Tribute to Lynde Francis

I am sure l am one of the many Zimbabweans to be surprised by the news of Lynde Francis' death. She was one of the first people in Zimbabwe to publicly disclose their HIV positive status. She had been diagnosed in 1986 and she had been the founder and director of The Centre, an organization run by and for people living with HIV and AIDS. We all knew she was HIV positive but she was such a fighter could be forgiven to believe that she would live on and on. She had such resilience and self belief, she definitely helped change perceptions about HIV positive people in the country. We began to believe that indeed HIV was not a death sentence.Lynde was diagnosed in 1986 but she lived right through to 2009.For me it’s evidence that HIV positive people can live for long. They will die, like all of us but there is no reason to believe that their death is somewhat nearer than ours.
Naturally,l learnt a couple of things in interacting with her in the numerous workshops l attended with her when l was working for an NGO in Zimbabwe. As a Zimbabwean, my reflection often attempts to draw lessons in the context of the Zimbabwean experiences which could be helpful in extricating our great nation out of the crisis we are in.

Lynde Francis was one person who turned her troubles into opportunities to life's problems. Indeed life's most complex opportunities are often wrapped up in challenges. After realizing that she had been infected with the HIV virus, it dawned on her that she was not the only one and she would fight for those like her and she would fight on behalf of those like her as well. That led to the birth of The Centre. How many of us are emboldened by such challenges? She got diagnosed at a time when stigma was at its most acerbic but there is something stubborn and resolute about conviction.If you believe in a cause, you don’t mind what people might think.She had a cause worth spending several hours per day for. In workshops she was amongst the most vocal. It’s not often that l personally meet people who have such a conviction in what they do.Consequently, she was not necessarily everyone’s darling.
Building The Centre was a bold step. It was a massive step of thinking outside the box, or one could even say that she was thinking whilst standing on top of the box. I learnt participation of beneficiaries of something is a worthwhile endevour.I wish our politicians knew that the participation of the people who experience life in Zimbabwe on a daily basis is the only sure way of securing their rule. We live in a society with an exclusive top-down leadership paradigm, where we develop youth programmes without the youths, we talk about 'helping women' yet they are not in the room. We live in a society where politicians sit in hotel rooms to discuss the destiny of millions of people without consultation. Imagine Absalom Sikhosana who is clearly in the ‘old’ category being the secretary for youth in ZANU PF! So much of youth participation.Infact major things to consider in such meetings are the egos of those in the room. Participation of the people affected is never in mind. The Centre concept is not perfect, but it has proven to be empowering to people living with HIV

For many years, HIV issues were not always on the agenda.Lynde learnt to give herself a voice. Not many listened to her at some point. Admittedly she was not always correct, like we all are never correct .But should you refuse to give her audience, she would stand up and speak for herself. She was vocal on treatment of HIV positive people-she stood out for what she believed without fear of stigma. We are under a regime which is undeniably selfish .We live in a country where the government unashamedly refuses to broadcast views of politicians or even musicians whom they suspect of holding opposing views. Our opposition movement’s structures are being decimated in broad day light. Like Lynde we will need to continue speaking regardless of the consequences. We may not live to see the total freedom of humanity like she has, but we sure should die speaking. When leaders refuse to listen,maybe its time for the led to make the leaders listen by all legal means possible. The people live frightened and threatened and many have decided to carve in and 'mind my own business’ which is another way of saying l will say or do nothing even as the chefs urinate behind our backs and they presume we will think it is raining.Patrick Chinamasa the Justice Minister shockingly denies the undeniable- the appalling state of our prisons.Could it be possible that there is a point a regime is now taking people for granted? President Mugabe refuses to swear in Roy Bennett who is the person nominated for the Deputy Minister of Agriculture post. This blatant disregard of both the spirit and letter of the law is a clear sign they have confidence in the 'eternal silence and helplessness of the oppressed'. A major psychological effect of a dictatorship is a people slowly accept that the dictator’s misrule is justified and unstoppable. I recall the days when the Saddam regime fell, many Iraqis could not believe it.Infact they thought it was a set up.They thought Saddam could not fall! I hope we won’t get to a stage where Mugabe and his cabal look invincible. They may not leave office tomorrow but we ought to have it in our heads that what they are doing remains wrong and if asked in my own small world l will declare that its wrong. Its liberating to refuse the ‘emotional bondage’ of a dictatorship.
Lynde was white yet she spent all her days working largely with black Zimbabweans. Not all whites are imperialists bent on destroying the nation as we have heard a countless times from our President. Some people subscribe obsessively to conspiracy theories where all whites or all blacks are upto no good.Admittedly,there are always rogue a racist section in many societies but it remains unfair to paint an entire race with a single brush.A study of President Mugabe's speeches is worrying.Many of the speeches particularly those he normally delivers at the Heroes acre,it is like he has suddenly been possessed by an irresistible force of hatred.He spews hatred,violence,polarity and fear. One often leaves the place with tormented by a futile sense of paranoia.As our nation progresses in this auspicious time of transition, one hopes politicians will appreciate that while our nation was once indeed unfortunately colonized by white Europeans,there remains a critical mass of Zimbabwean white people who love the country the way we all do,who have worked hard all their lives for our great nation
Lynde fought a good fight.And we are grateful

May God comfort her family