By ZAPU Information Dept| Dumiso Dabengwa, the late President of Zapu always had dreams for the future. Evidence is awash showing that his life was full of big future dreams for Zimbabwe as a whole.

History tells that he left his banking job in then Rhodesia to join the struggle, substituting comfort with a life of struggle. He saw the possibility of overthrowing a very powerful regime at that time.

His dream of a liberated African continent saw him fight battles with South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe of ANC against the Rhodesian forces for months on the battle fields of Rhodesia.

He was to later on partake in the building of a guerrila army that engaged the enemy both on the ground and in the air. What should be very inspirational to the genuine young patriotic Zimbabweans is that he first did it himself. He did not say “go and do,” but said, “come, let us do.”

The description of his dream of a free and democratic Zimbabwe is endless. Dabengwa`s most striking dream was to pass the political and developmental  baton stick to the younger generation. Not only did he see a potential of a better and prosperous Zimbabwe but he visually foresaw how this could be realized. He even took himself to task in making sure it was achieved.

From the onset of the Zapu pull-out from the 1987 Unity Accord in 2009, Dabengwa made it clear that he had not wished to lead the party. He clearly stated he would have loved to be led by a younger person. His preoccupation was to build the future and not to strengthen his existing power basing it on the justifications of his past and the power of incumbency. His focus was to press ahead having learnt that life is a continuous process whose future is determined by the actions of those who live today and collective decisions we take in the contemporary.

This view was not limited to the party Zapu alone but he consulted far and wide. He interacted with people from all walks of life, from all  over the country and beyond Zimbabwe and Africa,  taking their advice with all humility whenever he could do so.

Because of his humility and strong sense of selflessness and sacrifice, together with his unflinching belief in the future, he was not ashamed to support the youngest presidental candidate in 2018 elections, in the process risking betrayal and humiliation in the hands of shallow and narrow minded political fraudsters of our time.

Out if his love and wish for a peaceful coexistence and a sustainable development of the country, fr of political bickering and polarization,  he listened to the voice of reason when many open minded and patriotic Zimbabweans called for a Transitional National Governing Authourity that could address the huge political, social, legal, constitutional and economic problems of our nation.

His was not to just criticise without offering alternative advice. His dream for the immediate future was to promote a political national consensus above political party affiliations characterised by emotional and empty slogans.
Dabengwa will be forever associated with one of the most gigantic economic post-independence project, the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project. It is no doubt that the battle hardened freedom fighter even saw mountains moving and in their place a green belt emerging, feeding the whole Southern Africa from the Zambezi.

One is justified to believe that the failure to effectively move towards combating drought in the Matabeleland Regions must have been very frustrating. Whereas it had been accepted that it is the Matebeleland regions that had perennial droughts over the years and that water had to be sourced from the Zambezi, A Minister in the GNU from the MDC set out to fight Dabengwa. Apparently he came from koSiphepha in Tsholotsho himself. This is one of the driest parts of Zimbabwe. He made all sorts of allegations and accusations even going to the press claiming that there had been misappropriation and abuse of funds under Dabengwa’s watch. During the scuffle the project had to change its name to be called the National Zambei Matebeleland Water Project. The then Prime Minister even came down to Bulawayo to do something that no one ever talks about even now.

It was very frustrating to see a son of Tsholotsho being used to fight a project set out to help his very own people. However, as  already stated Dabengwa  never saw failure. Like a true revolutionary, he only saw a delay in a revolution but never a total failure, and as such, he held on the project til the end. 

It is therefore safe to say that his dreams for a brighter and better future in Zimbabwe  were his source of inspiration against all the frustrations.

Zapu Information And Publicity Department.