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Perspective Stephen Mpofu
Renaissance now.
You (yes, you) guessed right: this pen strongly believes that it is imperative and urgent now more than at any time in the past to give a fresh new breath and vigour to the revolution that brought freedom and independence to this country in 1980 but has since been battered from the back by neo-imperialist forces and from the front by their local Quislings and left for dead, and therefore with no robust inheritance for Zimbabwe’s born frees.

Ironically, the onus to give the revolution a new, more vigorous beginning lies squarely on the shoulders of young Zimbabweans who constitute over 60 percent of the country’s 14-plus million people, as at the beginning of this year.

A strong youth movement would appear to be the answer to the need for the revival and reinvigoration of the armed revolution that secured the country from white racist rule.

The 21st February Movement, founded in 1986 on the birthday of President Robert Mugabe not to venerate him but, rather, for his remarkable leadership qualities to serve as its rock foundation appears a strong nucleus candidate for a mass youth movement — solid or loose but well-coordinated — with the responsibility of inculcating values that resonate with the freedom and independence that Zimbabweans as a nation should value for their own survival and against threats of neo-colonisation, such as regime change.

The Western imperialist regime change agenda against Zimbabwe is a many-headed, many-horned monster which has virtually laid to waste this country’s economy, witness many company closures, job losses and poverty visited on families of the jobless as a result.

But even with some of the monster’s horns blunted while attacking the economy, the other horns grown on the monster’s Zimbabwean surrogates appear continually at work to try and effect regime change.

Take, for instance, the conduct of some disgraced political leaders, or those whose vision into the future has been darkened by failure to win elections. These people are hell-bent on bartering away their party, or country, for crumbs from their imperialist master’s table.

They appear adept at smearing the unsuspecting, gullible world with lies about the ruling Zanu (PF)’s handling of its own affairs, for instance, in order that they might qualify for small change left in the pocket of their masters after shopping.

These people are clearly foolish. It is foolish to cut a tree in which he and his family are settled as though they will survive when the tree crashes to the ground.

Which strengthens this pen’s humble call for a movement of young people, who are the future of this country, to protect the gains of our hard won independence.

The 21st February Movement appears ideally positioned to inculcate among the youth a culture of unflinching intrepidity in confronting imperialist designs aimed at nullifying our freedom and with that negating our people’s aspirations as a nation now free from colonial control and suppression.

National Service will certainly come in handy as that programme seeks to create among young people an identity as custodians of patriotic, national security and other values for a stable and secure country.

Add to that the experiences of those who participated in the protracted liberation struggle and who should serve as examples of selfless dedication in the quest for a free, progressive and secure country politically and economically.

When addressing the 21st February Movement at its 29th celebrations in Victoria Falls, President Mugabe urged youths to desist from the corruption of some leaders in the country.

Indeed, disillusioned by a lack of economic opportunities many young people get helplessly sucked into crime in hopes of earning a living, so that in the end many of them become directionless.

What is worse, many parents today have surrendered the socialisation of their offspring to agents other than parents so that, once weaned, as in the animal kingdom, the children must navigate our survival-of-the-fittest world on their own with, in many cases, disastrous consequences.

An impassioned call appears in order here for the Christian Church in this country to go to the rescue of young Zimbabweans who have become directionless, like unguided missiles, for lack of proper upbringing by their biological parents.

The Church should go out there, rescue the unfortunate children and bring them to the house of the only person who cares the most for the weak and the poor and he happens to be none other than Jesus Christ who did not wait, while on earth, for the lost to come to him but instead kept on the move to find the lost ones.

If the Church weighs in with its contribution of Christian values to wayward youths it might just be a matter of time before youths are put on track as the custodians of a secure and continuing free Zimbabwe.

After all the Church stands on the mountain as the light of the world, thus expelling the darkness in which lost souls wallow.