Zanu-PF mourns former leader 

Source: Zanu-PF mourns former leader | The Herald September 7, 2019

Cde Mpofu

Joseph Madzimure, Wallace Ruzvidzo and Yeukai Tazira
Zanu-PF has described the death of former president Robert Mugabe as a great shock to the nation, continent and the world. The party’s secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu said the entire party was shocked and saddened by the death of the former president.

He said Cde Mugabe was an icon and the entire leadership in the new dispensation was a product of his tutelage.

“As a party we are shocked and saddened by the passing on of our icon Cde Robert Mugabe,” he said.

“We are just waiting for a directive on the way forward from the President Cde E.D Mnangagwa, but as a party we are deeply saddened. He was a leader from the liberation struggle and the entire leadership in the new dispensation is a product of the icon.”

Cde Mpofu said the liberation of the country was as a result of his leadership.

In an interview on the sidelines of the clean-up campaign in Glen View yesterday, Zanu-PF secretary for Finance and Economic Development, Cde Patrick Chinamasa said Cde Mugabe was a political giant who deserved recognition the world over.

“He was a principled man, he was a revolutionary and a political giant, not just in Africa, but throughout the world,” he said.

“In Africa, he will rank among the giants such as Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda.

“He left a rich legacy. As you are aware, his legacy is that he educated this nation.”

Zimbabwe is now ranked among the best in Africa in terms of education because of Cde Mugabe’s values in education.

“This population is one of the most educated in Africa and beyond,” said Cde Chinamasa.

“We are now ranked the highest in literacy rate and in terms of skills development.”

Cde Mugabe’s other legacy, Cde Chinamasa said, was the land question.

“He embarked on the resolution of the land question and that was unprecedented,” he said.

“Through his programme of solving the land question, Cde Mugabe was able to acquire over 12 million hectares of land from minority white settler regime which was a fulfilment of the objectives of the liberation struggle and Zimbabweans have been greatly empowered through land distribution.

“There can be no greater empowerment to a people than ownership of land and resources and for this we remain perpetually grateful to him. As you are aware, he was a revolutionary, he inspired many oppressed people the world over to fight oppression.

“He inspired many young people world over to remain principled, anti-colonial throughout their careers. So, President Mugabe is an icon as I said, not just an African icon, but an international one.

“Further, I know that there are people who will talk of the events of 2017 and there are many interpretations, but it is important to know that the events of 2017 were not against the Government, but were against the clique of individuals who were abusing and surrounding themselves around the former First Lady and taking advantage of the advanced age of our leader.

“The aim was to remove a clique who were wanted to politically and economically destabilise this country and take power for selfish ends.”

Zanu-PF secretary for Health Cde Cleveria Chizema described the former President as a liberation icon who worked entirely for the emancipation of the black people.

“He was my beloved brother,” she said. “He was really a loving brother to me. I cried this morning when I heard the sad news. I loved that man.

“Whatever happened is now water under the bridge. He was never a selfish man nor was he a materialistic man.”