It’s been over four decades since Zimbabwe gained independence from colonial rule. The country was supposed to be a beacon of hope for the African continent, a shining example of what can be achieved when people come together to fight for their rights, but that dream has turned into a nightmare.

The very leaders who fought for our freedom have become the oppressors. They have turned our country into a kleptocracy, where corruption is rampant and the rule of law is non-existent. They have enriched themselves at the expense of the people they were supposed to serve. They have created a system where only the connected and the corrupt can thrive, while the rest of us are left to suffer.

And what’s worse is that they have convinced us that this is all for our own good. They tell us that we need to be patient, that change takes time, that we should trust them to lead us to a better future. But how can we trust them when they have shown time and time again that they are only interested in their own self-preservation?

It’s easy to blame the white man for all our problems. After all, they were the ones who colonized us, who enslaved us, who oppressed us for centuries. But what happens when the oppressor looks like us? What happens when it’s black on black oppression? Suddenly, it’s not so easy to point fingers anymore.

We need to wake up and realize that our leaders are not our saviors. They are not here to save us from ourselves. They are here to enrich themselves at our expense. We need to hold them accountable for their actions. We need to demand better from them.

Zimbabwe deserves better than this. We deserve leaders who will put the needs of the people first, who will fight for justice and equality, who will build a country that we can all be proud of. Until then, we will continue to suffer under the weight of our own oppression.