Heroes Day Lessons For Africans

Heroes Day lessons for Africans

By Obi Egbuna
Reprinted From the Zimbabwe Herald

AS the people of Zimbabwe paid homage to their fallen heroes throughout the country on Monday, there are several valuable lessons daughters and sons of Africa both at home and abroad can learn.

While the majority of people who visit Zimbabwe annually eagerly anticipate visiting Mosi-oa-Tunya (commonly referred to as Victoria Falls) or Great Zimbabwe in Masvingo because of their breathtaking beauty, it is the National Heroes Acre in Harare that will help people not only understand the people’s collective resistance spearheaded by President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

The national shrine also puts Zimbabwe’s current political and economic challenges in a proper historical context.

The first thing that stands out about the shrine should not be the beautiful architecture, but the deliberate effort to bury comrades in Zanu and Zapu right next to each other as comrades-in-arms and not political rivals.

This shows the African world the kind of unity that led to independence on April 18, 1980.

Because the West continues to deliberately overlook Zimbabwe’s positive achievements, they will never grasp the true meaning of Heroes Day and the Africans under their thumb are in danger of letting these valuable lessons pass them by.

The national shrine is arguably the strongest political statement on the lengths an oppressed people can go to when attempting to unify their resistance efforts while in pursuit of total liberation.

This has significance on both the Memorandum of Understanding and the talks between the three main political parties.

While US and British imperialism and their neo-colonialist counterparts intensify their efforts to diminish the talks and their political value, they underestimate the political culture of Zimbabweans.

It is these dynamics that made both formations of the MDC realise that the leadership of President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe is the driving force behind the bond that makes the masses in Southern Africa rejoice that they reside in the most stable and unified region of the African continent.

The African community inside US borders is light years behind Zimbabweans and our comrades in the Sadc region when it comes to the concept of unification.

It is quite contradictory that the Africans inside US borders who have decided to devote their energy to condemning President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, using the same baseless rhetoric as the Bush and Brown administrations, are unwilling to do the necessary work to create and maintain a united African front among organisations fighting inside the belly of US imperialism.

We have seen in the last 10 years the funerals of human rights icons like Kwame Toure, James Forman and Rosa Parks turn into showcases for many spokespeople who still haven’t learned how to properly pay tribute to fallen comrades.

Instead of using these platforms to showcase their oratory prowess, they should highlight the work of the fighters they would have gathered to honour instead of behaving like they are trying to earn the final spot on a debate team.

If they came to Zimbabwe for Heroes Day, the first thing that would stand out is that President Mugabe is the only speaker of the day, and others who are gifted in articulating ideas that are the cornerstone of the revolutionary process in Zimbabwe, actually have the humility to sit down and listen to someone else without itching to be the stars of the show.

The way President Mugabe uses this opportunity is both humble and brilliant. He highlights the giants of yesterday for the born-free generation and this ensures the work of comrades like Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara and Joshua Nkomo will be not only remembered but continued.

He then turns to confronting Zimbabwe’s immediate challenges.

A few weeks ago at a the Press conference after the MOU was signed, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said nobody held a monopoly on patriotism.

This was perhaps his most eloquent remark since he has been on the political scene in Zimbabwe, even going back to his days as the secretary-general of ZCTU.

Tsvangirai will have to admit he has never heard President Mugabe or anyone in Zanu-PF ever declare themselves a patriot.

We can say with certainty that Tsvangirai will find it extremely difficult to find any significant historical figure in any liberation struggle, whether in Africa, Asia or Latin America, who will claim to be a super patriot.

Such a label can only bestowed upon you by your people.

So when evaluating his role in Zimbabwe’s struggle, if the majority of his compliments are coming from Britain and the United States, perhaps this will help expand his understanding and appreciation of who President Mugabe and the fallen comrades buried at the Heroes Acre are.

Tsvangirai can also travel the world and visit the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia which have a rich revolutionary tradition like Zimbabwe, and we are confident he will find that the accolade of a patriot can only be given by the people.

The climate of unity in Zimbabwe is stronger than ever and this has helped the country stave off the negative propaganda that comes from Westerners who would like to see the revolution and the talks fail.

What is becoming increasingly obvious is that the US and British governments have made their biggest foreign policy blunder in the manner in which they have chosen to engage Zimbabwe.

This is because of a combination of two dynamics: their hatred of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF and their inability to convince both formations of the MDC to merge and march to the beat of their drum.

As more accurate information is revealed about Anglo-American imperialism’s dual agenda on Zimbabwe, the African world will discover in the near future that the opposition was created to do anything to frustrate President Mugabe’s revolution.

Any means necessary were to be used in this quest.

That is why the West is worried about the present talks and it is working night and day to ensure they do not succeed.

The West has not backed Tsvangirai for all these years only for him to sit at a negotiating table with the man they want removed at all costs.

