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Mugabe: Portrait of a President

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THE nation’s shadow ‘mvuri wenyika’ Cde Robert Mugabe is no more.  

As dark, cold clouds hung over the whole of Zimbabwe on Saturday morning, September 7, the people said: “The Mountain had Fallen.”  

The winds of Nyamavhuvhu — the season of wind blasts — howled audibly, bringing us the grave news of his demise.

“Rufu haruna ishe,” was a comment made by a nearby vendor as I was passing by, as the sad news spread among the nation.

Over half-a-century ago, a man named Robert Gabriel Mugabe began to dedicate his life to the emancipation of African people from colonial bondage.  

He was a leader many Zimbabweans believed God sent to lead the people of this nation out of oppression and remove the heavy yoke of colonial bondage to self-realisation and ultimate freedom.

Across the globe, Cde Mugabe was seen as the quintessence of black empowerment and was an inspiration to other black Diaspora liberation causes; both Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean.  

He commanded a natural respect, reverence and honour among people of African descent.

Throughout the Third World, oppressed, segregated and marginalised people found hope and common cause in Mugabe’s fight for legal, economic, social, cultural and geographic independence for indigenous Africans and Zimbabwean people.

He was a champion of the oppressed, not only in his homeland, but in the greater pan-African world community.

While many, at this time, will no doubt choose to remember his political career and/or diplomatic prowess, in this eulogy I choose to look at the other side of the coin — his more humanist side and his undeniable presence which was the epitome of hunhu/ubuntu.

A statesman par excellence, I will briefly describe his humanitarian side.  

He was a strict disciplinarian, yet very caring and kind, particularly to women and children.  

He always acknowledged and awarded good personal efforts of those around him.  

I recall him praising Nelson Chamisa for his efforts in developing and upgrading Zimbabwe’s analogue communication system to ICT, regardless of the fact that he was of the opposition party.

For many decades, he consoled the bereaved, giving hope to many when people, especially women, were grieving at the loss of a spouse or dear one; many would be humbled by his spontaneous kindness and magnanimity.

With warmth, the etiquette, manners and hunhu/ubuntu expected of a traditional African leader, Cde Mugabe often knelt down with the widows of deceased friends, family, colleagues and political counterparts in consolation and provided spiritual as well as material sustenance for them. 

Touted as one of the world’s best-dressed presidents, the late former Zimbabwean leader’s effortless and impeccable dress style was admired the world over. 

Whether taking a 21-Gun Salute or inspecting a Guard of Honour, Cde Mugabe’s deportment and ambulation was of unequalled military exactness.

Always dressed appropriately, Cde Mugabe was never to be found with his ‘collar off’, as the British would say.  

With an acute eye for detail, even his silk breast pocket square was meticulously chosen and worn for the appropriate occasion.  

From the Guido puff fold for casual occasions to the Winged Puff for weddings and diplomatic State dinners and the stately Presidential classic One Point Pocket square for formal and business events – nothing was ever left to chance!  

Even the finishing touch to a gentleman’s suit was basis for his critical attention.  

From his socialist-inspired safari suits of the 1970s and early 1980s and the Mao-suits of the Revolution, Cde Mugabe wore his suits with style, aplomb and dignity.

His upright stately deportment was known universally; even GQ, the Gentlemen’s Quarterly men’s fashion magazine described him as: “One of the world’s most sartorial leaders — a power dresser….”

An avid reader, keen scholar and patron of the arts, Cde Mugabe introduced the ‘President’s Award of Honour’ as a prestigious national and monetary honour for visual artists in 1990, “…for consistent artistic excellence and outstanding to the development of contemporary visual art of Zimbabwe,” to encourage the pursuit of excellence and dedication in the humanitarian field of art and culture and “…to give the world a fuller appreciation of Zimbabwe’s capabilities in the realms of aesthetics, humanities and contemporary art.”

Beyond State affairs, Cde Mugabe was a keen chess player and connoisseur of classical music, often inviting select musicians to play piano concertos at his residence.

Many Zimbabweans may not be aware that he was also a fitness enthusiast and took his exercises diligently.

Internationally, many were held spell-bound by Cde Mugabe’s undeniable presence and oratorial skills, especially during the AU and UN forums where he relentlessly articulated African concerns to the international community.  

He had an intuitive grasp of the concerns of the African continent, and was always at the forefront to articulate them.

From New York to Geneva, his eloquence, wit and diplomatic prowess enthralled his audiences.  

Daring, diligent, dapper and defiant, he was fearlessly outspoken during political debates at international political summits, always vigilantly defending the rights of African people.

The epitome of hunhu/ubuntu, Cde Mugabe was multi-lingual; speaking Shona, Ndebele, Bemba, Nyanja, Swahili and Ghanaian; but it was his impeccable elocution and mastery of the English language that distinguished him among African and most world leaders.

A school teacher by profession, Cde Mugabe obtained several degrees through correspondence courses while in detention — in Law and Economics and a Bachelor of Administration.

A font of wisdom, his knowledge of world history and trained retention of historical facts were unsurpassed and testimony to his lucid mind to the end.

His ultimate dream and aspiration was to see an educated, free, well-fed, productive, prosperous, corrupt-free nation which he advocated throughout his life. 

His final masterstroke was the return of the land in 2000.  

Today, Zimbabwe’s independence and relatively peaceful national temperament is a rare and superior achievement in Africa, prompted by a rare and superior statesman. 

The world, your stage is already missing you. 

May your soul rest in peace!

Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is also a specialist post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher. 

For views and comments, email:tonym.MONDA@gmail.com

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