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Celebrations reflect on achievements

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THE biggest message from last week’s independence celebrations is that Zimbabwe’s war of liberation will forever remain key and fundamental to achieving the country’s aspirations.
Thousands of people who thronged the giant National Sports Stadium for the celebrations last Friday bore testimony to this magnetic reality.
They were there to pay homage to the immense sacrifices made by the country’s heroes.
They were there to add their voices to the growing chorus of Africa’s economic emancipation.
They were there to celebrate their success.
This is why the celebrations were historic in many ways.
They were the first to be held under the new constitution which was adopted last year.
They were the first to be held since ZANU PF’s resounding victory in the July 31 2013 harmonised elections.
The people were there to confirm President Robert Mugabe as Africa’s greatest leader.
To many, it is destiny in sight.
To them, it is no longer ‘we have to’, but ‘we have, we are’.
Before 2000, the message was ‘we have to take back our land’.
It was ‘we have to be in charge of our economy and abundant natural resources’.
Now it is a different ball game altogether, a game in which we are calling the shots.
This is a game that has without doubt riled the West.
We have as a result of this game changer borne the brunt of the Western sponsored illegal economic sanctions.
Yes we are farming tobacco on our farms.
We are mining gold.
We are running our own companies.
We are creating employment.
We are developing our nation.
At the National Sports Stadium it was more about celebrating the day itself.
It was about celebrating being Zimbabwean.
One would be forgiven for feeling sorry for Morgan Tsvangirai, the West’s point man in their quest to reverse these gains.
Across the Atlantic, one felt sorry for Barack Obama, that black president so detached from his people, fellow Africans.
It was his ‘congratulatory’ message that exposed his crass intolerance of the people of Africa and revealed how sick he is in the head.
Poor Obama chose not to mention President Mugabe in his message.
So did Queen Elizabeth who also found herself in the mess created by those who surround her.
Like Obama, she chose not to mention President Mugabe in her congratulatory message.
As President Mugabe rightfully said in his latest interview with the BBC:
“I pity the one lady I admire, the Queen, that she is in these circumstances,” said President Mugabe.
“I’m sure deep down she must be groaning at the loss of values in Britain. “Countries don’t respect Britain any more.”
This is what has made President Mugabe a cult hero in the progressive world.
This is why people started gathering as early as 6am at the National Sports Stadium last Friday.
This is also why there were wild cheers when President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrived with the crowd chanting ‘Gushungo!, Gushungo!’- President Mugabe’s totem.
Work hard together to defend our nation and help in its development, was the message from President Mugabe.
In his address to the gathering, President Mugabe urged every citizen to contribute to the country’s economic prosperity.
Government has since introduced a new economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET) which is aimed at developing the economy over the next five years.
The blueprint is a five-year home-grown programme based on ZANU PF’s manifesto for last year’s harmonised elections.
“Zim-ASSET is a broad-based framework adopted by Government to improve the economy,” President Mugabe told the gathering.
To many this policy is no doubt the panacea to the economic challenges that have confronted the country over the past decade.
“All of you are required to participate in our Zim-ASSET wherever you are,” President Mugabe said.
“In agriculture do it well, you have some cattle or goats look after them well. “You believe in running chicken runs, do them well; piggeries, do them well. “And it means you must be productive, studying the best ways of doing them.” “Go to those with the best knowledge and you will be assisted.
“If you need funds talk to the windows we create for funds in that area, especially in SMEs there are funding mechanisms which can assist them.
“But don’t be a good borrower and bad debtor.”
With its people-oriented policies, Zim-ASSET included, Zimbabwe will in the next few years boost its economy through the participation of the locals.
Results have been there to see through the Land Reform and Resettlement Programme.
This is what we are beginning to see with the on-going indigenisation and economic empowerment programme.
With this in mind, Zimbabweans have every reason to cherish their hard-won independence and newly found status of being owners of land and their economy.
This was one of the objectives of the liberation struggle.
Surely those who fought for this country’s freedom marvel at this.
Zimbabwe’s 34th independence anniversary provided that opportunity.
And indeed it was embraced by progressive people from across the world.
Let those with ears listen.

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