The Sunday News
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
AS Zimbabwe celebrates its 44th Independence Anniversary, so much can be said and so much still remains unknown. Not for lack of a will to tell Zimbabwe’s true Independence story, but because this story has not been told many times enough.
It is time that we give priority to our journey from subjugation to freedom. In my view, this is one of the most pertinent issues in our country. The story of how our independence was attained and the importance of ensuring that we jealousy guard the gains of our independence is perhaps the most important subject that should always receive due attention.
The story begins with sacrifice. So much was sacrificed to get to this point. The goal of our oppressors was, “not in a thousand years” would there be a free Zimbabwe. They never fathomed a free Zimbabwe. Well, it took only 16 years for Zimbabwe to be unshackled from the jaws of colonialism.
The 16 years of armed struggle gave birth to a lifetime of freedom. However, we would all do good to remember that our beloved country was under subjugation longer than it has been free. As difficult as it was, we attained our freedom, we are yet to fully achieve economic emancipation.
Very few of us have an understanding of what true freedom means. It is more than saying that we are free. It is living up to the expectations of a free man in a free land. It is the ability to chart one’s path unimpeded without fear.
This is what we have been doing as Zanu-PF, the Party that won the country’s Independence for the past 44 years, and we will continue in this quest.
As we move forward with our developmental trajectory, we should never forget where we came from. The past is a reminder of the hard-fought freedom that came at a huge cost. So many of us did not cross over to see an Independent and free Zimbabwe. It is up to us who had the privilege to cross over into a free Zimbabwe to not betray the cause.
Our independence was hard-fought and how joyous it is that we are in a free Zimbabwe. Even after close to half-a-century of freedom, there are those who still find Zimbabwe’s freedom a bitter pill to swallow. There are those that are still yearning for the days of old, where we were under the subjugation of our colonisers. Well, it is our turn to tell them “not in a thousand years”.
As rightly put by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa in his independence day celebrations speech in Murambinda, Zimbabwe is forging ahead in spite of the illegal sanctions imposed on us by our detractors. We are still in the trenches, dear comrades. All Zimbabweans young and old.
The goal is to take Zimbabwe into a golden age, through ensuring that we attain the economic freedom and success we so desire. We will continue forging ahead, for the love of country. As we carry-on the fight towards economic emancipation, focus must be on protecting the gains of our liberation. This is a process that can never be repeated. It was a once-off process that should and last for a lifetime.
Let us all treasure this sweet freedom that we enjoy in our motherland for it came at a heavy price. Its value as well as the sacrifices made should forever be engrained in our people. Lessons and experiences from old, during the path to freedom should never be forgotten and should serve as a stark reminder of the difficult times we endured as a people under the oppressive colonial regime.
So much was given, and it is up to the current generation to safeguard the gains made. Much of the ground work has already been laid for them, what is required from our upcoming generation is continuity. They should continue the work we started and ensure that the dreams and aspirations of those who made the ultimate sacrifice remain alive.
With the Chitepo School of Ideology and the recently reintroduced Youth Service in Zimbabwe being adopted as the preferred tools for sharpening the minds of our youth, we will ensure that the gains of our liberation struggle remain intact.
Long live freedom, long live Zimbabwe.
ν Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary General of Zanu-PF. He writes in his own capacity.
