We are Zimbabwean
Comrade Fatso’s reflections . . .
The rumours bite again. Foreign journalists have gone into hiding this evening after hearing that state security agents were raiding hotels. If the hotels were raided is another question but the fact is that the journalists and their laptops have disappeared from Harare’s cafes as I write. Fear is married to our cautious joy tonight. We are so close. But we are Zimbabwean too. And we have been so close so many times. So we are ready to have both our cynicism and our joy proved right. We are that contradictory.
We didn’t erupt into celebration yesterday. Foreign journalists and activists expected us to be jubilant, drunk with joy. But for us it’s not over until this entire house is demolished, brick by brick. Today the forex dealers are smiling at the fleamarkets. The township activists have a bounce in their step as they trod potholed streets. The waiters talk faster, confident in their banter. But we are not ecstatic. We are Zimbabwean. And we know we haven’t won it all yet. Hatisati tahwina. We have been through as many rigged elections as we have stood in bread queues. They have the same stale taste. We await the repression. We await the results. We await the rigging. We await the victory. With a hesitant joy. And a bounce in our step.
This is Comrade Fatso’s Daily Blog during the Zimbabwe Election period. See www.comradefatso.vox.com
For Daily Election Blogs by other MAGAMBA! poets and activists see www.myspace.com/magamba