Independence and born free leaders

Bongani Ndlovu

BORN Frees have been blended with liberation stalwarts in the new dispensation’s leadership roles as a sign of continuity for the future of the country and the young people are committed to carrying on with the revolution.

Zimbabwe celebrates its 40 years of independence on April 18, this Saturday.

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed his cabinet two years ago, he brought in a multiracial Cabinet comprised of young enthusiastic ministers to help him steer the country’s fortunes in line with Vision 2030.

Zimbabwe is going through the primary stages of a radical economic transformation designed to steer the country into a middle-income economy by 2030.

Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Mangaliso Ndlovu (39), Youth Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry (36), Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Culture and Rural Resettlement Vangelis Peter Haritatos (34) and Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technologies Dingumuzi Phuti (40) are among the young people, born after independence, appointed in Government.

During the liberation struggle, the youth were integral in taking up arms to break the colonial shackles.

Now the mandate 40 years later is for them to continue the economic emancipation of the country.

Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu, who is the Bulilima East MP, said he was honoured to serve the country as a young person.

“I’m really grateful and this is a great honour to be in a position to be learning from people who liberated this country; people who have great wisdom. But also, the great honour of getting an opportunity to serve your country, even at any level, more so for me at this very high level,” said Cde Ndlovu.

He said ever since his appointment as Industry minister and his present portfolio, he has learnt the difficult decisions that have to be made for the good of the country. “There is so much that I learn everyday about the difficult decisions that have to be made on a continuous basis, looking first and foremost at what is best for the country. As an individual your interests are always relegated to the greater good of this country,” said Cde Ndlovu.

“I’m grateful that the leadership that I’m learning from have that wisdom and these are lessons that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life. I say so looking at our independence and how its meaning might continue to change from generation to generation, yet its founding values should always remain fixed.”

Cde Ndlovu said the founding principles of the liberation struggle still apply today.

“The liberation struggle’s primary focus had to do with equality, doing away with discrimination and most importantly self-determination. These founding values, regardless of generation, be it the millennials, should always guide us as Zimbabweans. We can differ on micro issues, but not on macro or broad issues,” he said.

“My prayer is that as we turn 40, every Zimbabwean presses the factory settings and we go back to the founding values of the liberation struggle and they ask themselves: am I discriminating, am I creating equal opportunities for everyone, am I creating a conducive environment for self-determination in my own way, in my own sphere?”

Cde Ndlovu added that him and other young people being put into important positions was a reflection of how the liberation fused young people.

“When we go back through the struggle to liberate this country, it has always been cross generational. It’s always been leadership from the elders and young people being given platforms to come in and learn the ropes. If you look at the people who liberated this country, the majority were young people, some were teenagers, some early 20s. They were that young to realise the importance of living in a just and free world, in a world we can determine ourselves and have equal opportunity,” he said.

Cde Ndlovu said Zimbabwe’s future is hopeful as young people are working hard for its betterment.

“I’m very optimistic that going forward Zimbabweans will provide solutions for the country and the whole world. Just go through what is happening with our local universities coming to the party (in fighting Covid-19), as the President has given them a platform to contribute, to use their brains for the betterment of the country. For me it’s a privilege to be part of it, watching and contributing.

“There are a quite a number of young people at that level and we have a responsibility in incubating those that are coming after us. I think this country’s prospects are looking very good and are driven by our capabilities as a Zimbabwean people.”

Cde Phuti, who was born four days (April 14, 1980) before the country was declared an independent State, said President Mnangagwa has bestowed great trust in young people.

“For the first time the young are being given significant positions of responsibility in Government. That is a gesture of trust in the young people. A very able leadership style that shows there is will for continuity. This challenges us as we have to emulate the bravery of those who trusted us,” said Cde Phuti who is the Bulilima West MP.

“It is a golden opportunity for us to learn and know how to value this country like those from the bush who liberated us.”

Cde Phuti said being part of Government was the greatest honour to have been bestowed on him.

“It feels great, it’s the greatest honour that I’ve had in my life. It’s a very sweet challenge. Can you imagine being given a hat worn by Dr Joshua Nkomo? You’ll feel great that you’re associated with something that is great. Being in cabinet with them (liberation stalwarts) is a lifetime opportunity, and we hope that God is really preparing us to rise and be figures that can take the revolution forward,” said Cde Phuti.

At the age of 34, recently appointed Zanu-PF director of Information, Cde Tafadzwa Mugwadi says this showed the party was blending youth and experience to guarantee its future.

“Certainly, we have a leadership that believes in young people and walks the talk in operationalising and implementing generational blending and mixture. The President is aware that the future of the country is in the young people. Not in myself per se, but young people in general. The process of internalising them to understand both the beauty and tragedy of leadership is now,” said Cde Mugwadi.

Cde Mugwadi said for him it was an honour as he believes he could be among the youngest persons to be appointed to the senior party position since its inception in 1963.

“We are very happy that the leadership that we have is internalising young people, fully aware of the responsibility to protect the legacy of their gallant sacrifices in the liberation struggle and their gallant sacrifices in nation building which is an agenda they started quite well in 1980 and to where we are today,” said Cde Mugwadi.

“As we take on these responsibilities as the born frees, it is quite important for us to appreciate that these are positions of trust and responsibility. We have to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects that indeed we have been schooled to understand that we are the mother party to all organisations in the country, whether it’s opposition or private organisations.” Cde Mugwadi added that the ideals of the liberation were entrenched in the youth.

“The legacy of the liberation will remain the umbilical cord between the young people of this generation and the direction in which the country ought to go. It is from the liberation and the legacy thereof that we draw inspiration, we also draw the ideological direction where the party is going and the actions that the leadership is taking, be it on an international, local or regional scale,” said Cde Mugwadi.

An ethos that Cde Mugwadi feels strong about is the land that was the reason the war of liberation was waged as it is the inheritance for all Zimbabweans.

“Our understanding of land is deeply rooted in the liberation struggle. It’s for three groups of people, the living, dead and the unborn. The dead are interred in the land, the living have got to thrive and survive on it and the unborn inherit as a legacy from their forefathers,” he said.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Youth Cde Tendai Chirau (35) weighed in saying they would carry on the torch of the liberation as they work towards vision 2030.

“We always ask ourselves as the youth, what our legacy is. The youths of 1970s destroyed colonialism. Our legacy as young people is to make sure we consolidate what the youth of the liberation struggle fought for. We also want to make sure that we participate in making vision 2030 a reality. To make sure that we participate fully in the economy to contribute to the development of the country. The youth of the 70s played their part and I’m really inspired to emulate the same. I’m sitting on the shoulders of the giants where they have blended us with their administration,” said Cde Chirau. — @bonganinkunzi.