This perception needs to be confronted and dealt with to avoid a decayed, directionless, and pariah society. It is a small fire which, if not managed and curtailed in time could lead to massive deaths.
Apparently this attitude is not peculiar to Nyikayaramba only, but many individuals within the Zanu power structures. They are convinced that they should rule “until the donkeys grow horns” irrespective of their continued abuse of power and inability to deliver. It is inherent in their psyche that because they fought and liberated the Zimbabwean people it is their God-given right to rule and amass the wealth of Zimbabwe to themselvesLooking at Nyikayaramba’s utterances, you get a sense of arrogance, denial and insecurity on his part.
To him Zanu PF election loss is the end of the world. Note that this was the same attitude of the Rhodesians. Some ended up committing suicide and drinking poison on their farms when Robert Mugabe came to power. Rhodesia was theirs and was never to be given to the black man, especially a Marxist Robert Mugabe. So it is today, Zimbabwe is “theirs” and never to be given to those who never went to the battlefield.
The Rhodesians fought and oppressed the people under the pretext of protecting the nation from communism. Today the same is happening; they claim to be fighting imperialism when in fact they are killing their own people?
From Nyikayaramba’s utterances it is my opinion that he needs to seek medical advice and psychological evaluation. There are certain ailments in the developing world which we tend to overlook, especially those related to psychological problems like depression, stresses, anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive disorders and life traumas. His utterances are typical of all despondent authoritarian rulers in the face of reality and are in denial of the developing events around them.
They become irrational in their assessment of things and develop planning paralysis and conclude that it can never happen as they lock themselves in a cul-de-sac waiting to pounce at any perceived enemy. The enemy or witch becomes anything from the very children whom you “liberated” to your own wife who nurses you. The witch is the West, the opposition, “Murambatsvina squatters,” and now Sadc.
We should also not underestimate the traumas and abuses people experienced in the armed struggle. Post-War Traumatic Stress disorder is a reality and has proved to exist in military personnel from post wars of Sierra Leone and Vietnam, years after the events.
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It is unfortunate that at independence “our liberators” were quickly assimilated into the society and promoted to influential positions without undergoing some medical assessment for any disorders as a result of the war. It is sad that some who exhibit such symptoms are now judges, counsellors, ministers, parastal CEOs, public prosecutors, senior police officers and occupy various positions of authority in our society, hence some of the decay we now see in our society. Zimbabwe, for all its great economic potential, is in a mess, a reflection of those who lead us, not sanctions.
It is important to attempt to examine a person’s unconscious mind to discover the hidden causes of their mental problems and develop the reasoning behind certain behavioral tendencies.
It is hard to fathom or understand the psyche of someone who burns another human being, cuts someone’s buttocks, pushes wooden sticks in a women’s private parts and many other horrendous acts all in the name of defending his sovereignty.
The present day Zanu’s political behaviour, including that of its leadership, is a product of their past traumatic experiences under the Smith regime with the resultant opposition namely the MDC exhibiting and developing similar tendencies. We reap what we sow and violence begets violence.
Let’s nip the penchant of bloodshed from our society before it’s too late. The Rwanda story did not start like a big fire, it started small, with the state media stroking the fires and utterances similar to that of our dear comrade Nyikayaramba.
