Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
YOUTHS have been called on to cherish the gains of the country’s independence through safeguarding it while also enjoying the freedom to exploit the wealth and natural resources provided for through a cocktail of empowerment initiatives by the Government.
They should also be mindful that the independence was won through a protracted armed struggle.
In a recent interview with Sunday News, Deputy Minister of Defence and Security Brigadier-General (Rtd) Levi Mayihlome said the Government was making efforts to ensure the young generation enjoy the fruits of the country’s independence.
He said the Government was availing a number of opportunities to empower young people like education and giving them skills which they should use to build the country as enunciated by President Mnangagwa that “ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo”.
“The armed struggle was all about our rights as a country, as human beings, as Africans to take back what was originally ours but taken away through colonialism. We wanted to restore the dignity and respect of our people and gain control of our resources that had been snatched away from us by the white settler colonial regime.
So the dignity of the blacks was restored through blood and sweat of our comrades, brothers and forefathers through a continuation of the First and Second Chimurenga.
“We started the armed struggle because we had seen that the Rhodesians or the colonisers were not interested in talking. They were not going to restore black majority rule in this country.
It has always been a duel, blacks in many African countries fought for their independence but ours in Zimbabwe was even more protracted because of the wealth and natural resources that Zimbabwe as a country has,” said Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome, himself a guerilla during the armed struggle.
He said as the Government they were proud of the fallen fighters who brought about independence and freedom, the freedom that was giving the nation equality regardless of race, colour, tribe or religion for everybody to express themselves.
The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Umzingwane noted that Zimbabwe was unique in that of all the countries in the world, in Africa in particular, it was the only country that gave people land and empowered its people with such things as mining rights.
“This is the only country in the world that has given people education. This is the only country in the world where we have a leadership that has a clear vision that can be understood by everyone where we are saying we want to uplift the standards of people’s lives to become an upper middle-income economy and where no one should be left behind. This is the only country where we are saying everybody has a responsibility to partake in its development.
“It is not by accident that as a country we are facing this onslaught from the whites, the former colonisers, imperialists, America because they want our resources. There is nothing else that they want from Zimbabwe because we have not taken anything away from them. We have not taken their land, we have not taken their resources but we are talking about our wealth,” said Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome.
He said those were the values since independence which came through sweat and blood of the comrades adding that youngsters should understand that it was a very difficult time.
“We want young people to inherit or take this heritage as theirs. It is theirs, no one should take it away from them.
We do not want our youngsters to fight another war to liberate this country again after we are gone. We are saying they must learn that a revolution does not come easy. Getting independence does not come easy.
The Americans and the British and all other countries in Europe that are enjoying independence today cherish their independence. Our youth must cherish ours as well.
“They must understand right from young age up to the time they leave this world that they must pass the heritage that is a free Zimbabwe to the next generation. This is their heritage, they must never yield when it comes to that because it is a birthright and it is a legacy that they will enjoy.
We want them to enjoy the wealth and natural resources of this country. We want them to enjoy this freedom. They should not take it for granted. They should understand that it is theirs and theirs forever and they must maintain it and keep it dearly for their children,” he said.
“We call for everybody to be involved. We hope our youngsters and our kids would learn and refrain from alcoholism and drugs, refrain from crime and be citizens that would take over this country and rule it for the future generations.” -@nyeve14
Online Reporter