NEXT Friday, April 18, 2025, will be Zimbabwe’s 45th independence anniversary.
Over the past weeks, I have been listening to celebrated Chimurenga music icon — Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo — and to my surprise I decided to relook at independence and its meaning through his politically-conscious music.
Let me start from the beginning.
My love for Chimurenga music was ignited by my late maternal uncle — Bobby.
He was a jolly fellow and many times, we would discuss how he skipped his bus stop in Mabvuku to enjoy the last lines of Mukanya’s music belting in the commuter omnibus.
This drew me closer to listen carefully to the lyrics and boom, I was hooked to his music that dripped conscious vibes and apt commentary of the political environment in Zimbabwe.
Over the years, I have discovered that Mukanya’s music can be listened and categorised into specific eras of our independence, starting with the independence euphoria in the 1980s, to disenchantment by the corruption and political intolerance of the 1990s and finally the acceptance that independence had been betrayed at the turn of the century.
I have chosen seven songs to illustrate how Mukanya and, for that matter, the general public perceived independence and its benefits.
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From the euphoric days, I have chosen the songs, Pemberai, Chitima Cherusunguko and Hondo.
These songs have unique themes that capture the moment.
The fast paced, high-pitched song, Pemberai, is all about independence.
It marked the end of colonialism and the citizens were being urged to celebrate the great feat of attaining independence.
Mukanya remained in the element of independence when he released Chitima Cherusunguko.
This is a song that on reflection could have persuaded Zanu PF to pursue the aborted one-party State policy.
The late former President Robert Mugabe was idolised and in Mapfumo’s words, the “train driver or engineman”. The song touches on what Zanu PF is or was.
Mukanya sings: “Zanu chiiko? Zanu vanhu, vanhu iZanu.” (What is Zanu? Zanu is the people, the people are Zanu).
This is a song that made it very difficult for the people to hold Zanu accountable in the early years.
The leaders went about their business in the name of the people.
It is in the same song that Mukanya sings: “Gandanga uchariziva here ukariona, riri kutonga Zimbabwe yaro.” (Can you identify the terrorist? They are now running their Zimbabwe)
It can be seen that the war veterans had been put on a higher pedestal and the natural position of being the guardian of the State.
This later manifested in the 2000s fast-track land reform programme, the 2008 bloody presidential election re-run and the November 2017 military coup that ousted Mugabe.
All these three events were led by war veterans, who genuinely believe they own Zimbabwe.
And, finally, from that era is the song Hondo.
Mukanya may have been disturbed by the Gukurahundi atrocities and Zimbabwe’s military deployment into Mozambique to safeguard the Beira Corridor.
He laments: “Hondo takairamba kare, kunofa varombo hona vapfumi vachisara.” (We do not approve the war, it kills the poor while the rich survive.)
It marked the change in Mukanya.
He had become class conscious, far from the heady days of independence euphoria where he believed in equality and making Zanu a people’s project.
The reality was hitting home that war casualties were more often the poor.
By the second decade of independence, Mukanya lamented some of the actions of the once celebrated Zanu.
From this period, I once again pick three songs; Corruption, Varombo Kuva Rombo and Jojo.
The senior leaders of Zanu had become corrupt.
Corruption had become pervasive in Zimbabwe.
The young clerk would demand a bribe to do his/her work to issue documents such as birth certificates or national identity cards.
At the top, we had scandals like the Willowgate Scandal.
Cabinet ministers were behaving like car salesmen.
They were taking advantage of the car shortage in the market, jumping the queue to buy vehicles at the State-owned Willowvale Motor Industries and reselling the same cars at inflated prices.
The disenchanted Mukanya tried once again to remind Zanu that it had departed from its socialist path in the song Varombo Kuva Rombo.
He reminded the party that it was formed on socialist principles and the State should ensure the poor are given social safety nets.
“Varombo kuva rombo, vapfumi kuva kupfumi ndiwo magariro atisingade. Hurumende yedu inoda kutsaruzhinji, kana tichiguta totoguta tese, kana iri nzara yototiuraya tese,” Mukanya sang. (We do not like class differences where the poor stay in their own hoods while the rich have their places, our government wants socialism.)
And after the 1990 political violence that was witnessed in the parliamentary elections, Mukanya sang the poignant Jojo.
It spoke about the growing political intolerance and urged Jojo to be wary all the time because some activists were being killed.
By the turn of the century, Mukanya had lost hope.
He had seen the euphoria turned into great sorrow.
He had witnessed the abandonment of the socialist policies, the growing corruption among the political leaders and the growing chasm between the rich and poor.
From that period, I chose just one song, Mamvemve.
Mukanya sings: “Nyika yenyu yamaichemera, hona yaita mamvemve.” (Your country you dearly loved has been torn into tatters.)
Since then, things have deteriorated fast with the country first demonitising its currency the Zimdollar in 2009.
A few years earlier, more that half a million people had been displaced from urban areas in the infamous Operation Murambatsvina.
The political stakes have been high and in a quarter century, the main opposition has been pulverised.
It may take another generation to have an artiste who captures the country’s history and sentiments in song over such a long period.
Mukanya has done that and as we celebrate the 45th Independence Day, may we re-listen to Mukanya once more with the idea to learn where we lost it as a country.
- Paidamoyo Muzulu is a journalist based in Harare. He writes here in his personal capacity.
