Confessions: The only way forward
The Standard, Sunday, 06 November 2011

Human beings by nature want to live well. I am meeting people who want to enjoy their lives. The majority who share with me want to shed their past by making corrections; what Christians would call making confessions. Many people are being haunted by their past. Zimbabwe has one of the largest numbers of people who have everything to confess about. Our political leaders of late are on record telling us that those who kill or beat in the name of the party have themselves to blame. This message and events of the past weeks show that much has to be done to help people be at peace. Midlands Governor Jason Machaya has owned up and paid for the murder crime committed by his son.

There are so many people who cannot enjoy a pleasant sleep for a day. Whenever we put our heads to the pillow we are haunted by what we did; during the struggle, Gukurahundi, fast-track land reform mayhem, Murambatsvina, Operation “this” and “that” and lately the presidential run-up of 2008. I am told some people cannot even sleep in their own homes. Some are spending their nights in drinking joints till morning. The safest place to sleep is at work during the day. At least the nightmares are not as bad. Indeed this is not a laughing matter!

I am also told that those that are on some farms have no peace at all. They are haunted left, right and centre. At a church meeting in Manicaland some occupiers of land volunteered to go back to their homes because their nights in the farm house were hell. They would hear plates and pots being worked on during the night. Some have tried traditional remedies by consulting experts but with little success. Those who are bold have gone to their pastors and confessed what they did to the previous owners of the farms. Confession must be followed by reparation in most cases. It is not enough just to hide in churches.

Now that we are preparing for elections next year, should we then prepare people to beat others knowing the consequences? The nation must put its act together and honestly ask everyone to treat people as human beings with dignity. No one owns anyone; be it party or leader of any party. People should not be forced to toe a particular line, thinking or voting style. Forcing people to do what they do not want is just as good as destroying their resolve. You are as bad as a rapist.

While rapists may claim to enjoy the act, those being raped experience hell. Can our leaders for once learn to respect people and treat them with honour and the dignity they deserve? The sad thing though, is that our leaders never take an active part in either beating, killing or forcing people to join queues where people are drilled as to which party to vote for. People do not like that kind of treatment. It is dehumanising to say the least.

We pray for and love our leaders. Can they also respect us by not forcing us to vote for them?

Rev Dr Levee Kadenge