WE REMOVED A DICTATOR AND WELCOMED ANOTHER

On this day in 2017, Zimbabwe felt alive with hope. People marched in the streets. They sang, they danced, they lifted signs. Everyone was united. The message was simple and clear: Robert Mugabe must go. He had ruled for too long—over 30 years—and the people were tired. We all thought this was the beginning of a new Zimbabwe.

The army had stepped in. They called it “Operation Restore Legacy.” Many of us saw it as a coup, but we accepted it. We thought maybe this was the only way out. ZANU PF was now ready to remove Mugabe. They even threatened to impeach him. It felt like a moment of victory. We cheered, we smiled, and we believed. We thought we had won.

But now, in 2024, we look back and realize we were fooled. We did not win anything. We removed one dictator and welcomed another. Emmerson Mnangagwa made big promises. He said he would fix the economy, stop corruption, and give us free elections. But he lied. He used our pain, our dreams, and our anger to get power. And now we suffer under his rule.

Mnangagwa, or ED as people called him, was never a new leader. He was part of Mugabe’s inner circle. He stood by during the darkest days of Zimbabwe, including the Gukurahundi massacres. Many lives were lost during that time, and Mnangagwa’s name is linked to that blood. But in 2017, we forgot all that. We were desperate. We thought change had come.

After he got power, everything became worse. He used soldiers to crush protests. He allowed police to beat people who were simply asking for food or fair elections. Journalists were arrested. Some activists disappeared. Life became harder. The economy collapsed even more. Bread became expensive. Fuel became a luxury. Many families sleep without food. People suffer every day.

I am one of many Zimbabweans who have spoken out. As a political activist, I use my voice to expose this pain. I write and speak not because I hate, but because I love my country. I want to see Zimbabwe free. I want a future where people are not afraid to speak. I want a Zimbabwe where elections are real, not fake. But every time I speak, I know I could be the next target.

In Zimbabwe today, being an activist is dangerous. The government watches us. They call us names. They say we are enemies of the state. But we are just people who want better. We are tired of being lied to. We are tired of suffering. We are tired of false promises.

The 2018 and 2023 elections were not free. People were beaten, arrested, and threatened. Opposition leaders were blocked from campaigning. Some were locked up on fake charges. The same tricks Mugabe used are now used by Mnangagwa. There is no democracy in Zimbabwe. There is fear, and there is silence.

But we must not be silent. We must speak even louder. What happened in 2017 must be a lesson. Removing one man is not enough. We must change the whole system. We must think before we choose our next leader. We must ask hard questions. We must protect our dreams from being stolen again.

The dream of a free Zimbabwe is still alive. We must keep it alive. We must fight peacefully but boldly. We must demand better leaders. Leaders who listen, not just those who speak. Leaders who serve, not those who steal.

Today, as we remember that hopeful day in 2017, let us also remember the pain that followed. And let us promise each other: never again. Never again will we let one man destroy our dreams. Never again will we believe without asking questions. Zimbabwe deserves better. We all do.