Christmas just came early

I was in Arundel Village when suddenly all the commuter omnibuses going past started hooting and people cheered. The two ladies working in Solution Centre came out and hugged so I asked them what had happened and they told me Mugabe had just resigned. The supermarket was abuzz and people smiled and laughed. It was like a huge cloud had lifted and you could feel the joy, it was palpable. A security guard came over to me and said this was a good day for Zimbabwe and that the people have been suffering for too long. The shopping centre turned into a carnival and people continued to pass along Quorn Avenue hooting. On the drive home there was some crazy driving but pedestrians stood on the roadsides waving flags and whistling. Friends were going to go celebrate at Queen of Hearts but it's a bit dicey driving across town with people mad on the euphoria and I have a French lesson to prepare for tomorrow. There is a teeny part of me though that hopes we aren't celebrating too soon. It looks like Mphoko will take over as president. He is known as the MP who spent over a year living in Rainbow Towers hotel at the country's expense. For tonight though I toast the end of the rule of the dictator I have known all my life.

Despite the unity of Saturday's experience I had a rather unpleasant incident today. I was early for my form three so parked just down from a local government school. I was busy reading a message on my phone when I suddenly became aware of a group of little boys running up to my window. They couldn't have been more than nine or ten years in age. They took it in turns calling me a murungu (white person or British person in Shona) and then running away. It took me aback that children so young could express these sentiments and that there were still these kind of prejudices around. When I drove round the corner to where I teach the same group were walking along the road there. I waved and one waved back but the boy who seemed to be the instigator just hurled more abuse and it really felt venomous. Earlier today I had met with my best friend for lunch at Aroma. We talked about what was happening politically and also reflected on Gukurahundi and how we really need truth and reconciliation for all that has happened, even dating back to before Independence. We happened to ask the waiter if he had heard any news of what was happening in the country while we were eating and he said no but that the person who had been sitting at the table next to ours happened to be the head of the war veterans - eeek! We both started thinking back to exactly what we had just said.

So yes, we breath a sigh of relief, but pray for the days ahead and wisdom for the person who takes over. Hopefully we have been truly liberated.

This song came to mind tonight. It was performed at HIFA this year by Angie Nussey. Little did we know then as we sang along that freedom was possibly on its way.