The European Union, the US and their allies do not have confidence in Tsvangirai’s negotiating skills and they thus do not want to see him talking face-to-face with President Mugabe.

The West will settle for nothing less than President Mugabe’s total capitulation and they do not see this coming out of dialogue.

Today Zimbabwe is too united for the West’s liking and the spirit of oneness, as embodied in Heroes Day, is too much for them to bear.

Arthur Mutambara was present at the Heroes Day commemorations and it is for this reason that the anti-Zimbabwe campaign will try now more than ever to try and make him look irrelevant.

Zimbabweans has resisted such attempts to divide the nation before and they will resist again.

Long live the fallen heroes! Long live President Mugabe! Long live Zimbabwe!

Empowering Cuba To Save More African Lives

The bravery and fervor Cuban Revolutionaries have displayed since time immemorial, from Jose Marti (whom Fidel Castro affectionately refers to as the Apostle of the revolution) and General Antonio Maceo to Che Guevara and Vilma Espin, have always been an inspiration to those who truly love freedom and justice. This passion for world peace stems from the revolutionary values which are at the core of Cuban society. Often times, the world has seen how willing Cubans are to give their lives and resources in pursuit of freedom and justice-such as they did at the US led Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961,and in Angola, Mozambique and Guinee Bissau. A more current example of this courage are the 5 Cuban patriots, who are illegally imprisoned in US jails, because they decided to risk their lives to prevent further acts of naked aggression and terrorism against their beloved homeland, by the counter revolutionary Cuban forces in Miami who are openly aligned with the Bush administration. It is quite interesting that despite this rich history of sacrifice, Commandante Fidel Castro has humbly indicated on many occasions that the greatest army ever assembled in Cuba, is that of the medical brigades. These professional and well trained brigades have many times represented their country patriotically not only at home but throughout the world.

Whether speaking in our indigenous or colonial languages, no one can ever find the right words with which to express our gratitude for the countless lives Cuban medical personnel have saved across Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America .The commitment that the Cuban medical brigades have demonstrated is truly inspiring whether or not one supports Cuba's political and social ideology. The poorest people in the world have benefited from free treatment that has been extended by the government of the largest island of the Caribbean. This level of commitment and exemplary service has put Cuba at the forefront of intervention in containing the spread and impact of HIV and Aids on both the African continent and Diaspora. While medical advocacy groups when revealing tragic statistics in relation to this deadly disease might have created a climate of panic that many of those with HIV or Aids never psychologically overcome, several top medical experts estimate there will be 18 million Aids orphans on the African continent by 2010.Already close to a decade into the second millennium, it is time for Africa to fully appreciate a standing offer that Cuba has made to the continent to assist in dealing with the pandemic. While the United Nations and various organizations such as the Global Fund were still busy setting up the millennium fund, Cde Castro communicated to the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that Cuba would like to lend its assistance to the cause. He told Mr. Annan that because Cuba was under a decades old blockade the country could not give any monetary aid but there was still a way in which he could give help. Cde Castro said Cuba was willing to send 4,000-that's right 4,000 of Cuba's best HIV and Aids doctors and specialists directly to Africa and they would remain on the continent until the pandemic was defeated. That offer unfortunately was not taken up because the UN apparently feared the reaction feared the reaction from the United States-Cuba's age old enemy-if it emerged that the Socialist country was doing far more than anyone else in combating HIV and AIDS. So, sadly, nothing came out of this most generous offer. It is fortunate that the region on the continent worst affected by HIV and Aids is also the same region that has the closest ties with Cuba on the continent: Southern Africa.


There are numerous Cuba friendship associations across the SADC region and is time these bodies jointly approached the African Union and make it clear that the entire continent accept Cuba's offer. People are always saying that Africa should be left to come up with solutions to its own problems and in Cuba's magnanimous offer, the continent has an opportunity to cast aside the conditional aid that comes from the West and effectively do something about HIV and AIDS. The time is more than ripe to submit a joint proposal to the AU, through the proper channels and established protocol, using the various Cuba Friendship Associations and through the offices of the SADC health ministers. The proposal should call on the AU to create a joint fund from each member of the continent wide body to finance the 4,000 strong brigade that Cuba wants to send to Africa.

