Online Reporter
MODERN-DAY leaders are not born, they are made, and in our case, they were forged in the fire of the revolutionary war of liberation.
It is those who took heed of the call to emancipate this our beloved nation, that upon freeing Zimbabwe from colonialism, felt that the work was not complete and further endeavoured to lead.
Up till now, the work is not complete. This is why we rely on our youth going forward to take on the mantle and take our nation forward. Both Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe have enjoyed immeasurable success due to the quality of leadership that is within the ruling party.
Zanu-PF, through its excellent leadership, has been able to entrench its discipline and high work ethic from a point in our country’s history. We have built “thee system” that has been emulated by many.
The party’s leadership shall continue uniting the party and providing guidance where necessary, for we as a unit have one cause and we shall accomplish this cause, together, united like the mighty fist, which has become our everlasting symbol.
To be a good political leader, one must possess and exercise temperance and have the fortitude to carry people and their aspirations on one’s shoulders.
Political leaders have one of the most important tasks, which is to ensure that the people’s future is safeguarded. Politics must never be for individual gain, but rather for collective gain.
The people look up to their political leaders for salvation. One must not only be courageous, but they must be selfless, in their pursuit of political office. They should always choose the people first above everything.
After all, politics is a calling to serve the people. Contrary to what most people think, it is far from being an easy one.
The path is riddled with so many uncertainties. This is why there are a lot who have tried and only managed to become one-term politicians, whereas some of us have lasted decades.
To be a complete political leader, one must also possess the right kind of ideology as well as the ability to adapt to the ever-changing political landscape.
Politics is very dynamic, constantly evolving, and one is required to have the eye and the ability to catch up with such changes.
But as it evolves, one must always be anchored in the right ideology.
The revolution has long been completed, and it was a success. Now, we are in the era of evolutionary change. For our movement to last another 50 years, we must never forget how it was conceived and the purpose it serves.
We must often refer back to the past and draw important lessons that we will use in shaping our future.
In all this, comrades will most certainly disagree on the best strategy of attaining our goals, but make no mistake about it, comrades will never disagree on prioritising our beloved nation and doing what is good for our people.
Politics and democracy are, after all, premised on meaningful debate and respectfully disagreeing.
Nothing much has changed in terms of where we seek to place our country. That much is apparent from all manner of projects and programmes that have been pursued by Zanu-PF since independence. Zanu-PF is, without a doubt, the only political party in the world that has made meaningful and impactful programmes for its people.
There is no other political party anywhere else in the world that has pursued the empowerment of its people more than Zanu-PF has.
We have made the empowerment of our people across all walks of life our core business. Zanu-PF’s leadership has always sought to ensure that empowerment occupies centre stage.
The calibre of political leadership that exists within Zanu-PF is unmatched, and this country is all but blessed to have been exposed to such leaders.
As we look back and reminisce on the journey traversed so far, there is no doubt in my mind that we, as Zanu-PF, have done a stellar job in leading our beloved nation, and we shall continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
The level of attention that Zanu-PF receives every day from within and outside the country is a testament to the quality of leadership that our party has.
Anyone who seeks to emulate the Zanu-PF way of conducting business is certainly most welcome to pay us a visit.
We have the most obvious address in the country, and the permanent home of the liberation is the most welcoming place in the country, for it is the citadel of the people’s power.
As we endeavour to push our nation forward, let us remember that we have come so far and we still have a long way to go.
Discipline, elite work ethic and always doing the right thing under the guidance of a capable leadership have been instrumental in the success of Zanu-PF, which we have translated to be Zimbabwe’s success, all in a short time after independence.
We shall continue in our good years, and we shall indeed achieve even greater things.
n Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General of Zanu-PF.
He writes in his own capacity.
Bongani Ndlovu