The Unfinished Struggle: Zimbabwe’s Independence 45 Years Later

By Dr Masimba Mavaza

Tomorrow, we celebrate Zimbabwe’s 45th Independence Day. This is the day we remember those who lost their lives in the struggle. But, are we independent?
We gained independence on April 18, 1980, after a long and complex struggle. Zimbabwe’s independence came after a Liberation Struggle. The country fought a protracted guerrilla war against the white minority government of Rhodesia, led by great heroes like Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo. The driving power behind this was the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda. It is a shame that up to this day the bones of mbuya Nehanda are displayed in a Museum in England. The government has refused to have Mbuya Nehanda repatriated back to Zimbabwe to receive a descent burial.
The irony of all this is that there was a Lancaster House Agreement. The Lancaster House Agreement in 1979 paved the way for independence, establishing a framework for majority rule and democratic elections. This was held few meters away from the decapitated head, now a mere skull for the first Zimbabwean Woman General vaChihera Nehanda Nyakasikana.

It is therefore imperative to reflect as we celebrate our independence.

The first reflection as Zimbabweans celebrate their independence with various events is the country’s progress and challenges since gaining freedom.
Zimbabwe has run a failed health system. After 45 years of independence still the situation in Zimbabwe’s hospitals is concerning, with reports of patients dying due to lack of medication and other healthcare challenges.
A patient who was having his appendix removed died when the electricity was switched off due to shed loading. One can not begin to imagine how many children die in the incubators because of electricity problems. Besides corruption, another issue contributing to this limited resources. Zimbabwe’s healthcare system faces significant resource constraints, including shortages of essential medicines, equipment, and personnel.

Few days before independence one of the most promising singers, Tatenda Pinjisi died after a road accident. No one can imagine the pain he went through as he begged the nurses to give him pain killers.
A woman narrated how she went through an operation without sedation. She remembers nurses pressing her down stuffing a clothe in her mouth to stifle her voice as the knife cuts through her flesh in a bid to save the unborn child. This is happening 45 years after independence.

Zimbabwe faces economic challenges which are caused by corruption. The country’s economic difficulties have impacted the healthcare sector, leading to inadequate funding and infrastructure. As people scream in pain requesting pain killers we have some people rewarding a person for shaking her dirty bottom. If only the so called rich people in Zimbabwe could have half the spirit of those who fought during the Chimurenga wars Zimbabwe would be far much better than what it is today.
Because our liberators have put their priorities upside down, Zimbabwe has suffered damaging brain drain. Zimbabwe has experienced a significant brain drain, with many healthcare professionals leaving the country in search of better opportunities. Regardless of this brain drain nothing is being done to correct the situation. These failures by the government have severe consequences, including Preventable deaths of patients. While those stealing grom the government are splashing funds patience are dying from treatable conditions due to lack of access to essential medicines and healthcare services. Zimbabwe has seen serious Poor health outcomes. The healthcare system’s limitations lead to poor health outcomes, exacerbating the burden of disease in the country.

Legacy of Independence is now blurred. Independence marked a significant shift in Zimbabwe’s history, bringing new opportunities and challenges as the country navigated its path towards development and self-determination. But the rampant looting by looters makes all the gains a nullity.
As Zimbabwe continues to evolve, its independence serves as a reminder of the country’s resilience and determination.

Addressing these challenges will require sustained efforts to improve Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, including increasing funding, investing in infrastructure, and retaining healthcare professionals. In Zimbabwe, several factors contribute to hospital medication shortages, and multiple stakeholders share responsibility.
We should bear in mind that the Ministry of Health and Child Care is responsible for ensuring the healthcare system’s functionality, including medicine procurement and distribution.
– *Healthcare administrators*: Hospital administrators and pharmacists manage medicine supplies and distribution within healthcare facilities. Suppliers and distributors are normally Pharmaceutical companies and distributors who are supposed to play a crucial role in providing medicines to hospitals.
But our hospitals are now dry and surely have nothing. They have just become dying houses.

There can never be independence without medication.

Shortages of medication result from the classic failure by those mandated to assist.

Limited budgets and lack of will power can restrict medicine procurement and distribution. This again is caused by the heavy corruption which we have failed to control.

Addressing medication shortages requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare administrators, suppliers, and international partners.

The luminaries of independence who have done their part but left unsolved.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Solomon Mujuru were key figures in Zimbabwe’s struggle for independence. Mugabe led the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) during the Rhodesian Bush War, fighting against Ian Smith’s white minority government.He became the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 and later the third President, serving from 1987 to 2017. The first president was Josiah Gumede followed by Cannan Sodindo Banana then Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

Mugabe emphasized the redistribution of land from white farmers to black Zimbabweans, a key aspect of decolonization. That became a proof of our independence but unfortunately that is all we have. Today we remember Mugabe and his Army commander the late cde General Solomon Mhofu Mujuru. Mujuru, also known as Rex Nhongo, was a top military commander in the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) during the liberation struggle. During this independence day we remember how Rex Nhongo supervised operational planning and infiltration of ZANLA cadres into Rhodesia, playing a crucial role in the war effort. Mujuru became the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and later an influential figure in ZANU-PF, shaping the country’s politics and military. General Mujuru lobbied for increased welfare and land reform benefits for veterans of the liberation struggle.
All our heroes including Mugabe and Mujuru played significant roles in shaping Zimbabwe’s history, from the liberation struggle to post-independence politics and governance.

It is our duty to make our independence mean something. A whole generation of people has gone and yet independence is miles away. It is here but not here.