This money would be used for the Cubans upkeep and necessary supplies. The AU should agree to let Cuba develop a training program that helps African countries deal with droughts, floods and other natural calamities and disasters as these have a huge impact on HIV and AIDS. We know that the immediate reaction from some in Africa will be that such a decision will place the continent on a collision course with the United States, which does not want the rest of the world to develop strong ties with Cuba. The case of Zimbabwe and its courageous leader President Mugabe has shown the world exactly the kind of onslaught the US can unleash when a third world country resists big power hegemony and makes decisions that empower its own peoples. But can the US really afford to antagonize the whole of Africa? Can it try to do to the entire continent what it has been trying to do to Zimbabwe? After all, the US needs Africa's resources and there should not be any fear of US reaction to accepting Cuba's compassionate offer, if these countries consistently vote against the US imposed blockade on Cuba at the UN every year, than embracing a measure to save the lives of everyone form the elderly to small children is just a drop in the bucket. It is also important to highlight that Africa already hosts almost 3,000 Cuban doctors dispersed throughout the continent wherever duty calls. What will make this statement even more powerful is if the Africans in the Diaspora do something equally as bold and visionary. The African community inside US borders are only three years removed from Hurricane Katrina-one of the most devastating disasters in US history.

In the midst of all the political grandstanding that characterized the Bush administration's response to the catastrophe, the most significant and genuine offer was almost totally ignored. Twenty four hours after the hurricane struck, Cde Castro contacted the US State Department in Washington and offered to send 500 environmental disaster specialists to the Gulf region within the next day. That was not all. A further 1,500 would be dispatched over the next 48 hours. The personnel would remain in place, assisting victims of the disaster until the health infrastructure was resurrected and the people were adequately cared for. In the next 48 hours, the US Health and Human Services Department declared public health emergency in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The emergency was then extended to nine other states where survivors were evacuated to but still the US would still not accept Cde Castro's offer. Later on, it is estimated that apart from the innumerable deaths and damage to property, over 500,000 people were said to have needed psychological counseling following the disaster and the government's inadequate response to it.


An interesting point to note: Louisiana supplies 30 percent of the oil and gas produced in the US but has a poverty rate of 23 percent. The poverty rates in Mississippi and Alabama are 23 and 20 percent respectively and these are the worst three states in the entire country. For some reason, the non white community, who were the worst affected by Hurricane Katrina, failed to unite and confront the Bush administration for their poor response to the tragedy and refusing to take up Cde Castro's offer. The US Department of Health was well aware of what Cuba did during the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 in Russia where they offered similar assistance. A similar offer was made by Cde Castro to the US Government shortly after the September 11th attacks. Despite this sterling humanitarian record, the US still lists Cuba as a terrorist country and little girls like Condoleezza Rice have the temerity to paint the country as an outpost of tyranny. While conventional wisdom says the reaction of US Imperialism to Cuba's offer was predictable and it would be idealistic to expect otherwise, the former Ambassador to the Cuban Interests Section Dagoberto Rodriguez, said the offer was not just rejected, but simply ignored. But at the same time, the response of the 40 million Africans living inside the belly of the US was at best mediocre. We chose to waste time on television and radio panels discussing the sound byte of hip hop star Kanye West when he said "George Bush doesn't like black people”, rather than tackle real issues affecting us. The internationally acclaimed director and filmmaker Spike Lee made the film "When The Levees Broke" which shed light on the disaster and the impact it had on the Gulf Region, however this 2 ½ hour documentary made no mention of Cde Castro's offer to the people of the Gulf Region. There was a segment in which the entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte discussed the offer of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, because Mr. Belafonte is an ardent supporter and long time friend/admirer of Cuba, three years later it is difficult to determine whether he genuinely forgot to mention Cuba or if this was another classic hatchet job by the Zionists calling the shots in Hollywood. While the cultural workers failed to shed light on Cuba's offer the medical and political sectors of our community fared no better. Neither the National Medical Association or the Black Nurses Association-out two largest medical advocacy groups failed to aggressively promote this offer. Civil Rights Organizations like the NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, National Urban League, the Children's Defense Fund and the Congressional Black Caucus whose leadership have visited and support Cuba, collectively chose to take a domestic approach to the Hurricane Katrina situation and were silent about the offer made by Cde Castro. The churches-many who have visited the Martin Luther King Center in Cuba-also did very little to expose the Bush administration's decision to ignore Cuba's act of good will to the people in the Gulf region. The National Newspaper Publishers Association and the National Association of Black Journalists in a three year time span also as a unit did close to nothing to promote this magnificent offer from Cuba, even though many of the Publishers and Editors frequently highlight the health disparity between the African(African-American) and White Communities inside the United States. While they were efforts to raise the issue, such as those by Nation Of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, these were far and between. And now three years later while Africans at home should be pushing for the Cuban medical brigade to be deployed forthwith to help us win the battle against HIV and AIDS, the Africans in America should realize we lost a similar opportunity and should be campaigning to ensure the US Government does not continue to block this offer.

We must demand that Bush not interfere because several countries who attack Cuba politically, accept help from their medical brigades, we must challenge US Presidential hopeful Senator Barack Hussein Obama raise this issue on every campaign stop he has from here to November and his opponent Senator John McCain resist the temptation to sabotage this effort in traditional US military fashion.