By Wicknell Chivayo
Each year, the 15TH OF SEPTEMBER marks a day of profound celebration. It presents an indelible cause to the Nation and people of Zimbabwe to celebrate one of its illustrious and finest Statesman that this country has ever had since its dark years of the liberation struggle. In this particular year, 2022, the day remarkably symbolises the 80th birthday of an eminent liberation war stalwart, a decorated patriot and a man of distinguished character and wisdom His Excellency Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa!
YOUR EXCELLENCY, on this esteemed occasion of your 80th birthday, we are humbled and well pleased as the young blood of this great Nation of Zimbabwe, to be led by your wise counsel. The entrenched history of our liberation struggle can never be complete without the mention of your name and the pivotal role you played alongside other gallant sons of the soil. The unfettered freedom we enjoy today came at the expense of your selfless sacrifice of heeding the patriotic call to free your country from the yesteryear bondage of our erstwhile colonial masters at a very tender age.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, you displayed unparalleled bravery and incomparable heroism by leading various tactical militia groups whose primary objective was to vanquish the colonist forces in the then Fort Victoria in 1964, an escapade which put your life in immense danger and which led to your incarceration for a decade. But even this did not deter your fortitude and hope to see an independent Zimbabwe where every citizen is afforded their full political and socio-economic rights.
YOUR EXCELLENCY as a REVOLUTIONARY, you have held dearly to the ideals of the liberation struggle – that of full political and economic emancipation – to this day, an accolade that we draw very rich inspiration from. Your principles on the economic empowerment of Zimbabweans has been evident by your enviable mantra, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
YOUR EXCELLENCY, true to this mantra and under your able leadership, the Nation of Zimbabwe has witnessed an unprecedented economic growth during the tenure of the Second Republic. As the young generation, we have delightfully witnessed extraordinary infrastructure development being achieved within a remarkably short period of time, this bearing testimony to your dedication to fulfil your VISION to make Zimbabwe an upper-middle income economy by 2030.
YOUR EXCELLENCY, at no other time has Zimbabwe seen all its major roads being refurbished to world class standards such as under your administration. You have demonstrated a remarkable desire to reconstruct and develop Zimbabwe into a modern State comparable to 1st world economies in the 21st Century. With your guidance, various medical facilities have been upgraded and state-of-the-art equipment has been installed. Previously closed mines and industries have been reopened whilst new ones have been commissioned under your able leadership. All this unmatched economic development has created replete employment opportunities to our young compatriots who now revere being Zimbabwean and acquiesce to your leadership and the “People’s Party”, ZANU PF!
THE HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ZIMBABWE DEFENCE FORCES, we rally behind you and commend your efforts in protecting the sacrosanct socio-political independence and territorial sovereignty of Zimbabwe. We honour you, particularly on this occasion of your birthday, for your unrelenting fight against neo-imperialist machinations by those who still view Zimbabwe as an extension of their political annexes. We fully embrace and support your calls in denouncing the illegal SANCTIONS imposed upon our beautiful Country by its yesteryear colonisers and aided by their cronies in the form of fructuous political opposition outfits. As the youths and vanguards of the strong-fought liberation struggle, we UNRESEVERDLY express our patronage and fully submit to your proficient leadership and that of our Party, ZANU PF!
YOUR EXCELLENCY, your stewardship over the Second Republic has given birth to economic stability which had been historically dented by the effects of the illegal SANCTIONS invited by hopeless opposition political gangs bent on self-aggrandisement at the expense of the masses. Against these odds, we have in recent weeks experienced a remarkable fall in the prices of goods and services, all in response to your wise interventions through the introduction of the Mosi-a-Tunya Gold coin and other measures meant to curb runaway inflation.
YOUR EXCELLENCY the NATION of Zimbabwe revels in your sharp astuteness and remarkable acumen. Suffice it to say the 2023 ELECTIONS are the easiest to predict in view of the resounding and well-defined efforts by the ZANU PF party and Government to meet all its promises in the 2018 election. We reiterate our unwavering support, as the YOUTHS of Zimbabwe, of your leadership and that of ZANU PF. We shall always stand ready to complement your sterling efforts to build this Nation, “brick upon brick, stone upon stone”.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHUMBA MURAMBWI !!!