YOU cannot keep a good man or woman down, and in our case a country.
The latest great event in the country this week will be overlooked, there are those elsewhere in the world who will treat it like a non-event, but a big event it is.
It is an event worth making noise about for very obvious reasons.
The decision by the European Council on Trade and Tourism (ECTT) to give the country awards for the best tourist destination and the favourite cultural destination for 2014 speaks volumes.
Our richly endowed country emerged the best out of 27 other countries.
And this is a country that has, in the last decade, been presented by the European Union as a pariah state.
Already the EU is denouncing the group, claiming not to know it.
But it is a group made up of Europeans, from Europe and they have spoken endorsing the country as the best from a European perspective.
We view the awards as a victory against forces that have sought our demise or rather the demise of the system that has fought tooth and nail to preserve and protect our heritage from invaders that remain relentless in their efforts to subvert our gains.
In the last decade we have had no kind words or thoughts from Europe.
And the various members and groups from the bloc have taken cue from their mother body and have not been objective where Zimbabwe is concerned.
Our spades have been called with other names and never spade until now.
So it is fascinating that an influential group from the bloc has chosen to be objective and to be fair.
For me the most important story is not that a group from Europe has recognised us, we have said we will not lose sleep if they do not, we know our worth and will deal and interact with those that respect us as a sovereign state.
The most important story is that this country has vast potential and it will be very sad if that potential is recognised and appreciated more by outsiders than by indigenes.
As the owners of the country we must not wait for outsiders to validate and show us our worth.
It is the duty of every Zimbabwean to appreciate and value what the country has.
True ownership of resources is rooted in knowledge of that which is owned.
I have heard disturbing sentiments, voices whispering that there is no value in that which is in the ground, it is of no use to us so long it remains under.
I can only imagine that such statements are borne of ignorance for if we know the worth of that which is in the ground we will act accordingly, we will value it and protect it.
Failure to exploit must not mean we must forfeit.
All it takes to exploit, on our part, might just be knowledge.
If we know we will not be cheated or taken advantage of.
It is time that as a nation we treat ourselves right and love ourselves the same way outsiders love this country.
It is a shame to find outsiders waxing lyrical about our land while we have nothing good to say about it.
And Zimbabwe as proved by the Europeans that visited us is much more than its mineral resources.
We must value our land.