Mujuru unified all in life and in death
General Solomon Mujuru, who was laid to rest at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare yesterday, has united the people in a manner that has made everyone proud to be Zimbabwean.
Yes we are saddened that he is gone, but here is his enduring legacy: he united our freedom fighters during the struggle, he united our liberation armies at Independence, and, now, even as we mourn this brave strategist, Gen Mujuru has captured the respect and collective grief of the entire nation.
At the national shrine as the nation bade farewell to the Commander of Commanders, all the political parties were represented.
Refreshingly, it did not matter whether you were Zanu-PF, MDC, MDC-T or Zapu. They all came, in their thousands.
Cde Rex was a great unifier.
Let this be a lesson to every politician out there. A divided nation is a weak nation. As Zimbabweans, we have wasted too much time squabbling, insulting and fighting each other.
There are many lessons for everyone here.
Gen Mujuru decided, at a tender age, to fight racist oppression. When it became clear to him that the fascist regime would not heed the people’s call for majority rule, Cde Rex took up arms and fought alongside others to dismantle the evil system.
The late 1970s was a tempestuous time for the liberation struggle. On many occasions, there was enough reason to fear that the war would get derailed by one crisis or another. Zanla and Zipra faced serious challenges, both internal and external. The situation demanded men and women of steel.
Cde Rex was one of them and he carried out his tough assignments with admirable distinction.
In his heart-warming eulogy yesterday, President Mugabe brought to the fore all the remarkable qualities that made Cde Rex a giant among men, a people’s hero, an enduring legend.
Gen Mujuru led from the front, quite literally.
Although he was a senior figure in the Zanla war machine, he did not use this privilege to shield himself from the grim realities of the battlefield.
He was always on the frontline, sharing risks with the rank and file.
It would have been impossible not to admire such a man. This explains why he was loved and trusted by the masses.
With the armed struggle won and concluded, there came a period of mistrust and uncertainty.
What would happen to the Zanla, Zipra and Rhodesian soldiers?
What would be their role in an independent Zimbabwe?
Those were trying times, fraught with immense difficulties.
Uniting the Zanla, Zipra and Rhodesian forces was never going to be easy. Zanla and Zipra could come together, of course, united by the cause of freedom and democracy. How about the Rhodies? How would they be integrated into the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and could they ever be trusted?
Gen Mujuru played a crucial role in uniting the three fighting machines, leading to the creation of a stable, solid and respected ZDF.
Ever the unifier, those close to him say he was deeply saddened by the post-independence horror known by the name Gukurahundi and the military clashes between former Zanla and Zipra cadres that plunged the newly independent Zimbabwe into political and ethnic convulsions. Cde Rex had himself received military training under Zipra. He had also been one of the commanders of the Zipa project which brought Zanla and Zipra together.
After steering Zimbabwe’s military in the right direction, Gen Mujuru retired and ventured into politics. He became one of the most approachable parliamentarians the country has ever seen. Unlike other politicians, he did not surround himself with layers and layers of red tape. He listened to ordinary folk and would stop for a friendly chat with just about anyone.
He was humanity personified. Many were puzzled by his interaction with ordinary citizens. The man was revered by the masses and held in awe by his opponents.
There has been a lot of political talk following the tragic fire that took Gen Mujuru’s life. Politicians will always talk, but they must talk less and deliver more to the masses.
Politicians should put the people first. As the nation braces for a vigorous election campaign, every politician has to remember this.
For Zanu-PF, winning the forthcoming election is not rocket science: the party must simply return to its founding values which put the people first. The party of liberation must prioritise delivery to the masses on bread and butter issues, fight corruption, defend our freedom and democracy, and reconnect with young people.
Gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe have made immense sacrifices to get Zanu-PF where it is today. It is now the responsibility of members to rejuvenate the party. When they examine Cde Rex’s life and how effortlessly he related with the masses, they will find their organisational strategy’s missing link.
For the other political parties, the message is this: Zimbabweans may differ along ideological and tactical lines, but we should be united by the national interest.
Our independence, sovereignty, land and economic empowerment are sacrosanct and no politician, living or unborn, should ever entertain hopes of subverting these nationalist values.
Anything else would be a betrayal of the principles espoused by the late Gen Mujuru and all the other heroes of our struggle for liberation.
Yes we are saddened that he is gone, but here is his enduring legacy: he united our freedom fighters during the struggle, he united our liberation armies at Independence, and, now, even as we mourn this brave strategist, Gen Mujuru has captured the respect and collective grief of the entire nation.
At the national shrine as the nation bade farewell to the Commander of Commanders, all the political parties were represented.
Refreshingly, it did not matter whether you were Zanu-PF, MDC, MDC-T or Zapu. They all came, in their thousands.
Cde Rex was a great unifier.
Let this be a lesson to every politician out there. A divided nation is a weak nation. As Zimbabweans, we have wasted too much time squabbling, insulting and fighting each other.
There are many lessons for everyone here.
Gen Mujuru decided, at a tender age, to fight racist oppression. When it became clear to him that the fascist regime would not heed the people’s call for majority rule, Cde Rex took up arms and fought alongside others to dismantle the evil system.
The late 1970s was a tempestuous time for the liberation struggle. On many occasions, there was enough reason to fear that the war would get derailed by one crisis or another. Zanla and Zipra faced serious challenges, both internal and external. The situation demanded men and women of steel.
Cde Rex was one of them and he carried out his tough assignments with admirable distinction.
In his heart-warming eulogy yesterday, President Mugabe brought to the fore all the remarkable qualities that made Cde Rex a giant among men, a people’s hero, an enduring legend.
Gen Mujuru led from the front, quite literally.
Although he was a senior figure in the Zanla war machine, he did not use this privilege to shield himself from the grim realities of the battlefield.
He was always on the frontline, sharing risks with the rank and file.
It would have been impossible not to admire such a man. This explains why he was loved and trusted by the masses.
With the armed struggle won and concluded, there came a period of mistrust and uncertainty.
What would happen to the Zanla, Zipra and Rhodesian soldiers?
What would be their role in an independent Zimbabwe?
Those were trying times, fraught with immense difficulties.
Uniting the Zanla, Zipra and Rhodesian forces was never going to be easy. Zanla and Zipra could come together, of course, united by the cause of freedom and democracy. How about the Rhodies? How would they be integrated into the new Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and could they ever be trusted?
Gen Mujuru played a crucial role in uniting the three fighting machines, leading to the creation of a stable, solid and respected ZDF.
Ever the unifier, those close to him say he was deeply saddened by the post-independence horror known by the name Gukurahundi and the military clashes between former Zanla and Zipra cadres that plunged the newly independent Zimbabwe into political and ethnic convulsions. Cde Rex had himself received military training under Zipra. He had also been one of the commanders of the Zipa project which brought Zanla and Zipra together.
After steering Zimbabwe’s military in the right direction, Gen Mujuru retired and ventured into politics. He became one of the most approachable parliamentarians the country has ever seen. Unlike other politicians, he did not surround himself with layers and layers of red tape. He listened to ordinary folk and would stop for a friendly chat with just about anyone.
He was humanity personified. Many were puzzled by his interaction with ordinary citizens. The man was revered by the masses and held in awe by his opponents.
There has been a lot of political talk following the tragic fire that took Gen Mujuru’s life. Politicians will always talk, but they must talk less and deliver more to the masses.
Politicians should put the people first. As the nation braces for a vigorous election campaign, every politician has to remember this.
For Zanu-PF, winning the forthcoming election is not rocket science: the party must simply return to its founding values which put the people first. The party of liberation must prioritise delivery to the masses on bread and butter issues, fight corruption, defend our freedom and democracy, and reconnect with young people.
Gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe have made immense sacrifices to get Zanu-PF where it is today. It is now the responsibility of members to rejuvenate the party. When they examine Cde Rex’s life and how effortlessly he related with the masses, they will find their organisational strategy’s missing link.
For the other political parties, the message is this: Zimbabweans may differ along ideological and tactical lines, but we should be united by the national interest.
Our independence, sovereignty, land and economic empowerment are sacrosanct and no politician, living or unborn, should ever entertain hopes of subverting these nationalist values.
Anything else would be a betrayal of the principles espoused by the late Gen Mujuru and all the other heroes of our struggle for liberation.
No comments:
Post a Comment