President: The best of our times

horns and pursued a long, winding and dangerous path to liberate his country.
As a youth with the country at heart, Cde Mugabe sacrificially joined the struggle to lead, implement, mobilise, recruit and facilitate the training of Zanla forces in different countries scattered the world over.
On a higher note, as the first secretary of the revolutionary party, President Mugabe exhibited what it takes to protect the sovereignty of Zimbabwe and even went a step further than many African revolutionaries by empowering his people. Yet again at this juncture, this year we are celebrating the immaculate life of an exemplary, visionary, and iconic leader turning 88 years of serving and safeguarding the interests of the resource blessed continent and Zimbabwe in particular.
In the words of Arthur Ashe, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” The above assertion by a fellow African is a complete summation of the characteristics and valid competency of President Mugabe.
The celebration of the movement each year has become a traditional special day to us all patriotic Zimbabweans scattered worldwide. This day is set aside to honour the birth of a prominent figure in the Zimbabwean politics and history, President Mugabe.
We are celebrating the birthday on the back drop of illegal economic sanctions imposed by the west after invitation by the MDC formations in the mistaken hope that the majority would revolt against the revolution. The baseless motive and essence of the so called “targeted sanctions” begged for by the MDC formations is causing turmoil on the ordinary populace whom they purport to represent and eagerly need their voting right in the not so far away elections.
The combination of priorities and purpose, conflict and norms, roles and personal traits are the yardsticks and the basic requirements grasped by His Excellency President Mugabe and elevated to where he is. Long live Gushungo, continue to teach the young and inculcate the importance of defending our sovereignty and history.
John C Maxwell said, “Leadership is influence; nothing more nothing less.” This moves beyond the position of defining a leader, to looking at the ability to influence others both those who would consider themselves followers and those outside the circle.
Indirectly, the paths followed by the liberator have enabled him to build firm leadership character. He was consistent from the beginning in such a way that without maintaining integrity and trustworthiness the capability to lead could have disappeared.
The birthday of the man occupying the highest office in the country is not a day to remind people of its existence but a must honour day.
The 21st February Movement has been cherished for the past 25 years as a welfare organisation for youth and as a medium to inspire and groom them to be patriotic citizens through emulating the exemplary character of our Patron, President Mugabe.
The significance of the day is growing from strength to strength as it is celebrated nationwide by all patriotic citizens who safeguard Zimbabwe for the future generations. The 21st Movement seeks to inculcate in young Zimbabweans the principles of patriotism displayed by the Head of State and Government, and Commander in Chief of the Defence forces, President Robert Mugabe. The theme of this year’s celebrations which is pencilled for the 25th in Mutare is running concurrently with the national policy of economic empowerment and indigenisation.
President Mugabe has build his political career on a traceable record, a revolutionary icon, Pan-African luminary whose words and deeds speaks louder, apart from being consistent since the day he established his political career six decades ago. The unwavering support rendered by patriotic Zimbabweans necessitated the springboard to raise the illustrious leader up the rungs of political and social hierarchy.
Albeit, President Mugabe, the Western governments and their allies have tried carrot and stick policies to curb his ambitions to see the economy being driven by the black majority – all in vain. The infiltration of donor funds, cheque book mobilisation by selfish imperialists to lure President Mugabe, have failed since time immemorial.
On every occasion where President Mugabe flashed his brave face to former Prime Ministers and Presidents Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, George W Bush, Bill Clinton respectively he relayed a message that Zimbabwe’s sovereignty should never be comprised. The gist of the matter is President Mugabe’s economic empowering policies make him an Africa’s hero.
On the exemplary, principled cadreship of President Mugabe’s blessed hands and shoulders we place our destiny, revolution, values and heritage. His leadership has history, a vision, an agenda, courage and integrity to take Zimbabwe forward.
The leadership of President Mugabe is confident to lead from the front and not from behind heavy closed doors. The issue of accountability is and was the litmus test to many leadership hopefuls whom as I am scribing with this sharp pen have filled the political scrap heap bin of Zimbabwean history.
It is essential, however, to recognise together that the process to maintain and sustain a strong national integrity and interests needs a judicious, accountable and efficient resource managerial system as displayed by the First Secretary of Zanu-PF Cde Mugabe.
The programs he has championed since independence include the fight for our rights, free education and health for all up to the resounding land reform and the recent indigenisation and economic empowerment drive from which many Zimbabwean have benefited and are proud of.
It then comes as no surprise that President Mugabe was elected to the high level panel setup by the African Union AU, Peace and Security Council last year to mediate in the political crisis traumatising and causing havoc in most countries in the northern part of Africa, Cote d’Ivoire in particular.
The Peace and Security Council is the only organ with the mandate to enforce AU decisions. The high level was erected after the AU fired the Kenyan cosmetic premier and opposition party leader, Raila Odinga, who failed the test by addressing journalists before briefing the AU chief whip Jean Ping.
Through the tried and tested qualities of President Mugabe, he was assigned several regional and continental commitments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Sudan’s Darfur conflict, Sierra Leone and the troubled horn of Africa, Somalia among others. This demonstrated and preserved diplomatic intellectual know-how of President Mugabe above par to these “Johnny come lately” only known for boycotts, regime change and double standards.
l The writer is a freelance journalist.