President Mugabe
President Mugabe’s speech on the occasion of Zimbabwe’s National Heroes Day celebrations at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday.
I WANT to begin by expressing my gratitude and deep appreciation first, Father Mukonori for that scripture passage that he read and on which he preached a short sermon and also want to thank our choirs especially the last one for that beautiful music.
Baba Mukonori vatidzidzisa kuti vadiki vedu handi vokungotuma tuma chete nokuvadheerera kuti haaaa havasati vabva zano. Kwete, vane pfungwa dzimwe nguva dzakadzama chaizvo izvo.
Zvino tanzwa kuti ah, mwana uyu aive mucheche achine makore gumi nemaviri, mwana waMwari. Ndokurasika, pavakanga vaenda kupasika kuchidyo chegore negore chekurumbidza Mwari . Sezvinoita vadiki vaye, ko aendepi ko aendepi, vomutsvaga ndokuona ah akatogara pane vaye vainzi ndivo chaivo vapi vepfungwa dzakadzama, magweta nevamwe vadhara, ndebvu chena vakati ah kamwana kanopenga aka.
Ko uri kuitei pano, ko imimi muri kunditsvagireiwo, ko tiri kudaka kuenda kumusha. Hamuzive here kuti ndiripo pakuita basa rababa vangu ah ndobva vashama. Havana kuziva kuti zvaanoreva ndezvipi.
Isuwo taive nemazano akawanda, asi zano guru guru raive revakuru vedu vaye vakarwa Chimurenga, vaye vaive vakazotongwa vamwe vavo vanana Mbuya Nehanda. Vakatiudza zvatakaudzwawo tichiri vacheche tichiri vadiki kuti kwaive naMbuya Nehanda vakatungamirira Chimurenga asi mudzimai iyeye akatongwa pamwe chete nevamwe varume, akadimurwawo musoro.
Tanzwa kuti misoro yevakuru vedu ivavo yaive yakaunganidzwa muMuseum, kuBritain vari kuti tizoitora, tichaitora tichigunun’una, tichigunun’una kuti makaidimurirei?
WaMbuya Nehanda hameno kuti tichauwana here pakati pacho. Mazwi avakapa kuti vana vadiki vagotererawo nevakuru ekuti mandiuraya zvangu, ndichirwira zvangu asi mapfupa angu achamuka. Anonzi akati achamuka, vachireva kuti vachakumukirai, zvakateererwa izvozvo nevakomana nevasikana vakanga vabve zera kwete vakange vaine makore gumi nemaviri.
Hongu vakanga vanzwa shoko iri richitaurwa nevakuru asi vazokura shoko raMbuya Nehanda vakati ngatirimutsei. Ndivo vatiri kuchema zuva nezuva, ndivo vatiri kuchema nhasi asi tinovarumbidza kunyanya hatingarambi tichichema. Ndivo nhungamiri vakatungamira, vakazvipira kufa nekutambudzika, ndivo vakada kuti tizova nezuva ranhasi remufaro reIndependence yedu, zuva rekuchengetedza zvese zvatinazvo zvicherwa, masango edu nemhuka dzedu. Saka zuva ranhasi isuwo toteerera zvavari kutaura vari pano apa, nekuti zviito zvavo ndozviri kutaura, ndomuromo wavo nhasi.
We fought, we are saying for the freedom of everyone, for justice and for the right of self-determination to come to Zimbabwe. So we are free, every man and woman and those to be born also shall be born free. We are here to tell you that the country we now call Zimbabwe has had a new baptism, baptism of blood. We sacrificed for it. It’s ours, its yours.
It’s also for those who shall be born, we indulge you through our actions as matters with the right of sovereignty. The sovereignty rights, supreme in its essence over all that is under Zimbabwe, all that is above the land, growing, the forests, all the creatures those creeping, those running on floors, even Cecil the Lion is yours. He’s dead but he was yours to protect and you fail to protect him.
There are vandals who come from all over, of course they come maybe just ordinary visitors but alas would want to vandalise, to irregularly and illegally acquire part of those resources.
We said the independence you are getting that you celebrate year in and year after is now an instrument for you to transform your economy.
But it is also an instrument for you to arm yourself with and defend and protect your country and its natural resources so, don’t cry anymore don’t mourn anymore. Joy everlasting shall be yours and your future generations forever and ever.
Ehe, takapihwa nhaka izere yehupfumi hwenyika, masango nemhuka, madziva, makarwe unova mutupo wavaMugabe. Angarume asi ndeedu, shiri , nyoka dzingarume asi ndedzedu, zvose madzvinyu, matahwa, hapana chisiri chenyu. Zvimwe tinozviseka, asi ehe takazvipihwa kuti tisekese.
