ZIMBABWEANS are by now more vigilant rendering useless efforts the United States and Britain to topple the current leadership and install Western puppets, President Robert Mugabe has said.
Speaking at the Heroes Acre during the burial of Brigadier-General Misheck Tanyanyiwa, the President reiterated that the country’s wealth belonged to the indigenes and not outsiders.
“Imi vanaTsvangirai nezviparty zvenyu kanamuine nyika yenyu yamunoda kupa varungu, aah ndezvenyu mheno kwamunoiwana asi ino iyi haichafa yakaenda kuvarungu. Haichatsvedza zvakare zvayanga yaita 2008,” he said.
“Nhasi uno uri divi ripi? Wakamira here nedivi rekuti Zimbabwe ndeyevanhu. Zviri pasi, zviri pamusoro hupfumi hwayo ndehwevanhu veZimbabwe unotendera here izvozvo?,” he said.
“Kana kuti unoti mabhunu vanosungirwa kupihwawo mapurazi. Ehe, pane vamwe vanodaro kuti ngavadzorerwe mapurazi. Dai makange mavhota zvisina mutsindo ndozvaida vamwe kuti vadzoserwe,
“Ndozvakanga zvakagaririrwa nemaBritish nemaAmericans. They were waiting for that day to come. That day never came. The 31st of July which came was that Zimbabwe belongs to the African people of Zimbabwe and the riches and the wealth of Zimbabwe is their own. Ndozvakataura 31st July.”
He castigated Tsvangirai for serving the interests of the West in lobbying for the loosening of security systems to make the country vulnerable to its enemies.
“Vakomana vedu vanaTanyanyiwa vari mberi nekudhifenda nyika yedu. Munonzwa vachiti masecurity forces ndivava mune mauto, vechipurisa veIntelligence, ah kunoda kuchinjwa ikoko? Kuchinjwa chii chaunoziva iwe Tsvangirai. Kuchinjinura ndozvavanenge vachida kumononora mabhaudhi takasunga ikoko kwakabopwa,”
President Mugabe said the national shrine was a place for sons and daughters whose service to the nation was unquestionable.
“Zvitoto tinozviziva tinogara tazviziva pakati pedu kuti vakanaka vatinoisa pano havangabve muzvitoto. Aiwa vaye vaitendeuka vachitiza vamwe pavaizvipira kurwira rusununguko rwedu tinovaziva ndivovanoti iye zvino tinodawo kuti vanhu vedu vaiswe pano, vanhu venyu vanani?,” he said.
“Zviito zvavo zvakamira sei – tinozvivheneka. Hatimbogara taenda kupolitburo tinogara tazviziva uri mutengesi, uri mutengesi hamba lapha haufe wakasvika pano ndepevatsvene vedu vanezviito zvakanaka, vanaTanyanyiwa vakanaka vanozvipira kurwira rusununguko nekuchengetedza nhoroondo yerusununguko, kuchengetedza zvose zvabuda murusununguko.”
President Mugabe said because of sacrifices made and lives lost, the country will not compromise and will continue to stand by the principles many had died for.
“Vashoma vakazvipira kurwira nyika, kuzvipira kuifira, kuzvipira kuitambudzikira – vashoma. Handinyore – handichinhu chinokwaniswa kuitwa nevazhinji asi pakati pedu pane vakazvibuditsa paruzhinji rwevanhu vakati hatingarambe takadzvanyirirwa nemabvakure,” he said.
“Hatingarambe tirivasungwa nyika iri yedu – hatingarambe tichikumbira nyika iri yedu, tinosungirwa kuirwira idzokere mumaoko evaridzi vayo isu vene vayo,”
“Comrade Tanyanyiwa leaves a track record of achievements in many areas of his life as a freedom fighter, general officers of the army and diplomat par excellence.”
The President hailed Brigadier General Tanyanyiwa for his work and contribution towards development of the country especially the transformation of the national army from colonial army.
“As a veteran freedom fighter, his leadership skills were deployed during the delicate integration exercise of erstwhile warring armies, ZANLA, ZIPRA and the Rhodesian forces into a formidable national army for the newly Independent country of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“He left an indelible footprint in the special forces Commando battalion which he transformed from being an elitist white-dominated unit to a black-dominated unit that it is today.”
He said Tanyanyiwa, whose Chimurenga name was “Nemi Tichapedzerana” played a pivotal role in defending African interest by participating in different missions in the region.
“He was at the helm of this battalion which scored great battle successes against Renamo bandits and managed to secure the Beira Corridor for the safe passage of our goods and people between Mozambique and Zimbabwe,” he said.
“Later, when civil war broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo, his diplomatic skills were put to the test as he negotiated successfully the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement among the DRC warring parties.”
Brig-Gen Tanyanyiwa, who was the Defence Attaché in China, collapsed and died on November 26, a few hours after he had been hospitalised at Beijing United Family Hospital.
Bragadier General Tanyanyiwa who was 58, is survived by his wife Mariah and three children.