The Sunday News
Dumisani Sibanda Sunday News Correspondent
PREPARATIONS for the 21st February Movement celebrations to mark President Mugabe’s 92nd birthday set for Masvingo next month are now in full swing with the organisers promising to have a bigger and better event than the one held in Victoria Falls last year. President Mugabe was born on 21 February, 1924 at Kutama in Mashonaland West. In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF Youth Secretary Cde Pupurai Togarepi, said the ruling party’s Masvingo Provincial executive and other stakeholders have been meeting in the province to prepare to host the event.
“The party’s national youth executive has been to Masvingo four times and toured the possible venues for the event but the issue of the particular venue in Masvingo is yet to be finalised as well as the date,” he said.
“There is enthusiasm in Masvingo over the opportunity to host the birthday of our liberation icon and while I know last year’s event in Victoria Falls was one of the best celebrations, the event in Masvingo is likely to be bigger and better.”
Cde Togarepi said it was important that President Mugabe’s birthday was being celebrated in Masvingo which is home to the Great Zimbabwe monument where the country derived its name from. Great Zimbabwe is renowned for its stone houses and is believed to have been an international trade centre with Arab gold trading, links with Eastern Africa while Persian and Chinese pottery pieces were found at the site.
“Cde Mugabe fought for the liberation of this country and has displayed selflessness by choosing to fight for the emancipation of the black majority,” said Cde Togarepi.
“Young people should emulate his selflessness, honesty and uprightness. He has zero tolerance for corruption and that is what young people should emulate. When we celebrate the birth of President Mugabe we can liken that to Israelites celebrating their deliverance from Egypt to Canaan.”
President Mugabe has distinguished himself as the champion of the downtrodden by challenging neo-colonialism and Western hegemony. He has spearheaded the land reform programme in Zimbabwe to correct the land ownership imbalances which were racially skewed in favour of whites. President Mugabe has also initiated the indigenisation programme to economically empower the black majority.