Makudo, tsoko zvese, hapoka! Tizvichengete izvi nezvizvizvi zvinotipawo hupenyu imhuka dzatinodya asi zvimwe hazvidyike, zvinombogara mumasango mumadziva, tochengeta hazvipfurwe nepfuti. Chitema.
Kana miseve. Ini ndakarambidzwa, ndaiti ndiri mudiki ndaiita tumiseve twangu twekufamba ndichitenderera pasi pematenga emba kupfura madzvinyu. Zvikanzi unoapfurirei? Ndikati haadyiwe. Zvikanzi, aiwa zvisikwa zvaMwari. Regera kudaro. Ndikabva ndaregerawo. Ndaive nemakore ndofunga masere kana mapfumbamwe.
Zvino hezvoka tauya pano nhasi, tauya mushure memakore akawanda tichiuya pano. Hatina kutanga tiine nharaunda ino iyi nezvese, zviri pano, nemakuva ari pano, kwete takapavaka kuti chive mucherechedzo kwatiri tose chekuzvipira, chive chicherechedzo kwatiri tose chechido chine vanhu veZimbabwe kupa rukudzo kune avo vakazvipira kuti tiwane nhaka yatiinayo yekuzvitonga.
Saka pavakwa takazovamba kuti gore negore tinopa chicherechedzo ichocho. Gore negore tinenge tiine mhemberero yatinoita yekuti nyika yedu yakauya asi yakauya nemutowo iwoyu.
As many other compatriots gather around various shrines across the country and in neighbouring countries, we are gathered here at the National Shrine to pay tribute to the gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe. Our heroes who sacrificed life and limb in order to fight an oppressive, indeed a ruthless, racist settler colonial system.
Without our people’s fearless resolve, courage and self-determination and support, we would not have emerged triumphant against imperialism. The enduring spirit of the legendary struggles of the First Chimurenga of the 1890s propelled Nationalist struggles of the 1950s and 1960s, and later gave birth to the unrelenting liberation struggle, which culminated in our hard won sovereign Independence celebrated on the 18th of April 1980.
Today as we salute these fallen and living heroes for their unyielding tenacity and unflinching courage, we are sadly reminded of the human remains of some of our First Chimurenga heroes and heroines. The remains of our heroes, sacred to us, which were taken out of the country during the colonial period have now been identified in a British history Museum. The remains, skulls we strongly believe are the skulls of beheaded heads of Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, Chingaira Makoni, Chinengundu Mashayamombe, Mapondera, Mashonganyika and Chitekedza Chiwashira among others.
The First Chimurenga leaders, whose heads were decapitated by the colonial occupying force were then dispatched to England to signify British victory over and subjugation of the local population.
Surely, keeping decapitated heads as war trophies in this day and age in a national history museum must rank among the highest forms of racist moral decadence, sadism and human insensitivity.
Once all the necessary processes have been completed for the return of these illicitly removed remains of our ancestors, it is our wish in consultation with our traditional leaders that they be given lasting rest at sacred shrines on the very land against whose occupation they bravely fought.
Fellow Zimbabweans,
Often I have found some misguided elements in our society denigrating our heroes and the shrines at national, provincial or district levels, where we have laid our heroes to rest. The misguided elements whom we share Zimbabwe with have the absurdity and fertile imagination to suggest who, in their unsolicited and weird and wayward opinions, should be declared a hero. Here and now, such people better be advised to stop entertaining themselves with mirages that only exist in the minds of the misguided.
Let me make it abundantly clear that these sacred shrines are solely for the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of this country. Heroes were, and are, consistently loyal to the liberation cause, have their patriotism, selflessness, courage, determination, never questionable, or in any doubt, at any point in time.
Heroes do not become heroes after they are dead! Let us hear that, uhero haumuke munhu afa kana, uri gamba chairo unozviratidza urimupenyu nebasa rako vanhu vanozokukudza chete paunezenge wafa kwete kuti wanga uchiita chiMDC nekokoko kana chimwe chipokawo kwazvo kwazvo. Zvimwe zvipoka zvinotumirwa mari nevemhiri kuti vakanganise ndima dzatiri kurima dzevhu rakatorwa nevanhu kuti ridzokere kuvarungu zvekare variko vanotodaro. Murikuzvinzwa kuhurukuro dzirikuitwa kuMDC. Wozoti apa wafa zvonzi ah muitei hero. Wei? Nekuti akaita politics chete? Handizvoba. Ava inyanzvika. They never abandoned battle! They never were rebels. They never were weak-hearted. They never were selfish, or sellouts, but instead they were abundantly generous with their sacrifice for their country.
