Recently in Mutare

AS President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and ZANU PF faithfuls descended on Sakubva Stadium in Mutare on Saturday, Cde Hebert Wiltshire Pfumaindini Chitepo, that inspirational ZANU stalwart, who had been honoured moments before, stood there, lurking in spirit.
When thousands packed Sakubva Stadium, there was overwhelming consensus among Zimbabweans that the ZANU PF of old was back, with people freely going about their business.
This was a marked departure from the ‘norm’ where people would shut their businesses down to attend ZANU PF rallies.
This is the ZANU Cde Chitepo died for.
The ZANU PF that brings together the people.
The ZANU PF whose underlying ideology transcends all boundaries, binding the masses as one people, living in one nation and fighting for the development of their motherland.
And Chitepo’s ZANU dovetails with the new dispensation which has adopted and pursued with vigour the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ mantra.
Under the tutelage of President Mnangagwa, everything has started falling into place and Cde Chitepo could have been smiling as the country moves towards a free, fair and credible elections.
The Chitepo honour, which came through the renaming of 3 Infantry Brigade Barracks to Herbert Chitepo Barracks was yet another milestone in the new dispensation’s widely embraced programme of honouring and recognising departed heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle.
During the ZANU PF Congress in December 2017, the Chitepo Ideological College, a platform for imbuing ZANU PF cadres with the party ideology as espoused by the mercurial Cde Chitepo, was established.
This is why Cde Chitepo stood tall.
This is why his name continues to cut across generations, inspiring many to defend their hard-won independence and territorial integrity.
It was a day that the people of Manicaland finally had something to cheer about as one of the province’s greatest sons was deservedly honoured in the land of his birth.
Chairman Chitepo, as he was affectionately referred to by the people of Zimbabwe, was no ordinary man.
He was a pioneer of the struggle that brought independence and freedom to Zimbabwe.
“No serious reflections into our contemporary trajectories, history and politics can go without the mention of immense influence, charisma and contribution of the late Cde Herbert Wiltshire Chitepo,” said President Mnangagwa.
“He was arguably one of the towering figures in the history of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
“The man we honour today, Cde Chitepo, was not only academically gifted and eminent but was also selfless, patriotic, dedicated and dutiful to the execution of the war.
“Following the banning of ZAPU in May 1962, Cde Chitepo was persuaded to go into voluntary exile to escape possible detention.
“In the process, Cde Chitepo assumed a national character, which has been an inspiration to many and will continue to echo for years to come, because of his intelligence, bravery, heroism and sacrifice.
“He stood by the nation through thick and thin in his quest for freedom for all Zimbabweans.
“The late nationalist was unflinching and unwavering in his dedication to see freedom for all people.”
Chairman Chitepo was born on June 15 1923 at Bonda in the Inyanga (Nyanga) District of the then Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
His father died while he was only three years old and he was sent to St David’s Bonda Mission, where he grew up.
He received his primary education at the mission and later on moved to St Augustine’s Penhalonga where he did his secondary education.
In 1943, Cde Chitepo left for South Africa where he enrolled at Adams College in Natal to train as a primary school teacher before qualifying in 1945.
He returned to Rhodesia where he taught at St Augustine’s Penhalonga before going back again to South Africa to further his studies.
He attended Fort Hare University in South Africa between 1947 and 1949 where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
Thereafter, he left for London where he was attached to the School of Oriental and African Studies and worked as research assistant.
He then studied Law at King’s College, becoming a barrister in 1954.
Chairman Chitepo vigorously defended black nationalists before he was assassinated on March 18 1975 in Lusaka, Zambia.
The great Chairman Chitepo is a man words cannot describe.
He was a political giant whose inspiration was visible at Sakubva Stadium where ZANU PF took further steps towards ‘cementing the revolution’.
The mood which engulfed the over 20 000 strong crowd was that of a victory within touching distance and a destiny in sight.
Indeed, it has been a stellar show by President Mnangagwa as he is pulling all stops to deliver an economy that responds to the aspirations and needs of the people.
This is what the carnival of yellow and green that thronged Sakubva Stadium were revelling in; a country on the cusp of an unprecedented economic turnaround.
They sang.
They danced.
They ululated and they were elated.
Yet the Cde Chitepo factor still played its part in Mutare.
Said President Mnagagwa:
“Zimbabwe is open for business.
“But most importantly, chinhu chakanyanya kukosha ndechekuti for now in this country, Zimbabwe, is in good hands.
“Zimbabwe iri mumavoko akanaka achaichengeta.
“Zimbabwe will prosper.
“Zimbabwe is going to develop, Zimbabwe will shine, not only in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), but will shine in Africa because Zimbabwe is in good hands.
“Our political party, ZANU PF, is a revolutionary party.
“A revolutionary party is a party which implements the wishes of the people.
“Any other party which is not revolutionary, then it has other interests.
“A party is called revolutionary because it caters for the interests of the people and ZANU PF is a revolutionary party.”