The Sunday Mail
The Sharp Shooter Vukani Madoda
The two most important days in anyone’s life is the day they are born and the day they find out why.
Last Tuesday was a very important day because Robert Mugabe was born on that day and we got to reflect on why he was born.
If Cde Mugabe had not been born, imagine what life for Zimbabweans would have been like; imagine what life would have been for Africans.
Indeed imagine what life would have been for black people the world over.
Having been enslaved for close to 500 years, beaten, downtrodden, subjugated and exploited — if Cde Mugabe had not been born the same grotesque and forgettable order for the black man would have prevailed without anyone to bring to book the racist and bigoted white supremacy syndrome.
Black people the world over would still not have a voice.
They would still have been dominated and vanquished by ruthless white imperialists and supremacists who regrettably still believe they are a superior race.
Very few, if any black people, would have the audacity to face up to racist regimes or challenge an erroneous supremacy and superiority tag that white people have infallibly bestowed on themselves.
Blacks would still be walking around carrying passbooks and working for phthisis in the mines and sugar plantations. No blacks would be able to read, write or become inventors. No blacks would be walking in First Street or living in Borrowdale Brooke or Folyjon Crescent.
Blacks would not be driving cars or becoming Professors at recognised universities in Zimbabwe and the world over.
No blacks would be land owners.
Blacks would still be dependent on white people for food, shelter, entertainment, information and education.
No blacks would have had the chance to fly in aeroplanes or pilot them.
No blacks would have been able to go on holiday and see the world.
Slavery would be the order of the day. Gays and lesbians would roam the streets and indulge in deplorable orgies of a disgusting nature in Africa’s sacred shrines and monuments.
Imagine if Robert Mugabe had not been born. Just imagine.
Democracy would be non-existent. Apartheid would be the order of the day. Lynching would be a common sight.
The Ku Klux Klan would have taken over the world. Africa would be an Orania and the black man would be almost extinct.
The reason why Cde Mugabe was born was to take back the black racial pride that was slowly disappearing from the face of the Earth.
Those born in defence of black racial pride were either assassinated or brainwashed.
Malcom X was assassinated, so was Martin Luther King Jr. Steve Biko was brutally tortured to death. Patrice Lumumba was disintegrated in acid. Kwame Nkrumah was betrayed. Thomas Sankara was murdered. Herbert Chitepo exploded in a car bomb. Nelson Mandela was infiltrated.
So imagine if Robert Mugabe had not been born.
The black man would have become the wretched of the Earth by now.
Fortunately, Robert Mugabe was born on 21 February 1924 and the course of history as the white people wanted it to read, changed drastically.
To this day they have no clue as to how to handle this gallant son of the black race — a champion of equality, sovereignty and egalitarianism.
Every black person, including former US President Barack Obama, owe the man everything they became in this world.
Without Robert Mugabe, we would still have been wantonly called “kaffir”, “nigga”, “negro” or some other such derogatory title. But thanks to him, the black man’s worth is clearly recognised.
A black man is slowly being seen as a person with equal rights and opportunities.
Remember it is Black History Month and if Cde Mugabe had not been born, would such a month exist?
Let me recite a very humorous and revealing story about a group of white people who were fed up with black people.
These white people wished themselves away to a place where they would be no black people, especially Robert Mugabe.
They passed through a deep dark tunnel and emerged in some twilight zone where there were no black people, a world without the likes of Robert Mugabe.
At first these white people breathed a sigh of relief.
“At last”, they said, “no more crime, drugs, violence and human rights abuse.”
All of the blacks had gone! Then suddenly, reality set in.
The new world was not a planet at all — only a barren land.
Very few crops flourished there because the world as they knew it had been built on a slave-supported system.
There were no cities with tall skyscrapers because Alexander Mils, a black man, invented the elevator, and without it, they found great difficulty reaching higher floors.
There were few if any cars because Richard Spikes, a black man, invented the automatic gearshift.
Joseph Gambol, also black, invented the super-charge system for internal combustion engines, and Garrett A. Morgan, a black man, invented the traffic signals.
Furthermore, they could not use the rapid transit system because its procurer was the electric trolley, which was invented by another black man, Albert R. Robinson.
Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system could operate, they were cluttered with paper because an African, Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.
There were few if any newspapers, magazines and books because John Love invented the pencil sharpener. William Purveys invented the fountain pen, and Lee Barrage invented the type-writing machine while W. A. Love invented the advanced printing press. They were all; you guessed it, black – just like Cde Mugabe.
Even if these whites could write their letters, articles and books, they would not have been transported by mail because William Barry invented the postmarking and cancelling machine. William Purveys invented the hand stamp and Philip Downing invented the letter drop. All these guys were black.
The lawns were brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the lawn sprinkler and John Burr the lawn mower.
When these whites entered their homes, they found them poorly ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the air conditioner and Alice Parker the heating furnace.
These white people’s homes were also dim.
But of course, Lewis Lattimer later invented the electric lamp, Michael Harvey invented the lantern, and Granville T. Woods invented the automatic cut off switch.
Their homes were also filthy because Thomas W. Steward invented the mop and Lloyd P. Ray the dust pan.
Their white children met them at the door — barefooted, shabby, motley and unkempt.
But what could one expect? Jan E. Matzelinger invented the shoe lasting machine. Walter Sammons invented the comb. Sarah Boone invented the ironing board and George T. Samon invented the clothes dryer.
Finally, these white people were resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of this turmoil. But here again, the food had spoiled because another black man, John Standard, invented the refrigerator.
Now, isn’t that something? What would this world be like without the contributions of blacks such as Robert Mugabe?
Robert Mugabe is more than just a Zimbabwean President, he represents the entire ethos of the rich cultural heritage of all black people. That is why we should be glad that he was born for all the good reasons.
Dubulaizitha!
