adminBut there are other things that cannot be chosen and have to be accepted as they are.
One such thing that easily comes to mind is our parents. No matter how ugly or hideous they might look, we have to accept them as our parents whom we were given by God and love them with all our hearts.
The same goes for our country. We did not choose to be born Zimbabwean. Zimbabwe is the only country we can call our own. We can have millions of Zimbabweans working in other countries as economic refugees, but those countries will never accept them as one of their own. They will remain foreigners, treated as outsiders and second class citizens, ready to be abused and deported any time.
The xenophobic attacks in South Africa are testimony to this.
In death, some people who left Zimbabwe decades ago and never set foot in the country again, tell relatives on their deathbeds that they want to be buried back home among their relatives and not strangers in their adopted countries. This shows that no matter what, home is always best.
We will be the first to admit that Zimbabwe is not the best country in the world. It has its own problems but that does not mean we should forsake it.
At a time the country is crafting a new Constitution and embarking on important national projects such as the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme, we feel the advice by President Mugabe for Zimbabweans to always put the country first in everything they do is opportune.
Speaking at a pass-out parade at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru, President Mugabe said patriotism was critical to the development of any country.
“No country can develop against a background of self-hate and pity within its fabric. I wish, therefore, to remind all Zimbabweans throughout the length and breadth of our country and, indeed those outside the country, that we should always put the well-being of our country first, in everything we do,” the President, who is also the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said.
Zimbabwe suffered a 10-year long economic meltdown, which it is still struggling to emerge from, because some locals saw it fit to push the interests of foreigners ahead of national interests.
Its economic woes were triggered by opposition to the land reform programme, an important national project which our former colonisers resisted because it would have meant loss of farms for their kith and kin.
Some Zimbabweans, instead of supporting this programme, saw it fit to side with foreigners who imposed sanctions on the country.
It is surprising that some people can go to great lengths to destroy their country to please foreigners. As Zimbabweans we need to be patriotic when it comes to our country. The mistake some people make is to think that being patriotic means supporting Zanu-PF. Patriotism has nothing to do with party politics but the love of one’s country.
We can take a leaf from the Americans. They might have political differences as Democrats and Republicans but when it comes to the defence of their country’s national interests, they stand together as one. Can the same be said of Zimbabweans, especially our opposition politicians? We think not.
We believe that if all Zimbabweans stood as one in advancing national interests, Zimbabwe would be a great country and a giant on the continent and the world.
Online Reporter