Fighting against systemic tribalism in Zimbabwe can only be ethical; it is a moral imperative to call out and defy systems whose only reason for existence is to discriminate against certain population groups because of their identity. Generalised fear grips Matabeleland communities today as in the early nineteen eighties. Every local knows that Zimbabwe’s politics is rooted in systemic tribalism and is the reason Matabeleland finds itself in the dire state it is in today, yet many are afraid not only to say it, but even to be associated with groups or individuals brave enough to point that out.
It is important that we contextualise the Zimbabwean political regime and what that means for the ordinary person in Matabeleland. Systemic tribalism is the cornerstone of Zimbabwean politics and that translates to the suppression of the diverse population groups in Matabeleland. The rogue system treats people of Matabeleland as though they were a monolithic group.
When a population group faces an existential threat, when it is stripped of its freedoms, marginalised from decision-making processes, and when there is blatant disregard of human rights and decency by another group optimising its unrestrained access and control over all state machinery, it becomes a moral imperative for decent men and women to fight back.
Removal of structural barriers that hinder an effective fight against systemic tribalism is essential. Minimisation and victim blaming have become potent tools in maintaining systemic tribalism. Casualties of Zimbabwe’s systemic tribalism in Matabeleland who dare take practical steps to confront the system often hit a brick wall. They are victimised and accused of tribalism by the same deranged system and isolated or locally rejected by their own who are afraid of being labelled tribalists.
This is the mechanisation of the mainstream politics. The mainstream political parties are interested in attracting audiences with political mileage, those who present high volumes of votes, not audiences per se; it is the ethnic Shona audiences that spark mainstream politics and policy today, and it has always done.
Let us never be blinded by social media and fall into the trap of the fear of being called tribalists by tribalists and then surrender our initiative to deal with injustice to the same perpetrators of injustice.
The real and only tribalist is the one who initiates the tribalism, not those who stand up against it and those who support them in that process.
Equally significant will be staying attuned to the crafty media role; the Zimbabwean media does not exist to educate us; its main task is to guide public opinion along acceptable lines, marginalising and excluding dissidents who challenge state or mainstream politics’ influence.
Authors of injustice must never be allowed to also dictate the script from which policies that promote justice and seek to eliminate the very injustice they foment and profit from are drawn. When it comes to fighting systemic tribalism, Matabeleland must lead and define the narrative.
Rarely have the ethical lines been so clear-cut in any socio-political conflict than that which we see in Zimbabwe. Those Zimbabwean mainstream politics defenders who call Matabeleland localisation supporters uneducated, unpatriotic nationalists are just immoral appeasers keen to cover their own cravenness.
As evidenced in the behaviours of all mainstream parties, mainstream politicians actively avoid policies and programmes with serious complexities and disturbing controversies that may antagonise their Shona base. It is the reason they seek policies and programmes that target the ethnic Shona audiences; programmes that satisfy Shona interests and thus fit in with the Zimbabwean primary political purpose – Shona supremacism.
The absurdity of labelling individuals and organisations that support Matabeleland’s fight against systemic tribalism in Zimbabwe as “tribalists” or“pro-violence” belies belief, yet ludicrous as they are, these claims are promoted by the regime. This is a case of blaming the fireman for trying to put out the fire and stooping low to find excuses for the arsonist.
Those who support Matabeleland localism ideals do so not out of an obsession with petty, selfish nationalist ideals but out of a commitment to justice and the preservation of human dignity. Supporting localism is about defending the right of all population groups to exist without fear of an unprovoked violation.
Localism is about allowing all people of Matabeleland the right to practise their culture, speak their languages without restraint, access and use their resources to freely make decisions in tune with their needs. Profoundly, it is about standing up against a systemic bully who thinks he can eliminate difference and build consensus through brute force.
We will not be cowered; microaggressions that blight the political space will not be allowed a free pass; we reaffirm our commitment to challenging mainstream politicians to refrain from the threat or use of tribalism to strip the people of Matabeleland of their integrity. We will continue to highlight the fact that systemic tribalism is directly linked with the poor economic and political outcomes in Matabeleland, and that localism is an essential step towards repairing the damage.
MTHWAKAZI INDEPENDENT 