Animal Farm and Zimbabwe Politics
Animal Farm by George Orwell aka Eric Blair is one the greatest books ever written. It is a parable about farm animals driving off the farm owner and taking control of the farm. The pigs lead the animal revolution but soon turn on the animals and become the new oppressors. The book ends with the animals failing to see the difference between the pigs and the humans. Animal Farm was really a jab at the Soviet Union and their revolution. The Bolsheviks led the revolution against the Romanov dynasty then turned around and became the new oppressors who may have been worse than the old oppressor. But the theme of new boss same as the old boss is not only relevant to the Soviet Union and the Bolshevik revolution. The freedom fighter turning into an oppressor is a story as old as the hills. It happened when Napoleon became an emperor. It happened when the American founding fathers continued the slave trade and stealing land from the Native Americans. It happened when the Maccabeans became Hellenist. It happened when the free slaves of Liberia became slave owners. It happened after Cromwell had King James executed. It has happened over and over in history and will continue to happen until the end of time.
And so the Animal Farm story is applicable to Zimbabwe formerly known as Rhodesia. The characters are as follows
Tongogara or Chitepo was Old Major
Farmer Jones was Ian Smith
Mugabe was Napoleon
Joshua Nkomo was Snowball
After Tongogara or Old Major died the Africans won their revolutionary war and kicked out Ian Smith or Farmer Manor, there was a tussle for power between Mugabe or Napoleon and Nkomo as Snowball. Nkomo is defeated and flees into exile though unlike the pig Snowball he does return. Nevertheless, the tyranny of the pigs is similar to the tyranny of Zanu pf after the so called independence. The revolutionaries exploit the Zimbabwean people to such a point there is no difference betweeen the freedom fighters and the oppressors. All Zimbabweans can do is look on as the Zanu pf elite walk on two legs, mimic the former colonial masters and get fat from the ill gotten wealth.
Funnily enough, the Animal Farm saga replayed itself again in Zimbabwe politics decades later. The characters are
Mugabe was Farmer Jones
Mnangagwa was Napoleon
Saviour Kasukuwere was Snowball
The politics in Zimbabwe are quite similar to what took place in the Soviet Union. After Lenin died, a power struggle between the brainy Trotsky and the brawny Stalin took place and Stalin took power. Likewise, after Mugabe's death, the brawny Mnangagwa overcame the brainy Professor Moyo who went into exile like Trotsky did.
After decades of corrupt rule Zanu pf became fragmented and Mugabe became the villain and tyrant. Mugabe as farmer Jones was kicked out by his underlings and Mnangagwa as Napoleon became the ruler whilst Kasukuwere as Snowball fled into exile. The Zimbabwean public was duped into believing Mnangagwa would be better than the former tyrant but time has revealed that there is little difference between the liberator and the oppressor. Once again the common Zimbabwe folk are on the outside staring in and failing to tell the freedom fighter and tyrant apart. The lesson one learns from Animal Farm is to never trust or place faith in politicians and leaders because they will ultimately let you down. Like Mark Twain famously said, politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.
I wrote a short story that is similar to Animal Farm the Animal Ranch that deals with the same ideas of freedom, oppression and betrayal. Buy it now. Link below.
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