Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
Forty-five years after Zimbabwe attained independence, why are we using the slogan “Pasi nemhandu” that is translated as “Down with the enemy” is still loudly chanted at political rallies and national events. While the phrase may seem like harmless political rhetoric to some, it carries a dark and dangerous history that should no longer define public discourse in a free and sovereign Zimbabwe.
During the liberation struggle, “Pasi” did not simply mean “down with.” It meant death. It was a literal call for the elimination of an enemy, an armed, colonial oppressor. The full meaning of “Pasi nemhandu” was “death to the enemy,” and in the context of a brutal war for freedom, this slogan served as a revolutionary battle cry. It reflected the rage and determination of a people forced to fight for their land, dignity and future.
But zimbabwe is no longer at war.
Zimbabwe is no longer a colony. The enemy is no longer the settler regime. Our children are no longer in the bush with rifles. We now govern ourselves. Yet the chant “Pasi nemhandu” continues only now, the so-called “enemy” is a fellow Zimbabwean, a neighbour who supports another party, a journalist who speaks truth to power or a youth calling for reform.
This is not just a harmless slogan, it is violent language. When you shout “Pasi”, you are invoking a wish for death. In a nation trying to build peace, unity and reconciliation, that is utterly unacceptable.
Words matter. They shape how we see one another, how we engage, how we resolve our differences. Slogans like “Pasi nemhandu” fuel hostility, legitimise political violence and destroy the possibility of healthy democratic debate. They rob our youth of peaceful role models and instil the mindset that disagreement equals enmity.
It is time for a national reckoning with the language we use. Zimbabweans must ask themselves, What future do we build when we continue to chant death at one another? What society thrives when citizens are encouraged to see each other as enemies?
We need a collective decision, led by our national leadership, to retire all slogans that glorify death and violence. Let us instead embrace slogans of life, unity and progress. Let us say “Pamusoro nerunyararo” (Up with peace), “Simuka Zimbabwe” (Rise Zimbabwe), or “Ngatibatanei” (Let us unite). These are messages that lift, not destroy.
Our greatest enemies today are not political opponents, they are poverty, corruption, joblessness, poor healthcare and a lack of opportunities. These are the forces we must defeat together.
To truly honour the blood shed during the liberation war, we must reject death chants and choose the language of peace. Pasi nemhandu belongs in the past, buried with the violence of war. Zimbabwe must now speak the language of the living. Let us choose words that build, not kill.
Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi
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