President counsels need for principle

Source: President counsels need for principle | The Herald April 13, 2017

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe has urged war veterans to dump ill-conceived thoughts of entitlement to lead lives based on their status as former liberation war fighters, saying they should be satisfied with positions they were getting in the ruling party.

Addressing thousands of mourners at the burial of national hero Brigadier-General James Jotham Murozvi at the National Heroes Acre yesterday, the President said the zanu-pf principle that “politics leads the gun” should be respected.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces lauded Brig Gen Murozvi for being a principled, dedicated cadre who never wavered on principle.

“Haana kuita mhere-mhere, kushaudha kuti aah hurumende murikukanganisa,” he said.

“Tonho, tonho. Kubva asiyana pamaitiro ake nevamwe vanofunga kuti zvandiri war veteran ndine mvumo yekutonga kuti zvinhu zvifambe nemutowo wakati, aah aah aiziva gwara.

“Tiri mawar veterans hongu. Tadzoka, tairwira mhuri yeZimbabwe. Tine musangano unotitungamirira, kwete watinosungirwa kutungamira. Mumusangano imomo hongu tinovimbawo semaWar veterans kuti tionekwe basa ratakaita, kana tichipiwa zvigaro tipihwe, tibvume. Takangongara tichibvuma kuti politics leads the gun. Saka anga akatwasanuka zvikuru kuru.

“Ndozvatinongokumbirisa kuti tiite. Tive nerudo pamwe chete nekunzwanana, tive vanoziva gwara rekuti hatina kusiyana neruzhinji, tiri pamwe chete navo. Nhamo, nhasi uno takurira mabhunu, dzava nhamo dzedu tese. Ungave war veteran, ungave detainee, collaborator, mungave vanhu, madzishe vari mumasango tese tabatana pamwechete.

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“Hapana kusiyana, hapasungirwi kuva nekusiyana, tibatane tichitungamirirwa nemusangano, Zanu-PF. Gwara, gwara, gwara.”

President Mugabe described Brig Gen Murozvi as a dedicated cadre, who left the comfort of a teaching course to join the liberation struggle.

He said even after independence in1980, Brig Gen Murozvi remained a disciplined cadre.

“Many of us might wonder who Comrade Murozvi was, to deserve national hero status which we have seen fit to bestow on him,” said President Mugabe.

“National hero status is not conferred willy-nilly on our fallen comrades, but is given after careful consideration of one’s personal attributes and contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe, and quality of faithful service to our nation and our people, throughout one’s life.”

President Mugabe described the late Brig-Gen as a disciplined cadre who accepted deployment from the liberation struggle till his demise without grumbling.

He said after independence, Brig Gen Murozvi took part in defence forces contingents that helped in Mozambique and the DRC following disturbances in those countries.

Brig Gen Murozvi also served as Zimbabwe’s Defence Attache to the United Kingdom, before being appointed principal director in the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees.

“Wanga ari munhu ane rukudzo, waiona kuti uyu akava nedzidzo inotsigirwa nediscipline yakakwana,” said President Mugabe.

“Basa raaiita rekuti iye nevamwe muministry imomo vaone nezvemagariro, welfare yemawar veterans, war detainees navamwe nezvekuti vabatsirwe nehurumende.”

President Mugabe said Brig Gen Murozvi’s life was characterised by acts of valour and supreme sacrifice for Zimbabwe and his family that he left when he joined the liberation struggle without assurance that he would return alive.

“Leaving the country to join the liberation struggle was in itself an act of bravery and chivalry, which very few men and women voluntarily undertook at the time,” he said.

“Some people who were coerced to join the liberation struggle were the very ones who deserted the struggle. But not for the likes of the late Brigadier General Murozvi, who volunteered to go for military and guerilla training, in order to fight for the liberation of our country.

“In the period between 1975, when the young Comrade Murozvi crossed into Mozambique, until the time of the ceasefire in 1979, he undertook various assignments, which he discharged admirably.”

President Mugabe said Brig Gen Murozvi quit his teacher training course to join the liberation struggle to avoid being conscripted into the national youth service of the settler regime to fight against the oppressed fellow black Zimbabweans.

He said Brig Gen played several roles after his military training, including as political commissar.

“After the attainment of our independence, Comrade Murozvi was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army, starting at the level of Lieutenant and rising through the ranks, to the level of Brigadier-General,” said President Mugabe.

“Among his notable achievements as a serving member of the army include his involvement with the pioneer group of officers who spearheaded the integration of Zanla, Zipra and the Rhodesian Forces into the Zimbabwe National Army.

“As Military Intelligence Officer at Headquarters One Brigade, under General (Constantino) Chiwenga, current Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the late comrade ensured the security of South African National Congress’ Umkhonto WeSizwe fighters inside Zimbabwe en-route to South Africa, to wage war against the apartheid regime.”

President Mugabe said Brig Gen Murozvi received several medals, among them the Liberation Medal, the Independence Medal, the Mozambique and DRC Campaigns Medals and Grand Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit Award, for his distinguished service to Zimbabwe and the sub-region.