Zimbabwe and Mozambique- An Irreversible Historical Reality.

 By Takura Zhangazha*

So I once boarded a plane as an election observer to Mauritius in 2005 or thereabouts.  I was part of a delegation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum.  On the flight I met up with a member of the Mozambique parliament.

In my naivety I thought he was from the Frelimo ruling party.  At that time there was no social media proper but I had the equivalent of a digitalized ‘walkman’. 

In it I was playing a Thomas Mapfumo song “Tongosienda”  which referred to both South African  apartheid leader Pik Botha and Mozambiquan rebel Alfonzo Dlakhama as really evil people. 

So when I learnt that my fellow passenger was from Mozambique, I assumed that he would appreciate the Mukanya song on the relatively short flight to Mauritius. 

He did not.  But he also did not say this until we were at the hotel lobby as we were checking in. I was then informed that he was a member of Parliament for RENAMO. 

I asked some of the colleagues I was with about the fact that Renamo had members of Parliament in Mozambique given what we had been told about how bad their party was. 

In my naivety  I had assumed Renamo no longer existed in Mozambique.  At least militarily because we had been involved as Zimbabwe in defeating Dhlakama at Gorongoza.  As we were taught in high school and on television after Samora Machel was allegedly assassinated by apartheid South Africa in a plane crash in 1986.

We mourned about this and assumed that it would put paid to Renamo. Moreso after Zimbabwe had lost soldiers in fighting the Renamo, South African apartheid regime backed insurgency.

 The contrary turned out to be true.  But more as a political party after the Rome Accords for a peace agreement in Mozambique in 1992 (correct me if I am wrong). 

The big catch was that it was a political reality in Mozambique that could not be wished away.  Renamo continued to exist even after the freedom of South Africa in 1994. It had re-invented itself as a legitimate party in at least Western Mozambique (close to our Eastern borders).  And was evidently electable in those regions with its leader Alfonso Dlakama even becoming a member of Parliament. 

But Frelimo continued to win national elections as they constitutionally occurred. And as Zimbabweans we were sort of comfortable with that. Mainly because we did not and probably still do not see Renamo as an ally after our experiences with “Matsanga” and how they wrecked violent havoc in our Eastern provinces. 

But because we do not speak Portuguese, there are some points we may have missed about Mozambiquan democracy.  As Zimbabweans we may have falsely assumed it was static.  Based on our liberation struggle experiences as informed by historical knowledge. Both as taught in high schools after the great liberator Samora passed away but also on the basis of liberation war narratives we read in setbooks or if you were lucky were told by real war veterans such as the  late  Cde Dzinashe Machingura and Cde Freedom Nyamubaya. Wherein they always included the narrative of the battle of Mavonde.

 Though they never claimed to have been there.  I do however know at least two now war veterans that were there and what they referred to as the “Stalin Gun” that defeated the then Rhodesian army as ordered by Samora Machel.

In writing this, I am trying to demonstrate the organic relations of the people of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. 

And how controversial the relationships between Frelimo and Zanu PF have been.

On social media there has been a familiar narrative about the stealing of elections.  And also images that depict violence over and about the same.  I do not know the realities of the matter. 

What I do know is that Zimbabwe and Mozambique are kindred countries in the fight against colonialism, neocolonialism and post colonialism. 

But if you decide on a specific electoral system you have to accept its results. 

As I sometimes say to comrades, the mechanisms pf democracy are not the meaning democracy” as instructed by Kambarege Nyerere.

What is apparent is that you cannot haunt yourself out of who you are.   Democracy has never been a liability.  It is a strength.  It just has to be organic and ‘uncultist’ as we have been witnessing in recent years.

But back to Mozambique and Zimbabwe.  We belong to each other.  Historically.  Even if you wanted to falsely deny it.

The recent elections are clearly that county’s business.  Whoever they choose as their next president, while having a bearing on Zimbabwe, is essentially their decision. 

What matters more however is the fact of history. Zimbabwe and Mozambique are not a walk in the park countries.  We fought joint liberation struggles to be free.  Our people died. We are not a fiction.   We need to become better at who we can be.

*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity