Mugabe: The man and his works

Dr Sikhanyiso Duke Ndlovu
A lot has been written and said in general about Comrade Robert Mugabe at home and abroad, still a big question remains who is Robert Mugabe?
Many of his counterparts, colleagues and family members who could add light have departed.

We who are remaining have a solemn task and responsibility to attempt to answer the big question about the big man, the revolutionary icon.

It is not enough to just say the youths should emulate Cde Mugabe without giving his background history.

The background of his humble beginnings should also be an encouragement to the youth to learn that big successful leadership can come from humble beginnings.

Shakespeare said some men are born great, others achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. For President Mugabe his greatness is achieved.

Those with greatnesses thrust upon them do not stay long as leaders. There are many examples of such leaders.

Not only did Cde Mugabe come from humble beginnings, but grew under difficult family and study and work conditions as he described at his sister Bridget’s funeral at Kutama in Zvimba last month.

His positive growing up in a divided family defeated sociological theory of the role of the family in educating children.

Since his father had separated with his mother, he was raised by his mother, Bona.

He went to school at Kutama until he qualified as a teacher. Here, I praise Gogo Bona for being a strong woman who brought up Cde Mugabe and his siblings. This fulfils the adage that, educate a woman and you have educated the nation.

The young can learn an important lesson of commitment to education regardless of family conditions.

With his teacher education, Cde Mugabe taught at various schools — Dadaya, Mapanzura, Hope Fountain and Empandeni.

At the same time he was responsible for his sisters Sabina and Bridget’s education.

This should serve as a lesson to the young that when they succeed, they should help their siblings in their education too and support their parents.

From Empandeni Mission, Cde Mugabe went to Fort Hare in South Africa for his BA Degree.

There, he studied with Taccius George Silundika, affectionately known as TG.

The love for education and passing the education to others was demonstrated by educating his sisters and the nation.

His link with Fort Hare calumniated in the establishment of the Zimbabwe Fort Hare Degree Programme which has expanded to many other reputable South African Universities.

To date, more than 50 000 students have benefited from the programme.

After Independence in 1980, Cde Mugabe started on Academic Advancement Programme at State House for returned freedom fighters that had formed Government.

I was happy to assist through ZDECO in that programme through Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka the then Minister of Education and Culture.

Cde Mugabe was concerned about the education of the Defence and Security Forces, hence support for the ZDECO Scholarship Programme administered by the Army Commander General Solomon Mujuru and Deputy Commander Lookout Masuku who himself graduated from the Institute of Administration and Commerce which was awarded to him posthumously at his burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo.

Needless to say the Nation is the only one with the most educated army and police in Africa.

We have Army Generals, Lt General, Major General, Brigadiers and all other ranks of central intelligence and police commissioners and other ranks with PhDs, Masters and First Degrees and Honours Degrees.

This is because of Cde Mugabe’s support for the Defence Forces’ education.

Besides the Defence Forces’ education, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces is the patron of the Zimbabwe National Army Schools and Welfare Trust which I chair and the Minister of Defence is the 1st Trustee and Commander of the Defence Forces is 2nd Trustee and the Commander of ZNA is our President of the Trust which is administered by the Director Army Education Corps.

This shows how committed Mugabe is to the education of the defence forces.

University development
Here is the President who though sometimes is soft-spoken, his works are as strong as links of iron.

During the ’80s he enforced investment into primary and secondary education in preparation for university development.

The World Bank discouraged education funding saying money should go into income-generating infrastructure, but Cde Mugabe rejected this.

Years later during the ’90s, university development started first by reforming the university of Zimbabwe under Professor Walter Kamba, the first Vice Chancellor appointed by President Mugabe.

Kamba understudied Prof Ellis when the university was still a University College of the University of London.

The new look University of Zimbabwe had to put regulations which would make it possible for returning Zimbabwe scholars to gain promotion to Deanships and Professorships since the British system was forbidding.

The second university, the National University of Science and Technology was established on the recommendations of the Prof William’s Commission which was established by President Mugabe with Prof Phenius Makhurane as its First Vice Chancellor.

The President appointed me as Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Technology in 1995 with Dr Chombo as Minister.

My assignment was the development of new university, the Open University with campuses in each province and to implement the President’s Policy of one State University in each Province.

With the guidance and support of the President, Dr Chombo and I were able to establish a record five universities namely the Bindura University of Science Education, the Great Zimbabwe University, Midlands State University, Lupane State University, Harare Institute of Technology and the Chinhoyi University of Technology whose Chancellor is Robert G Mugabe.

Work is in progress to establish the three remaining provinces namely Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Matabeleland South which now has a NUST University College before having a standalone university.

The President as Chancellor of all the State Universities which have produced more than 100 000 graduands has never missed any graduation ceremony.

His passion for education comes from his own studying through hardship obtaining BA at Fort Hare and by Distance Learning from the University of South Africa while he was in prison.

He further completed BSc Econ, LLB, LLM, and MSCTS with the University of London.

Mugabe has been awarded Honorary Doctoral Degrees as follows;

Hon LLD Ahmadu Bello, Morehouse, UZ, Massachusetts, Moscow, Michigan State University, Solusi. Hon DCivil Laws, Mauritius. Hon DPSc, Belgrade. Hon DLit, Africa University. Hon DComm, Fort Hare, MSU (Z’bwe), Hon Dtech, NUST. Hon DAgric Science & Tech, Chinhoyi University of Technology. Hon DAgric, Zimbabwe Open University, Hon DAfric Her and Phil, Great Zimbabwe University.

Principled liberator fighter and unifier
Having highlighted Cde Mugabe’s educational attainments and educational support for his family members and the nation as a teacher during the 40s there we saw him going to Zambia and teaching at Munali School in Lusaka and then taking off to teach in Ghana at St Mary’s School in Takoradi during the 50s when Ghana became Independent under Kwame Nkrumah.

I remember when Dr Joshua Nkomo was asked to lead the first serious Political Party on September 27, 1957, Ghana had opened a Revolutionary Radio Station dedicated to Pan Africanism which urged Africans to rise against imperialist subjugation.
Cde Mugabe was in the centre of Ghana revolutionary activities.

He was mentored by Dr Aggry of Africa who authored a famous statement the “We are not Fowls but Eagles, stretch Forth your wings and fly” to liberate yourselves.

On the question of principles, Cde Mugabe as he says Kwame Nkrumah always said you must not sacrifice a principle for expediency.
A principle is a symbol of integrity, reliability and dependability. A principle is not negotiable.

Principles Mugabe has held for himself, family and the nation?

Maintaining the family unit, we have narrated this at his young age taking care of his mother Bona and young brothers and sisters, taking care of his late sick wife Sally, taking care of his young wife Grace and supporting her studies from ‘A’ Level at ZDECO up to Degree studies in English with the University of London and a Degree in Chinese.

He continues to support Grace in her boarding school development in Mazowe.

When we say emulate Cde Mugabe, we mean in the tangible things as these; support for his children’s upkeep and education.

He has produced a graduate Bona with a Masters degree from the University of Hong Kong.

All other children and children of relatives are studying under his support.

Principled man in the liberation struggle
Having been influenced by Ghana’s Independence and by Dr Aggry of Africa and by Dr Nkrumah, Cde Mugabe came back home in 1960.

He visited detained nationalists Josiah Chinamano and Joseph Msika at Marondera Prison and offered himself to join the liberations struggle.

We had just formed the National Democratic Party (NDP) after the first party ANC of 1957 had been banned at the end of 1959.

He was told to go and join the party branch in Highfield which he did — Oh Maye Maye — the young firebrand from Ghana moved fast in the NDP and was elected our Secretary for Information and Publicity.

I was in the youth League but went to complete my studies in Social Work at the University of Natal and came back to chair the Mpopoma Zapu youth branch.

NDP was also banned and a meeting was held to form another political party with Joshua Nkomo still as president.

At that meeting Joshua Nkomo looked at other political parties like Kenya African National Union (Kanu) in Kenya, Tanzania African National Union (Tanu) in Tanzania.

He proposed the name of the new party to be Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu).

Cde Mugabe objected to the name saying it had no resounding thunder — kalila siqubu, zita harina mutsindo.

Cde Mugabe then proposed the name Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu).

This name was then accepted and endorsed.

Remember Cde Mugabe was still Secretary for Publicity and Information so he was quite influential.

In 1963, Cde Mugabe, Sithole who had been our National Chairman, Enos Nkala, Eddison Zvobgo and others broke away to form Zanu the name which had been proposed by Joshua Nkomo in the first instance.

This was in disagreement with Nkomo, Msika, and Chikerema, I and others over the formation of a Zimbabwe Government in Exile and over the speed of the armed struggle.

Cde Mugabe, Sithole and Enos Nkala thought a Government in exile would dilute the focus of the armed struggle while Nkomo thought it would bring more support by friendly governments.

When Zapu was banned we formed the People’s Caretaker Council (PCC).

We had already sent our young people like Dumiso Dabengwa, Akim Ndlovu, JZ Moyo, and Emmerson Mnangagwa for military training outside the country.

Mnangagwa found Dumiso in Cairo at training. Upon return Mnangagwa left us in Zapu and joined Zanu.

The split caused serious infighting among families and friends.

In Zvimba Boniface Gumbo of Zapu an uncle of Mugabe burnt down Mugabe’s aunt’s hut and he was detained at Gonakudzingwa where he sang in my Gonakudzingwa Detainees Choir.

Mugabe forgave Boniface for his deeds.

Mugabe’s forgiveness was with great magnanimity.

I did not know about Boniface’s relationship with Mugabe until a few years ago at the State assisted funeral of James Chikerema when he came and we hugged near the President who asked what the madness was between us.

Mugabe later related the Boniface story there and at his young sister Bridget’s funeral.

Here I am trying to show Mugabe as a forgiver in magnanimity. He did not commandeer retaliations on Gumbo Homestead nearby.

Mugabe in prison and detention
Here again we see a shrewd and principled man dedicated to the liberation of his country. In 1964 the Smith regime after ousting Gaffield Todd, a neo liberal missionary from New Zealand who had established Dadaya Mission near Shabani Mine now Zvishavane.

When Wisnton Field was elected he was also regarded as not strong enough.

His downfall was facilitated by the Zapu youths (Zhanda) and underground demolishing squad known as Umgandane under my command in Mpopoma named after one of Lobengula army regiment.

My pseudo name was General Hokoyo.

Some of my Umgandane living members are Joseph Dube, Abednego Mpofu and Maisa.

Winston Field came to Bulawayo to address the people at White City Stadium and we planted and detonated a bomb near the podium and Winston Field had to run away to Harare where he was removed from office by the ruthless Ian Smith. The urban liberation struggle was intensified by Mugabe and Nkomo, Chikerema, Joseph Msika until Smith declared his Unilateral Declaration of Independence on November 11, 1965.

Smith did not hesitate to lock up Mugabe at Whawha and later transferred him to Sikombela while Joshua Nkomo, Msika, Ngcebetsha, Chinamano and I were detained in Gonakudzingwa.

As stated earlier, Mugabe continued his studies while in prison and even assisted in teaching his fellow political prisoners and detainees.

I got to know about this at that time as organiser and Head of the Gonakudzingwa Education Programme for Political detainees and I needed to know other detainees and prisoners who were studying so as to send lesson materials to them with the support of the Haddon Family who owned the Ranch House College and support from the Voluntary Fabian Society in the United Kingdom which was opposed to Ian Smith. Mugabe helped his fellow detainees with their studies at Sikombela.

Mugabe’s release from prison
When the Frontline States influenced the United Kingdom to have Mugabe and Nkomo released so as to have Independence talks in Geneva, Mugabe and Nkomo led their teams from Zanu and Zapu.

The talks failed and turned into talks about talks as they could not sacrifice the principles of real Zimbabwe Independence. In 1979 the Commonwealth Conference on Zimbabwe was convened in Lusaka at Mulungushi Hall.

Margaret Thatcher was then prime minister of Britain.

Cde Mugabe and Nkomo as leaders of the Patriotic Front agreed to attend the Lancaster House Conference when the Frontline States threatened not to offer their countries as bases for military training.

Lancaster House Independence Constitutional talks
At Lancaster the thorniest issue was taking the land. The British offered to pay for the land acquisition and as their funds were little America offered to assist.

The principle that the land belongs to the people (abantwana bomhlabathi, vana vevhu).

Returning home, 1980 and democratic elections
After the Lancaster House Constitution we came back home for the 1980 general elections in which Zanu won followed by PF-Zapu. Here again Mugabe demonstrated Unity in Diversity, the National Army was formed with Zipra and Zanla and Rhodesian soldiers.

Here Mugabe issued his famous statement the “We are turning our guns into ploughshares” and offered reconciliation to the former oppressive whites.

Unity Accord
The first unity government was formed with Smith’s whites given 17 uncontested seats.

This attests to the astute leadership high principles and vision for the future of the nation.

During the early 80s national conflict came when a few ex Zipra were not happy with the treatment they received from government and they took to the bush against Dr Nkomo and PF-Zapu’s official position that we had liberated the country and there was need to work with the government.

This conflict resulted into the infamous Gukurahundi which led to Dr Nkomo leaving the country for the United Kingdom where he wrote his book The Story of my life published by Robert Hartnoll Ltd.

I am stating these facts to show the calibre of Mugabe in seeking the principle of Peace, Unity and Development.

We who are still alive who suffered trial and tribulations and participated in peace negotiations must tell the truth nothing but the truth for future generations to learn.

Negotiations were held between our PF-Zapu team and the Zanu team. Mugabe showed that the country came first hence the Unity Accord of 1987 December 22.

This was a home grown Unity Accord without external mediators.

It is not like the inclusive Government which was established on shaky ground with foreign sponsored MDC-T groups which have no ideology or interest to sacrifice self interests for the nation.

For the past 34 years, Cde Mugabe has held Zimbabwe towards not only political emancipation but also economic freedom.

He is the first African leader to abandon the IMF and its Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP).

When the illegal economic sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe as a result of Land Reforms and Land Redistributions to the people, Mugabe stood firm on the principle of land reform.

He has often said Nkomo on his deathbed said to him “do not forget about land reform and about unity”.

Mugabe has remained true and resolute on the land issue.

On Unity Cde Mugabe has not deviated from the position of the presidium balance between PF-Zapu and Zanu-PF although there are elements who want to change the Unity Accord provisions written and in conventional spirit to pursue selfish interest.

Mugabe against corruption
Over the years President Mugabe has always been against corruption but that was a lonely voice in the wilderness.

Off late his voice has become louder and clear which has led to the recent revelation by the press followed by the forensic audits and arrests of culprits.

He has stressed the need for thorough investigations into corruption not only in parastatals but also in private enterprises.

Zim Asset
Looking at various countries in Africa it is impossible to find a head of state and government who is seriously involved in his or her country’s crafting of an economic blueprint like Zim Asset and taking into monitoring and evaluation in the President’s Office.

The young and old who aspire to lead must emulate President Mugabe’s position of leading by example and not sacrificing principles for expediency.