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Elliot Ziwira, Harare Bureau
DR Simon Vengai Muzenda, affectionately known as Dr Mzee, who died on September 20, 2003, aged 80, left an indelible mark in Zimbabwe’s history.

He was buried at the National Heroes Acre on September 24, 2003.

As the country’s Vice-President, the late national hero and Soul of the Nation, championed the struggle for independence, land reform, and unity.

On his 79th birthday in October 2001, Dr Mzee shared his vision: “I want people to remember me as someone who tried his best . . . We fought hard to free this country for the good of our children, and if land is brought back to its rightful owners, I will be very happy even in my sleep.”

He believed that true freedom could only be achieved through land ownership, empowering citizens to take control of their means of production. Indeed, for Africans, the land is the only route to sustainable livelihoods.

It is this aspect of the soil that Omodele Adeoti Foxworth writes about in Bury me in Africa (1978), insisting, “A people without land are like cattle on naked ground with nothing to graze — they mope around hopelessly.”

Born on October 28, 1922 in Gutu District, Fort Victoria (now Masvingo Province), Dr Mzee’s life was marked by his steadfast dedication to Zimbabwe’s liberation.

Following the banning of the National Democratic Party (NDP) by the Edgar Whitehead regime on December 9, 1961, he joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) in the 1960s, becoming a key figure in the fight for freedom.

He worked closely with other nationalist leaders, including Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo. Dr Mzee’s strategic thinking and leadership acumen played a crucial role in the liberation struggle, which culminated in Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

His recitation of “Nehanda Nyakasikana”, a rhapsodic African rendition of struggle originally published in the Shona epic novel, “Feso” (1956), written by Solomon Mutsvairo, in 1962, arguably brightened Dr Mzee’s rising political star.

He was subsequently banned from entering the so-called African Tribal Trust Lands, a decision he challenged in the High Court in Fort Victoria. He was defended by the late national hero and esteemed revolutionary, Herbert Chitepo.

Fearing the power of words in struggle, the colonial government ordered the arrest of Dr Mzee at Shabani in 1962 for ostensibly igniting riots in the mining town.

He would later serve two years of the imposed 12-year prison term. He was yet again arrested and detained, firstly at Gwelo prison, then Whawha, and finally, Sikombela.

His commitment to the struggle saw him organising and recruiting the first group of cadres sent to Ghana and China for military training. He was also active in the camps in Zambia and Tanganyika (Tanzania).

According to historian Ngwabi Bhebe, it was around this time, that a young recruit at Iringa in Tanzania, Emmerson Mnangagwa, now the President of Zimbabwe, got to know about Dr Mzee’s political exploits through the latter’s confidante, Christopher Sakara.

The young Mnangagwa, who joined Zapu from the United National Independence Party (UNIP) through the influence of Willie Musarurwa, went on to receive military training at Iringa, Egypt and China before returning home in 1964.

Upon return, alongside his fellow cadres, he made contact with Dr Mzee, who was affectionately known as SV (Simon Vengayi), then, before deployment for military operations in Rhodesia.

It was SV, through his network, who supplied the dynamites used by the young Mnangagwa and his fellow combatant to blow up a train at Fort Victoria, now Masvingo in 1965. The youthful Mnangagwa was arrested and sentenced to death. He, however, cheated the hangman’s noose owing to his age.

He had to serve a 10-year prison term.

All these selfless activities by Dr Mzee courted the ire of Ian Douglas Smith’s Rhodesia Front, which aimed at his scalp. After Zimbabwe gained freedom in 1980, Dr Mzee served as Deputy Prime Minister, and later as Vice President under the late national hero and former President Robert Mugabe.

The illustrious nationalist’s passion for land reform was rooted in his conviction that Zimbabweans could never truly be free without control over their land.

On October 27, 2001, he emphasised, “The land is in the hands of foreigners, and we should get it back. We will only be happy after achieving this.”

He believed that as liberators, their generation “fought well”, despite living in “times of suffering”, for they “owned nothing” as disenfranchised Africans. This vision was shared by revolutionary leader Patrice Lumumba, who said, “We refuse assimilation because assimilation means depersonalising the African and Africa”.

In Dr Mzee’s eyes, the legacy of the liberation struggle can only flourish in an environment of peace, unity and harmony.

Speaking at an Independence National Gala at the Large City Hall in Bulawayo on April 17, 2001, the revolutionary icon stressed the importance of unity and peace in achieving national development.

He said, “Unity of purpose will overcome our nation’s challenges. We remember the painful struggles we, as a shackled people, have had to wage in the past, the divisive legacy of colonialism we have had to overcome in order to be born a people.”

The inimitable Son of the Soil bemoaned “the costly, factitious quarrels” of the past as he reflected on the “agonising search” and “eventual happy founding” of national unity embodied in the Unity Accord of 1987. The continuous struggle for sovereignty and social justice through land reform could not escape his discerning eye in the search for the greater good.

Contemptuous of factionalism, an impediment to progress and societal regeneration, Dr Mzee castigated divisive elements in his party, Zanu-PF, particularly in Masvingo Province, then.

He underscored: “I don’t want factions anymore. I condemn factionalism in the strongest terms. When people are not united, they are vulnerable to all vices at any time. Unity is very important.”

An embodiment of humility, unity, and wisdom, Dr Mzee’s legacy extends beyond his political career. He was a champion of education, encouraging people in his village to pursue schooling.

“I forced many people within my village to go to school and I am still doing that,” he told people gathered for his 79th birthday celebration.

His simplicity and humility earned him the respect of his people, and his commitment to unity and peace remains a guiding principle for Zimbabweans today.

Forever loyal to the struggle, unwaveringly dedicated to his party, Zanu-PF, and committed to his people, Dr Mzee expressed his African ethos with such easiness that exuded political maturity and wisdom.

He stressed: “I suppose when you live your life, you live it as you go. Each day you become more mature and you understand that you are getting old.”

Dr Mzee’s maturity and wisdom inspired generations, and his vision for a united Zimbabwe lives on through President Mnangagwa’s leadership.

In his inauguration speech on November 24, 2017, President Mnangagwa — the servant leader — highlighted that Zimbabweans can map their way forward if there is unity of purpose.

“Fellow Zimbabweans, as we chart our way forward, we must accept that our challenges as a nation emanate in part from the manner in which we have managed our politics, both nationally and internationally, leading to circumstances in which our country has undeservedly been perceived or classified as a pariah State,” he said.

Conscious of the significance of the land in fostering identity and empowering citizens, much to the delight of his fellow countrymen and the appeasement of the Soul of the Nation, the President declared:

“However, given our historical realities, we wish the rest of the world to understand and appreciate that policies and programmes related to land reform were inevitable. While there is a lot we may need to do by way of outcomes, the principle of repossessing our land cannot be challenged or reversed.”

To the conciliation of the departed Son of the Soil, with whom he shared the trenches of struggle, the President highlighted that dispossession of ancestral land was the major disputation leading to the protracted liberation war.

“It would be a betrayal of the brave men and women, who sacrificed their lives in our liberation struggle if we were to reverse the gains we have made in reclaiming our land,” he affirmed.

Indeed, Dr Mzee will be fondly and eternally remembered not only for trying, but doing his best for the people of Zimbabwe in his humble and simple way, and as he rests, he can smile on, for in President Mnangagwa’s vision, which is our national vision, his legacy lives on.