Its been two days since the documentary, Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children by Xoliswa Sithole, the South African filmmaker, aired on BBC4. In that time frame, I have watched it twice. Both times, it has been a painful experience. I have smiled at actions of affection, though small and can easily be overlooked because the suffering overshadows the love, between Esther and her baby sister Tino, and I have cried at the fate life has dealt them. But within me is a small hope, just very small that as long as there is life in the veins and arteries of the nation of Zimbabwe, things will change.
Sithole made great points in the process of making her film. How ironic, if it was a white person who shot this documentary for the BBC, some quarters would argue it was another propaganda by the BBC to show Zimbabwe in a negative light. Hence, I am doubly happy it was shot by an African lady, a South African, close to the situation and to make it sweet, she grew up in Zimbabwe. She experienced the joy and wealth of living in the country when it was the bed and breakfast of Africa. By no means take that to mean I am naive about the portrayal of Africa in Western media. It was only a few days ago, I wrote about the fact that, We Are Responsible For telling Our Stories.
The film was gritty, though-provoking and honest. When a father has to pick bones with his daughter’s in order to make a living? You must ask yourself, how did things get this bad? When a young man as brilliant as Ortheb, who lives with his grandmother has no food to eat and so, he goes to bed on am empty stomach or when he has to go bird catching and I mean tiny birds in order to have something to eat. To make matters worse, his grandmother cannot afford 50 cents for his school fees. You must ask yourself, what do we do and where do we go from here? Ortheb’s hunger for education made me grateful that my father could send me to school when I was his age.
When the sewage system is of no use, there is no water, the street kids sleep in boots on the streets of Harare, a new mother sleeps in an abandoned car with her new born baby. She got creative and used cardboard to keep the chill out, hence, what kind of life is that baby going to have when they were born into chaos?
This film is not just the tragedy of Zimbabwe, it is one of Africa’s many tragedies. It is sad to sit back and watch the way, SADC has allowed Robert Mugabe carry on and on, and he has drowned a nation with so much promise because of his greed. How can you claim Zimnbawe needs or love you when you have done so much damage? I would like to know if you were God ordained to rule forever, because believe me Bob, very soon, you are going to become sand, death is a date we all have an appointment with. It cannot be postponed and you cannot change your mind about this lover known as death. I wonder what I will do when I hear the news of your passing? I wonder how Zimbabweans will react when they hear you are no more? Will they rejoice like Nigerians rejoiced at the news of Sani Abacha’s death and dance on the streets? That will be a befitting send off, don’t you think? You frigging piece of sh*t!
I know how you fought for the independence of Zimbabwe, for that I say, thank you and well done for seeing the bigger vision then. Your vision is now myopic and so, you should go. We will always be grateful that you stood against the Colonial masters and leaders, for our land is not theirs to rule and reign over but ours. But for you to rule for 30 years is truly disgusting and disgraceful because a leader knows when to go and he knows that he too must raise other leaders. Instead, you have raised brutal assholes, who cause the pain you fought to liberate and nothing but pain. You use the country’s resources like they belong to your own family. I am sure you have water, food to eat, your children still go to school and unlike Ortheb, don’t have to wait to catch a bird in order to have one meal a day or eat beans that’s poisonous and to ensure his safety, he has to cook it several times over. How Ortheb made me cry and I wished I could do more.
I am sure you did not watch this, maybe you would have been moved by the fact that Esther and Tino spend the day locked out of their home since their mother died and her callous uncle, though he tries is best is an asshole like you. I wonder how you go to bed at night? I am sure fine like a baby with no guilt because you are already dead. I think you are dead man walking, that’s possible because when a man has reached the stage you have and yet refuses to let go, then they are gone and its only a body that we now see. However, I can promise you this, there will and there must be a change of Guard in Zimbabwe, one that does not include you and I hope you live long enough to feel the pain of the humiliation that will come with it.
‘I am sure it is not so bad, some will say. You are not on the ground and the media always makes it ten times worse than it actually is.’ What I saw two days ago, cannot be a lie. It is as true as you get get anything to be the truth. Pictures do not lie Bob. You should know that better than anyone. Funny, there was a time I liked you because you stood up to Western leaders and told them to go to hell and stop dictating to African leaders. I too believe they should and mind their business…but when you trample on the rights of your own people, any wonder they get involved?
Fair to say this film was shot over a nine months period and things may have changed a tiny bit but it does not make up for the chaos that you have created. The pain many have endured. The loss of hope etched in the hearts of many, the destinies you have altered. We cried for Freedom, you fought for us and so we got freedom but what we cannot understand is why you have imprisoned us in our own country?
Images
Grace and Michelle: BBC Website
Zimbabwean Flag: Google
Map of Africa: Sandbach-Baptist website
Children eating: Google
