By Tatenda Gapa

ZIMBABWEAN youths have branded the 21st February Movement celebrations as a platform for youths to reflect on how they can contribute to national development.
This year’s celebrations will be held on February 28 in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
Youths say the event enables them to draw inspiration from the leadership of President Robert Mugabe.
Most of today’s young people have benefited from the policies of President Mugabe such as on education, indigenisation and the Land Reform.
The 21st February Movement was established in 1986 to encourage Zimbabweans, youths in particular, to emulate President Robert Mugabe’s revolutionary ideas, gallant character, charismatic leadership and selfless policies to the country and continent’s advantage.
Since its establishment in 1986, President Mugabe has been the patron of the movement and annual celebrations were done in the country’s 10 provinces on rotating basis.
Born on February 21 in 1924 in Kutama, President Mugabe turns 91 on February 21 2015 and as has become the tradition, the country marks his birthday with pomp and fanfare, celebrating his unparalleled legacy.
“The 21st February Movement to me is not a feast, but an event where us youths have a chance to meet our hero who inspires us to emulate his exemplary qualities of nation-building, patriotism and principled leadership,” said Tendai Chikuni a former student of Kutama college.
“Honesty, examplariness, hard work, commitment to set goals and an insatiable quest for success coupled with many other rare attributes make President Robert Mugabe stand out and the same qualities have distinguished him as a great leader in Zimbabwe, Africa and beyond.
“It’s because of him that most of us chose to take up leadership in school and elsewhere.
“He instilled in us a spirit of self-belief which I think influenced my decision to venture into politics when I grow up.”
Chikuni said President Mugabe has always inspired him from a very early age.
A shop owner in Norton, Melinda Chidaushe said she admired President Mugabe from an early age.
“I grew up in Norton, our house was along the highway and I used to wave at the Presidential convoy as it passed by,” she said.
“In time, I began attending the 21st February Movement Celebrations to mark the Presidents birthday.
“He will forever be my role model and I could not think of any better way to honor him.”
Zimbabwean youths, said Chidaushe, have a leader from whom they can learn numerous things which they can use in developing themselves into people who will continue to value and safeguard the country’s heritage.
As a leader President Mugabe has shown that he recognises the value of other people.
President Mugabe was a political prisoner in the then Rhodesia for more than 10 years between 1964 and 1974, but this did not stop him from fighting for the people of Zimbabwe.
While in prison he never stopped teaching other inmates to acquire qualifications which they later used in running government departments.
After independence, education became his priority.
Perhaps that explains why Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa.
Other youths who spoke to The Patriot said that it is imperative for youths to draw lessons from the 21st February Movement on the prerequisite to exhibit good leadership qualities as those shown by President Mugabe.
This year’s 21st February Movement is being celebrated under the theme, ‘Celebrating the Birth of Gushungo, the Icon of Zimbabwe’s Revolution and Champion of Youth Empowerment’.