As Government, our concern and care does not restrict itself with the dead heroes, as has again, been suggested by misguided elements. Instead, Government has given itself the mammoth task of adequately ensuring the welfare and of addressing the plight of veterans of Liberation and of cause their dependence.
Accordingly, Government has now established a fully fledged Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex- Political Detainees and Restrictees.
Although Government acknowledges that no enough resources have yet been channelled towards this new Ministry, disbursements have been made to cater for school fees, medical assistance, and funeral expenses for the dependents of our Heroes. The provision of the National Heroes Dependants Assistance Act (Chapter 10:06), should guide War Veterans to work closely with the new Ministry, in order to formulate sustainable projects that are targeted at benefiting them.
The sacrifices made by our gallant heroes can only be consolidated through the building of a vibrant economy that empowers all our people. This should remind us all, particularly those in leadership positions in all spheres of our society, to focus all our energies in ensuring that the economy is fully recovered, for the prosperity of all Zimbabweans.
In our quest for sustainable social and economic development, Government is pursuing, since 2013, the accelerated implementation of Zimasset, which is certainly yielding fruits. Having registered a growth rate of 3.1 percent in 2014, economic performance, to date, indicates some modest growth, which is driven by key sectors such as agriculture, mining, tourism and hospitality, construction, financial services as well as the public sector.
On the other hand, the depressed growth resulting from the 2014/2015 agricultural season, underlines the importance of Agriculture as the anchor of our economy. There is need for drought proofing the economy, in order to ameliorate the adverse effect of climate change.
In a bid to adopt strategies that improve and boost food production, and to ensure Food Nutrition Security, both at household and national levels, Government has secured US$98.6 million loan facility from Brazil under the More Food–for–Africa Programme. The loan is for the acquisition of new agriculture machinery and irrigation equipment, which is targeted at enhancing smallholder farmers’ capacity to produce food crops. Because Zimbabwe is drought-prone, we should employ all strategies that help us to avert the consequences of drought and subsequently starvation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and friends
Mineral output during the first half of 2015 was on an upward trend, with gold, nickel, platinum and palladium recording significant increases. With regard to gold, good performance was on account of the supportive fiscal incentives, on-going investment, as well as the institution of measures targeted at plugging leakages of our mineral resources.
To address the challenges faced by our local industries, a National Competitiveness Commission (NCC) is going to be established. The Commission will be responsible for reviewing business related legislation and the repealing of old laws, which tend to impact negatively on business activities. Being a country that observes and respects the rights of investors, as Government, we are prepared to listen to all investor concerns, and address them, with the aim of making sure that we bring the cost of doing business in Zimbabwe to the barest minimum.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Tourism sector continues to experience tremendous growth and development. Based on the results of the first quarter of 2015, that is this year, arrivals are projected to reach 2 million by year end. Zimbabwe recently received another award, the award titled, “The Routes Middle East and Africa Destination Marketing Award” so we got that award.
The international recognition comes at a time the country was ranked “number one” in the world, under “The Incidence of Terrorism Sub-Index”, we have not experienced terrorism, thanks to the peaceful nature of our people. In the 2015, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report compiled by the World Economic Forum. This is the recognition I have made reference to that does come from that body.
Colonial education was, for us Africans, shallow, inferior, and most inappropriate. This indeed was one of the main reasons we fought the war of liberation. Expansion and provision of education for all was what we declared at Independence. After thirty five years of attaining Independence, our main concern now is to provide “quality education for all.”
Government has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening the foundation, relevance and quality of our education. In line with the new Constitution, the revision of the curriculum recognises the use of indigenous languages as a medium of instruction. Government has also embarked on teacher capacity development programmes, for both primary and secondary school education personnel, in order to address training gaps and the quality of education. Government is also prioritising and strengthening Early Childhood Development in order to inculcate necessary skills at an early stage.
After the war of liberation, Government has always been seized with providing our youth with requisite technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills. Government thus passed various legislation provisions and policies, targeted at the youths.
As part of the Youth Empowerment initiatives, in 2015, 8 422 youths have been empowered with technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills through the Integrated Skills Outreach Programme(ISOP), Training for Rural Economic Empowerment (TREE) and Informal Apprenticeship programmes.
The training programmes are implemented through the Government’s 42 Vocational Training Centres and supporting satellites that are located throughout the country.
In pursuit of promoting decent accommodation for all, Government has started implementing the new National Housing Delivery Programme that aims at delivering the Zim-Asset target of 313 368 urban housing units and serviced stands by December 2018.
Presently, various rural and urban centres are busy rehabilitating existing water and sewage infrastructure. Furthermore, regularisation processes of some settlements has begun. It is expected that in excess of 23 000 housing units will be provided in urban centres.
The rural housing programmes have been resuscitated in order to improve rural living conditions. Government has started to produce house designs of typical rural model homesteads which can be accessed free of charge through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing offices countrywide. Plans are already underway to introduce the Rural Housing Loan Fund that will provide affordable loans to communal, A1 and A2 farmers.
In the Health Service sector, we are pleased that, as reflected in the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, there is a remarkable decrease in maternal, child, and infant mortality.
In addition, full immunisation of children has improved from about 36 percent to nearly 70 percent. Measles immunisation is at 82 per cent. The country has also recorded a remarkable increase of clients accessing treatment for HIV from 565 675 to 825 978 in March alone, this year.
Despite the budget constraints, Government will continue to mobilise resources to cater for the 500 000 who still need to be put on treatment. There is much development across all our sectors which we continue to advance as we equally continue our enrolment, environment of peace and security and with that I want to thank you and thank our forces represented here by our service chiefs who are here, to thank them for the peace and tranquillity that the country is enjoying.
Let’s remain peaceful. We discuss our problems in a peaceful way even quarrels must be handled in a manner that should lead to settlements we don’t want quarrels that end up in violence, No. We should concern ourselves with the improvement of our condition. We are still grappling with the task of transforming our economies.
Although we have the resources, the resources lie underground, even where they are above ground, they are yet to be transformed into wealth and transformation of the raw resources into wealth is quite a task.
Thats a task which requires investment, capital and that resource, investment capital that ourselves have is inadequate that is why we invite investors from abroad especially those from friendly countries to come and join us in partnerships so we can transform our economy but in the meantime, will do our best, carry on with our social sectors.
We are at the moment reckoned by the United Nations as the most, the number one literate country in Africa, so on the basis of literacy we are quite above all the others. But it’s not just the literacy we require. We now want real advanced forms of education, education at tertiary institutions we now have some 10 universities in the country, we have a number of other tertiary institutions that give diplomas and we should also reckon what the entirety of the developed world, you see is grappling with, the ICT, you see that is the ICT field that’s a field we are entering, a field we would want to master very much.
But I also thank the institutions, the institutions that lead us, Government institutions and private ones for having conducted their various business in peace. We are worried of course that recently, there has been that, shall I say, freedom on the part of the private sector to get rid of workers , workers who I understand now are in their thousands in the streets and we do not accept that even though it’s in accordance with the law but as I said the law can be disadvantages to certain sectors and I quoted Dickens he said “The law is an ass” and I think that part of our law is a stupid ass.
So we want amendments. I think we proceeded already to draft a bill and to introduce it in Parliament and we will ensure that there is fairness, fairness yes on the part of the employers because they must be served by honest people, sincere people, hard-working people but also for fairness that they shall not just dismiss workers any how because they want to widen their margin of profits no, no that we say no to and we will protect workers, workers legally.
Your coming here is an indication that we continue to recognise the good work done for us by our dear departed, the heroes but tell their story to your children those who are twelve years and above.
Let them hear the story of how this country was freed, how our independence was won and let them hear that told in a manner which makes them also want to be heroes tomorrow, want to defend the legacy that has been bequeathed by our departed national heroes we are celebrating today.
Ndinoda kukutendai zvakare, ndichitendesesa kuuya kwamaita ndichiti shoko rekuzvisunungura ishoko guru. Kuzvipira pabasa rakanaka, kuzvipira kuyamurana, kuzvipira kune vanotambudzika, kuzvipira kana zuva rasvika rekuti muzvidzivirire, muzvirwire,kana nyika yave kuda kutorwa zvakare, kuona uti zviito pakati penyu zvevamwe vari kupfekenyedza iye zvino vari kuda kudzoka kumapurazi nekune dzimwe nzvimbo, zviito izvozvo zvibva zvadziviswa zvisati zvaenda kure kure.
Nekuti mukazviregerera mangwana zvinozova dambdziko guru. Hatingave neimwe hondo zvekare yekutora nyika yedu yatakatora kare. Takanga tataura kuti aiwa taiotora nyika yedu hapana zvichaitika.
Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends,
Cognisant of what our heroes suffered and died for Government has, since Independence, made and will continue to make, improvements targeted at raising our people’s quality of life.
I thank you.