HomeOld_PostsHappy birthday Gushungo

Happy birthday Gushungo

Published on

THAT the year 2015 is historic in many ways for President Robert Mugabe in his illustrious life is an epitaph that has been told on many fronts, but his yet to be fully told story is his unwavering stance on the economic empowerment of Africans and the browbeaten majority in the world.
This is a story that did not start today.
It was conceived during his days as an activist advocating the freedom of Zimbabwe from the encumbrance of colonialism.
It finally came to the fore when he took over as leader of this prodigious country called Zimbabwe.
Now at its zenith through his historic assumption of the African Union (AU) Chairmanship last month, his stance on the upliftment of the majority is now spreading to the rest of the continent.
In Victoria Falls on February 28, the celebration will not be about his birthday, but his success story as the towering flame of economic democracy in Africa.
The celebrations will be held under the theme, ‘Celebrating the Birth of Gushungo, the Icon of Zimbabwe’s Revolution and Champion of Youth Empowerment’.
His concept of economic and social justice derives from the people he represents.
These are the people who formed the coalition that fought for Zimbabwe’s independence.
They are the poor peasants, the master farmers, the urban and the rural wage workers.
African traders and businessmen, intellectuals and professionals, in short, the great majority of the people of Zimbabwe it is they who are the people that fought and won our independence, today, President Mugabe defines that concept of economic and social justice.
On September 11 1980, President Mugabe made prophetic pronouncements on economic and social justice that have come to pass following his assumption of the AU Chairmanship.
Officially opening the nine-nation Ministerial Session of the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference in Harare, he reminded African nations to economically empower their people.
“African countries should intensify the fight for economic independence and redeem themselves from being economic puppets and perpetual beggars gallivanting from one metropolitan city to another telling the same old story of poverty,” said President Mugabe.
There is no doubt that economic independence has greatly lacked in Africa where the locals have been thrown to the periphery of their respective countries’ economies by the racist policies of colonialists.
Most of these colonialists are still in charge of the continent’s means of production in all facets of development many years after the attainment of independence by the respective African nations.
For too long, the people of Africa have been brutally and painfully denied the opportunity to be firmly in control of their land and natural resources.
On the other hand, their rights have been frivolously infringed upon and have been selfishly put in the economic shackles of an unrepentant clique of whites who are ably funded by their kith and kin from the West to stop the black people’s empowerment.
As a result, and predictably, the creation and establishment of an African economy has been systematically suppressed by the West who have continued to shamelessly plunder our resources without any iota of remorse for their evil actions, while giving nothing to the continent in return.
This has created an uneven economic playing field in which the economy is in the hands of a minority white at the expense of the majority blacks.
In his famous September 11 1980 speech, President Mugabe highlighted why and how Africa has allowed its economy to be dominated by few white minority.
“Because of their economic underdevelopment, black states had compromised their liberty and African personality by allowing themselves to become perpetual objects of pity,” said President Mugabe.
Under the leadership of President Mugabe, Africa, as is the case with Zimbabwe, will never become perpetual objects of pity as they will be in charge of their destinies through ownership, exploitation and control their abundant natural resources.
His acceptance speech as AU Chairman recently was laden with the familiar rallying cry that African wealth belongs to Africa not imperialists and colonialists.
“African resources should belong to Africans and to no one else, except to those we invite as friends,” he said.
“Friends we shall have, yes, but imperialists and colonialists no more.”
As we celebrate his 91st birthday, we do so not only for him, but for the country as well.
His leadership style is without doubt a template for other African leaders.
Happy birthday Gushungo!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest articles

FOZEU’s call for strike…an attempt at provoking anarchy

By Elizabeth Sitotombe IN an attempt to sow anarch across the country by calling for...

Chitepo’s fight for land

This story was first published on 21/03/2016 By Patience Rusare LAND ranked highest among the grievances...

Winning mindset in post-elections

WE, in the village, are known for our resilience, we never give up and...

Import of US illegal sanctions

By Jonathan N. Moyo TWENTY-ONE years ago, on March 6 2003, US President George W....

More like this

FOZEU’s call for strike…an attempt at provoking anarchy

By Elizabeth Sitotombe IN an attempt to sow anarch across the country by calling for...

Chitepo’s fight for land

This story was first published on 21/03/2016 By Patience Rusare LAND ranked highest among the grievances...

Winning mindset in post-elections

WE, in the village, are known for our resilience, we never give up and...

Discover more from Celebrating Being Zimbabwean

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading