On November 15, the military took over my country’s main broadcasting station, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation, and announced that it had put our president of 37 long years under house arrest. I cannot stress the level of anxiety I have writing this article right now. Even though Mugabe has resigned and seems to have lost his political clout, I am still afraid of him.
I am afraid that tomorrow I will wake up and be charged for treason for even putting these thoughts down. That’s what speaking out in Zimbabwe entailed under Mugabe – being charged with “subverting the authority of a constitutionally elected government.” While studying abroad I have often been envious of how people in the US can easily express their dissatisfaction and not expect any repercussions. Coming from a country with state owned media, a ruthless secret police, and a highly trained riot police, organizing and attending protests is not as easy as it is here.
Even writing an op-ed can land you in jail. I’ve lived through holding a 10 billion dollar note in my hand that couldn’t buy a loaf of bread. I’ve lived through water shortages and food shortages and the adoption of a chaotic multi-currency system in which you buy goods in one currency and receive change in another.
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My country currently has one of the highest unemployment rates — I know more than 20 degreed and highly educated people who have no jobs. This made me and many others my age lose hope. Most of us looked for opportunities beyond borders; many Zimbabweans are in South Africa, Canada, Ireland, and the US.
Those who remain hope to leave soon, too. Nobody chooses to leave the familiarity of their home out of a whim — all Zimbabwean immigrants were forced beyond their borders and yearn for home. While Zimbabweans wait anxiously to see how Mugabe’s successor will fair, we hope that after this cut-off head falls down, another won’t sprout in its place.
The experiences I have detailed are not at all exhaustive. they’re just the surface of a very rotten regime. Even though there is uncertainty at the moment in my country and in the diaspora, this is the first time in 37 years that Zimbabweans have hope for a change. As we move into a new era, I hope we can consolidate the gains of this “non-coup” and usher in a stable democracy and economic prosperity.
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