ZIMBABWEANS are generally a peace-loving people. 

Violence is not in our DNA. 

We know the importance of peace because we have learnt from our past. Who doesn’t know the history of this beautiful nation – that our ancestors and forefathers lived in peace. 

That they even embraced numerous whitemen, missionaries or so-called explorers.

Remember the Moffats, Carnegies, Frederick Selous and David Livingstone, among others. 

Little, however, did black people know the whiteman’s intentions. 

Then came the homosexual Cecil John Rhodes and his bandits. 

Having hoodwinked King Lobengula, they claimed the country and Zimbabwe became a British colony. They named the country Rhodesia in honour of Rhodes. 

And when the Pioneer Column occupied Zimbabwe on September 12 1890 and hoisted the Union Jack, Zimbabweans would know no peace for a very long time. Rhodes et al said they were the ‘finest flower of civilisation’ and regarded blacks as their horses —they (whites) were the riders.

The whiteman then began looting cattle from blacks and the Meikles, for instance, started to build an empire. They removed blacks from their fertile ancestral lands, while torture and slavery became the order of the day. 

Violence was perpetrated on innocent Zimbabweans who had unwittingly welcomed the whiteman into the motherland.

Naturally, black people retaliated and wars were fought. 

The First, Second and Third Chimurengas were an effort by Zimbabweans to reclaim their territory. They were priceless efforts to get rid of the white menace. 

In the Second Chimurenga, in particular, teens crossed the border into neighbouring countries to train as freedom fighters. 

Having been reduced to third-class citizens in their own country, they sacrificed their lives and fought for the motherland. 

Thousands died at the hands of the whiteman. Thousands still lie in marked and unmarked graves in Zimbabwe and beyond our borders.

That was a violent period in the history of this nation, a period some would want us to forget, but we cannot and we will not. 

Inevitably, John Bull was defeated and Zimbabwe attained independence on April 18 1980. 

However, four decades after independence, Rhodies still long for Rhodesia. 

To date, the whiteman cannot let go of Zimbabwe and has devised uncouth means to find his way back. 

We have seen how he has manipulated some in our midst to turn against their own country. Just as Ian Smith ‘captured’ the likes of Abel Muzorewa and Chief Chirau, among others, we are seeing the whiteman’s hand in today’s opposition parties. 

Four decades after independence, we still have sell-outs among us who will do anything to further the whiteman’s cause. 

That is why it is important for Zimbabweans to know their history.

As we head towards this year’s harmonised elections, quislings are being used by Uncle Sam and crew to disturb the peace prevailing in our country.

In this issue, we have a story touching on a disturbing video on social media showing the elderly being assaulted for allegedly supporting the opposition. 

As rightfully put, the goal is to tie ZANU PF and Government to acts of violence.

However, ZANU PF has distanced itself from the Murehwa video as absolutely nothing connects the politically motivated violence to the ruling Party. Police investigations are underway, but what we know is that the opposition has a well-known record of stage-managing events in the hope of drawing sympathy from their Western handlers.

 History shows that violence is in the opposition’s DNA and they will use it by all means to discredit this year’s harmonised elections because at the back of their minds they know they will not and will never win.