IN late 1978, Cde Josiah Tongogara came to Matenje Base, Mozambique, headquarters of the ZANU education department, to address thousands of young ones who were at school at Matenje and Mavhudzi Bases.
He spoke about the liberation struggle and the strides we were making against the British armed robbers.
He talked about recent victories against the enemy.
The youngsters were thrilled because to have their Chief of Defence address them was a dream come true.
This is why they were in Mozambique, to fight to free their country Zimbabwe and Cde Tongo was ensconcing, telling them: “Fellow combatants, this is how far we have come with our struggle, your struggle.”
This is the way we were, the schools were just another department, part of the defence of Zimbabwe that was still too young to hold the gun, so they were at school, waiting in the wings to take their AKs against the British armed robbers.
Then Cde Tongo sang: “Nyika yedu yeZimbabwe ndimo matakazvarirwa.”
It was his favourite song.
Now in independent Zimbabwe, those who are crafting the lie that the nation is up-in-arms against its children pledging their allegiance to the nation (National School Pledge) of Zimbabwe are not confused, they know precisely what they are doing; they are fighting against Zimbabwe.
But this should not bother us.
It is not new, because in any revolution, there are those who stand on the side of the enemy, the collaborators.
What is important is not to be surprised, but to identify the enemy correctly and fight as resolutely and unrelentingly as before.
Racist Ian Smith used to say we were the ‘happiest Africans’ on the continent.
Of course it was a lie and the young people whose song ‘Nyika yedu yeZimbabwe’ reverberated in the forests of Mozambique and Zambia shamed his lie.
Anybody can claim anything, but it is the facts on the ground that matter.
The Western world, since we took back our land, claims that ‘Mugabe is a despot, should go’, but we Zimbabweans know the facts on the ground.
That is why they (the British armed robbers) were caught napping in the July 2013 harmonised elections.
They spun their lie, aided and abetted by Morgan Tsvangirai.
In the end, they believed their lie, only to have it turn into their worst nightmare.
The only straw they could grasp at was the education sector, as Chatham House admitted in October 2013.
We therefore are not surprised by the viper spitting fire at our educational institutions.
It is just another shade of the same vicious attack on our Great Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe for which so many, young and old, willingly perished during the liberation war.
Our children are not anti-Zimbabwe, but our enemies wish they were because it is their only hope of reversing the gains of the liberation struggle.
Our enemies are fully aware that our children are our very first line of defence and for this reason, they are under fire.
When our children left for the struggle, they did so willingly.
In fact, the freedom fighters refused to take some children with them because they were too young.
Some, however, ran away from home and found their way to Mozambique or Zambia.
They never even told their parents they had decided to join the war.
They braved hunger, angry rivers and wild animals to get to liberate Zimbabwe.
This is the mettle of Zimbabwe.
Cde Tongogara knew this and so he was with the youngsters at Matenje, briefing and encouraging his fellow combatants.
Saka vana vanonyeperwa nhasi kuti havadi uye havafaniri kuzvipira kunyika yavo ndevani?
Zimbabweans are very interesting, they are winners.
Last year I was at a workshop run by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
I worked with various groups for a whole week and the teachers never disappointed me.
They were and still are truly Zimbabwean, but still came a moment that surpassed them all.
A group stood up to present and before we knew it, we were all singing with one heart, one soul, one emotion, a rendition of the song from the days of the struggle:
“Taimbooneswa nhamo namabhunu!
Tirikuoneswa nhamo namabhunu
Tichafara taitora Zimbabwe.”
This was unsolicited, the group was introducing its presentation.
No-one asked anyone to stand up, but the moment the group started singing, everybody knew they had to stand up and honour this great edifice called Zimbabwe.
So where has Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) cooked up these anti-Zimbabwe teachers from?
The teachers at this workshop were drawn from the country’s 10 provinces.
It is one thing to have your own agenda, but another to foist it on others simply because you have a platform.
As for the churches’ opposition to the National School Pledge, that is characteristic.
A leopard never changes its spots.
They (the Jesuits of the Catholic Church) accompanied the bandits (Pioneer Column) that invaded the country.
In fact, they ‘blessed’ the occupation of the country and predictably opposed the liberation struggle.
So what’s new?
Zimbabwe cannot stop marching on because those who have always opposed it have barked once more.
Our children are born of the fire of the revolution.
By coming to Matenje, Cde Tongogara was ensconcing with fellow fighters and our children were ecstatic.
Today’s children will not fail to answer to Zimbabwe’s call, although others will pay anything to ensure they do not.