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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

FORMER President, Cde Robert Mugabe, who died last Friday is an iconic Pan Africanist whose vision was to see Africa emerge a united force against imperialism, representatives of former liberation movements have said.

In his welcome remarks at the ongoing 10th meeting of Secretaries Generals and wings of former liberation movements of Southern Africa here, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu, who is the host, said Cde Mugabe deserves special mention by the entire African continent.

He started the proceedings by calling the house, comprising representatives of Zanu-PF, Frelimo of Mozambique, African National Congress of South Africa and Chama Chama Pinduzi of Tanzania, People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) of Namibia and Botswana Democratic Party to observe a moment of silence in honour of former President Mugabe.

“We begin by observing a minute of silence for the founding father of this great nation Zimbabwe, the colossal liberator, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe. His Pan Africanist legacy will live forever in Zimbabwe, the region and Africa as a whole,” said Dr Mpofu.

In a later interview, Dr Mpofu described Cde Robert Mugabe as an outstanding nationalist, a strong, principled and brave man who stood for his beliefs without fear.

“Cde Mugabe led the struggle that brought us independence and he is no doubt a true nationalist. He was a brave and bold leader who stood for what he believed in. He was always concerned about the welfare and the freedom of his people. 

“His love for the people of Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole pushed him to fight for their emancipation, giving up his lecturing job in Ghana. He was a great leader who made decisions without fear or favour,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said Cde Mugabe brought together Zipra and Zanla cadres during the liberation struggle in his quest to see Zimbabwe being freed from colonialism.

“There was chaos between the two parties but he worked tirelessly with the late Vice President Cde Joshua Nkomo to make sure that there was peace which was in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe.

“They joined hands to lead the army in Zambia and Mozambique as they fought for everybody’s freedom,” said Dr Mpofu.

Cde Mugabe, he added, never chose people by tribe, which was evidenced by his appointment of ministers, boards and other critical officials.

“He had the best interests of the nation at heart and never allowed people’s differences to compromise development in the country. He was a father of all nationalities and stood by his principles always.

“Cde Mugabe was a rare character we enjoyed working with as he made us feel proud of being Zimbabweans,”  said Dr Mpofu.

He said Cde Mugabe had a strong passion for education and encouraged even those who worked under him to study further.

“He encouraged us to study. Some of us attained our post graduate degrees and PhD’s because of his encouragement. Apart from the work we did as ministers and senior party officials, he shared a lot of wisdom with us.

“He was a family man and father figure who was never biased,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said he had several interactions with Cde Mugabe, who mentored, guided and counselled him on different issues.

Dr Mpofu said there may be areas where people felt Cde Mugabe failed and that is expected as a human being. 

“He remains an icon, a father to us all, a Pan-Africanist who sacrificed his life to fight for the people of Zimbabwe and Africa,” said Dr Mpofu.

Zanu-PF director of Administration Cde Dickson Dzora said former liberations movements (FLMs) should celebrate Cde Mugabe’s vision for a united Africa.

“We express our profound sorrow and heavy heartedness on the untimely departure of our former President the iconic Robert Mugabe. We are all in unison that he was not only Zimbabwe’s founding father but a revered Pan Africanist who was grounded on a singular goal of inspiring the total independence of Africa by directly challenging the imperial hegemony.

“We shall continue to celebrate his enduring vision and legacy of a United Africa which defines its own development trajectory devoid of imperial hegemony,” said Cde Dzora.

He challenged the region to impart the correct history to its citizens so as to enhance the spirit of patriotism, brotherhood and Ubuntu.

“As former liberation movements we have a mandate to pass on our knowledge and experiences to future generations,” he said.

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