Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has challenged Zimbabweans to write their own stories and frame their ideologies to chart a better future for the nation.
He made the remarks while officiating at the launch of a book titled “An Itinerant Social Scientist: Memoirs of a Public Servant,” written by veteran public administrator Dr Matenda Andries Rukobo, in Harare yesterday.
In his address, Vice President Chiwenga paid tribute to Dr Rukobo for his exemplary public service.
“This occasion is not just a literary event; it is a historical and ideological milestone that bears testimony to the life of service and principled leadership of a man who walked the corridors of power, yet remained rooted in the values of humility and revolutionary consciousness,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Let us continue, together, to write our own stories and frame our own ideologies.”
Minister of Skills Audit Professor Paul Mavima, and former Cabinet Ministers Cdes Sydney Sekeramayi and Cain Mathema attended the book launch.
The book is a celebration of the contributions of retired civil servant and intellectual Dr Rukobo, and was graced by veteran civil servants including former Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda.
Dr Rukobo’s memoirs reflect a lifetime dedicated to public service, capturing the challenges and triumphs faced during his extensive career.
VP Chiwenga said Dr Rukobo brings to life the “itinerant” nature of service — traversing academia, Government institutions, ideological frameworks and historical epochs.
He noted that the author walks readers through his intellectual encounters with iconic figures who shaped the continent’s post-colonial imagination, including former President Robert Mugabe, nationalist Cde Herbert Chitepo, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda of Zambia and the founding President of Namibia Cde Sam Nujoma.
VP Chiwenga highlighted the significance of Dr Rukobo’s account of the mentorship and guidance he received from President Mnangagwa, whose leadership ethos continues to shape Zimbabwe’s contemporary governance vision.
“Fellow revolutionaries, let this text become a call to arms — not of weaponry, but of intellect, unity, and patriotic responsibility,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Let it inspire a new generation of public servants and policy thinkers who are not afraid to interrogate the past in order to better shape the future. This is why today’s event is not simply a book launch.
“It is a reaffirmation of the values that must underpin the humanisation of power, the democratisation of service delivery and the moral revitalisation of public institutions.”
Dr Sibanda spoke of their contribution as early intellectuals who joined the public service after the liberation struggle, with Dr Rukobo among others.
“As pioneering bureaucrats, we formed the key arms of Government which still stand to date,” said Dr Sibanda.
“Therefore, the role of today’s intellectuals and governance practitioners is to take the foundational intellectual revolution we started to the next stage. You have the responsibility to build sustainable prosperity for Zimbabwe and the Africa we want.
“Let your intellectual worth be accounted for in terms of our fight against poverty, disunity, the lethargy to serve, corruption and all vices which undermine the core essence of our national revolution.”
Minister Mavima called on early intellectuals like Dr Sibanda and Dr Rukobo to be available to render assistance and guidance to the current professionals whenever needed.
