Chronicle Editor
Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has described the late national hero and former President Robert Mugabe as an illustrious and selfless leader who distinguished himself as a principled man who never compromised on what was right and just for his people.
Cde Mugabe died on September 6 in 2019 at the age of 95. He led the country for 37 years, first as Prime Minister and later as President.
In a message commemorating the 2nd anniversary of Cde Mugabe’s death, President Mnangagwa yesterday said the late nationalist will forever be remembered as a man who stood for his values to develop the country in peace and harmony.
The President urged the nation to focus on Cde Mugabe’s illustrious life of selfless sacrifice for the country’s political freedom and independence.
“The founding father of our nation distinguished himself as a principled man who would never compromise on what was right and just for his people. Quite often he would remind us about what the late Kwame Nkrumah said about adherence to principle. He said ‘principles should never be sacrificed on the altar of expediency’,” said President Mnangagwa.
“As the nation remembers the second anniversary of the passing on of our founding father, leader and inaugural President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, let us focus on his illustrious life of selfless sacrifice for political freedom and independence we enjoy in our country.”
President Mnangagwa said the country’s liberation struggle was waged over the land, which had been taken away from the indigenous people by white settler imperialists, thus, justifying the noble cause.
“Now that we own our land, we cannot ever let go because it is sacrosanct. It is therefore incumbent upon every Zimbabwean to protect and defend our land at all costs. The land defines our sovereignty and to lose it for whatever reason, would be a great betrayal to our patriarch and all heroes of our liberation struggle,” he said.
“Our inaugural President of the Republic taught us that right is might, challenging the great powers of the world that espoused the doctrine of might is right.”
President Mnangagwa said Cde Mugabe would always invoke one of the key tenets of the United Nations Charter, which asserts the sovereign equality of the nations.
“Equally, he would remind us and the world that Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, and that the destiny of our nation lies in our own hands. Hence, whatever we do, we do it for ourselves as Zimbabweans foremost and for nobody else,” he said.
The President said Cde Mugabe would not shy away from reminding the British that the land question was not negotiable with or without sanctions.
“Hence, under the Second Republic we are now focusing on land productivity to underpin the speedy transformation of our economy including ensuring food security. Land is the economy, the economy is land, we have repeatedly said,” he said. — @mashnets
Online Reporter