A coward is  a person described as one who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things.

 

To be fair it cannot be said that Rwandans are  all cowards .

Rwandans have been bullied  by every form of government they ‘ve known for the last few hundreds of years and they have  sadly adapted accordingly by perfecting the art of hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is  the legacy of slavery and colonialism and dictatorships.

It cannot be said that Rwanda has ever known a time of peace where all Rwandans from all social groupings considered themselves contented. Rwandans do not know what collective ease feels like .We don’t know the safety of  just worrying about paying your bills and being on the good side of the law.

 

It is 2018 and Rwandans  still do not own anything  particularly in Kagame’s Rwanda.

Your business is not safe from being taken from you and auctioned , your house is not safe from demolition , your salary is never really your own  because you are passive aggressively expected to contribute to this or that fund ( agaciro, umuryango etc…) lest you be labeled an enemy ( umwanzi )of Rwanda.

The law will not come to your rescue when you face injustice because the law is the King , or the President , or the President’s wife  etc…

Bitterness is of course the wage of hypocrisy. And Rwandans are a bitter people judging by the dark humor in our proverbs.  “Utarahuguka ntahorera se”. “Ugorwa nubusa arara ahaze”… Not that I do not appreciate the beauty of our culture.

Some would argue that given the volatile nature of our tyrant “leaders” , having the prudence of a coward  is probably the wisest thing to do but how long can that go on for? How many generations are we willing to sacrifice to mediocrity?

Cowardice and hypocrisy are crimes against one’s own conscience  and the shame that such wrongdoing entails is merciless and brutal.

We must find the courage to renounce the easiness of hypocrisy and embrace the challenge of sincerity . We must refuse the cheap popularity of treachery and malice and endure the difficulties and dangers of a new era , where the rule of law will be supreme and education will serve its intended purpose of a truly better Rwanda for all Rwandans.

 

Noble Marara