By Tendai Chisiri
To foster Palestine solidarity, the Zambuko theatre group performed a play titled “Genocide” in Harare, marking two years since the Israeli genocide began in Palestine.
The Palestine Embassy in Zimbabwe held commemorations to mark this somber occasion, with solidarity taking center stage.
The play portrayed the suffering of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces, highlighting the plight of civilians in Gaza. Zambuko/Izibuko (River Crossings), a political theatre group, brought this powerful story to life under the direction of Robert McLaren, also known as Robert Mshengu Kavanagh.
The play opened with a haunting song in the vernacular, “Hatina Musha Panyika” (“We don’t have a place here on earth”), typically played at funerals to comfort the grieving. This set the tone for the episodes that followed, which depicted the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people.
Through the narrator and a professor of Israeli history, the play underscored the reality of the genocide in Palestine, which has resulted in immense human suffering. The play highlighted the devastating impact of Israeli forces’ actions, including bombings of schools and hospitals, and the severe shortages of food, water, and electricity in Gaza.
Palestinians have welcomed a ceasefire deal, vowing not to retaliate against past wrongs, instead placing their trust in Allah to judge. The play also highlighted the staggering statistic of approximately 20,000 Palestinian children missing.
Palestine Ambassador to Zimbabwe Tamar Almassri emphasized the need for continued solidarity with the Palestinian people, even in times of ceasefire, given the immense suffering they have endured. “It has been 703 days of continuous Israeli aggression and genocide in Palestine,” Ambassador Almassri said.
“The Gaza Strip today has no electricity, food, or water, and 90 percent of the population has been displaced. Over 76,000 people have been killed — the majority of them women and children.” He condemned Israel’s actions, likening them to those of the Nazi regime, and commended Zimbabwe for its consistent solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The ambassador praised the play, saying it was a “clear and emotional reflection of what is truly happening in Palestine” and that it had touched him deeply.
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