At one time I was listening to a rendition of our national anthem by a certain Harare school, a former white school.
I thought something was different from the lyrics I know.
The first stanza was sung in English, the second in Ndebele and the third in Shona.
There is a very deep moment in the first stanza of our national anthem which says:
Yakazvarwa nemoto weChimurenga
Neropa zhinji ramagamba
Tiidzivirire kumhandu dzedu.
I did not get this when the school sung the first stanza in English.
I listened carefully the second time it was sung at the end of the event, I didn’t get it either.
Which words were they singing? I wondered. I knew I was very correct about my words so I put it aside for a while.
Then one day I decided to check the lyrics of the Zimbabwe National Anthem on the internet. It was very interesting, the Google version is what the school had been singing.
The Google distortion strictly does not speak about the blood of our heroes, neither does it talk of moto weChimurenga, nor any revolution.
Here is what Google says:
O lift high the banner, the flag of Zimbabwe
The symbol of freedom proclaiming victory
We praise our heroes’ sacrifice
And vow to keep our land from foes
And may the Almighty protect and bless our land
And here is the correct version, the official anthem which is found in the Zimbabwe Constitution:
O lift high our flag of Zimbabwe
Born of the fire of the revolution
And of the precious blood of our heroes
Let’s defend it against all foes
Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe
And the official Shona version is as follows:
Simudzai Mureza wedu weZimbabwe
Yakazvarwa nemoto weChimurenga
Neropa zhinji ramagamba
Tiidzivirire kumhandu dzose
Ngaikomborerwe nyika yeZimbabwe
So why would the school choose a version which does not talk of our Chimurenga revolution or the blood of our heroes being the defence of our nation?
It would seem that the school chose to sing the first stanza in English and not in Shona or Ndebele, to avoid those three critical lines:
Yakazvarwa nemoto weChimurenga
Neropa zhinji ramagamba,
Tiidzivirire kumhandu dzose
or in Ndebele
Eyazalwa yimpi yenkululeko
Legaz’el’nengi lamaqhawe ethu
Silivikele ezitheni zonke
The Google English version is the only one that would serve the school’s purposes because Google does not offer a falsified version of the Ndebele and Shona versions, the fraud was only ready made in English.
A further analysis of the Google version reveals more telling distortions.
The official second stanza of our anthem says:
Behold Zimbabwe so richly adorned
With mountains, rivers beautiful
Let rain abound and fields yield the seed
May all be fed and workers rewarded
Blessed be the land of Zimbabwe
2nd stanza-Google version
Oh lovely Zimbabwe, so wondrously adorned
With mountains and rivers cascading flowing free
May rain abound and fertile fields
May we be fed, our labour blessed
And may the Almighty protect and bless our land
2nd Stanza official Shona version
Tarisai Zimbabwe nyika yaka shongedzwa
Nemakomo nehova zvinoyevedza
Mvura ngainaye minda ipe mbesa
Vashandi vatuswe, ruzhinji rugutswe
Ngaikomborererwe, nyika yeZimbabwe
The Google version unlike the true official anthem, does not pray ‘may all be fed’, (ruzhinji rugutswe), it says ‘may we be fed’, it does not say ‘and workers rewarded’ (vashandi vatuswe) instead it says ‘our work rewarded.’
These differences with Google are more than semantics, they indicate deep rooted meanings.
These Google distortions are not innocent, they are an act of aggression.
The statement ‘may all be fed,’ underlines Zimbabwe’s socialist principles on which the nation is founded, that all should be catered for, which principle is opposite to the colonialism that bedeviled us for 90 years.
This stance distinguishes us from the British armed robbers who never cared for the people of Zimbabwe.
This is why Google undermines it and reduces it. And predictably, Google cannot pronounce ‘and workers be rewarded’ because the statement also underlines Zimbabwe’s socialist principles which are against the exploitation of workers.
These critical elements, commitment to the welfare of the majority of Zimbabweans not of a minority as under colonialism, are the principles for which the armed struggle was fought, so is the justice to the workers; that is why these values are enshrined in the national anthem.
What is clear at the end of the day is that the national anthem of Zimbabwe is a powerful tool for mobilising Zimbabweans, a rallying point for us, an important definition of who we are and what we stand for, our heart.
For this reason our enemies will never leave it alone, that is why Google publishes its own distorted version. Those among us who are not committed to Zimbabwe fuel this fraud by pretending to sing the national anthem while they are singing their own version which is undermining the principles and values which are a critical definition of Zimbabwe.
To safeguard this all important moment in our schools it would help if the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education ensures schools have the official national anthem so that our enemies cannot exploit this special moment. If each school for instance, has a copy of the constitution of Zimbabwe then there would be a correct reference for this.
And may we of Zimbabwe have a blessed New Year!