Courage to speak in Zimbabwe: Charles Lunga’s story
November 8th, 2005
Charles Lunga is a remarkably brave man and our article, mailed out to Sokwanele subscribers today, tells his story (subscribe here). This is evidence of how brave Mr Lunga is:
When he was interviewed Lunga was offered this option. Would he prefer to speak under the safety of a pseudonym, his precise location perhaps being obscured in order to afford him some protection from a corrupt regime that is also vengeful ? “Not a bit of it”, was his ready answer. “This is the truth and I am not afraid to tell it.”
The following is an extract from a longer piece which goes on to detail Mr Lunga’s belief in his right to speak the truth, and his determination to do so despite politically motivated arson attacks and zero support from the police:
He lives in Majiji in Matabeleland North, a little village accessible only by a rough track, and situated some 100 kilometres north of Bulawayo. Lunga is a humble man who has never had the benefit of a decent education. Yet, a devout Christian, he knows his own mind and will not allow others to deflect him from a path of honest living. He happens also to be an avid supporter of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which he sees as being the vehicle for much-needed change in his community. As it happens the MDC enjoys massive support in the area in which Lunga lives, where memories of Gukurahundi atrocities have left deep, and still raw, scars on the community. Unfortunately for Lunga however most of his local, fellow MDC supporters prefer to keep their political allegiance to themselves. They remain silent supporters of the national resistance to Mugabe tyranny, having made the not unreasonable strategic decision to reveal their true allegiance only at election time and in the privacy of the polling booth. The net result has been that Lunga stands out rather conspicuously as an unashamed MDC member, and thereby attracts the unwelcome attentions of an extremely intolerant and habitually violent party – ZANU PF. His relatively high profile as a representative of an alternative model of non-violent political discourse has cost him dearly.
We pay tribute to Charles Lunga today, and ask that you do the same by reading the full article here. Please help ensure that his experience is recognised and his story circulated widely.
