera. She basically spoke my mind when she said it was still too early and could be folly to consider the changes within the factions in ZANU- PF to mean that Zimbabwe was now on the way to democracy.