WE begin another brand new year still going forward and not looking back or faltering.
The last three years have been eventful and we falter not in our march.
The Zanu PF-led Government has not been idle, it has been working tirelessly to deliver to the masses.
The nation has relentlessly been pursuing policies that empower the masses.
The greatest scoop, which even naysayers lauded were the mega deals whose reality was confirmed by the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in December last year.
And 2016 to all intents and purposes must be a year of work and ending corruption, gore rekushanda nekupedza huori.
The ball is now firmly in our court.
It is entirely up to us to determine the trajectory the country will take.
Whether we succeed or fail is entirely up to us.
None but ourselves shall determine where this country is going and what future generations will inherit.
As a nation we have done away with the misfortune of placing the West at the centre of human experience, existence and development.
Our scales fell off a long time ago and the West cannot fool us anymore.
There is more to the world than the West and as a country we have proved that bullies are just that and they will not have their way.
And as a nation we have a lot to learn from our Asian friends.
Throughout the ages they have learnt to be themselves.
They do not suffer from identity crisis.
They have made significant technological strides without compromising themselves, without pandering to the whims of the West.
In a world ‘dominated’ by the West they have retained their cultural traditions and languages.
They have not been victims of Western ideology which purports to be superior to other ideologies.
Asia’s industry is booming, the region is producing some of the best products in the world.
It is important that as we journey on the path of development we do not lose our essence.
We compete in the so-called global village but we do not have to ape the ways of the West.
Let us be proud of who we are.
The Asians who are causing the West sleepless nights proudly conduct their trade, manufacturing, education and every other activity, in their own languages.
Asia now deals with the West on its own terms.
The British and Americans have no option but to deal with the Chinese on Chinese terms.
The ability to speak Mandarin is fast becoming a must in the US.
The Chinese are not looking up to the Yankees neither are they sucking up to their demands.
Self-respect and assertiveness have propelled the growth of our Asian counterparts.
And it is time we fully appreciate who we are and have self-respect in the process of growing our economy.
Hunhu/ubuntu must give us direction.
It must be our guide.
We shall continue to sing our song and celebrate our heritage.
We will continue singing no matter the situation.
The West might try to belittle and make us feel inferior but at least we sing our own song and feed from our own troughs.
Others sing for their supper and feed from other people’s troughs.
We do not.
Let us gird our loins and put our hands to the plough. There is no looking back.