The Sunday Mail
On Tuesday, Zimbabweans will celebrate Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day in commemoration of the birth of the country’s founding father and former President.This week, we reproduce Cde Mugabe’s account of his crossing into Mozambique on April 4, 1975 to take charge of the war effort in the wake of the death of ZANU chairperson Cde Herbert Chitepo.Cde Mugabe, who had just been released from an 11-year incarceration, crossed into Mozambique in the company of Cde Edgar Tekere and Chief Rekayi Tangwena.The following is the account Cde Mugabe gave during an interview in 2006 ahead of his 82nd birthday.
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It was on a Saturday morning and we decided to leave in the afternoon of that day.
Old Tangwena, late now, Chief (Rekayi) Tangwena, at whose home we had slept, was instructed by his wife to lead us.
Mai Tangwena vaisvikirwa vakati zvanzi iwe Tangwena pachako tungamirira vana ava.
So, he accompanied us.
There we were, we had two young men carrying our bags and I think there were five of us and we decided to cross the border.
There was this big boundary road they called Bhinya.
It was also called after the name of the person who was the chief native commissioner . . . I will think about it.
We had to cross the broad road, not tarred, but just a dirt road, gravel; not tarred because it was meant to facilitate the vigilance that the Rhodesians kept on the people.
So, we crossed that, after looking at both sides of the road. We moved on and at night, we had to cross rivers.
There was a small river that we crossed and upon putting our shoes back on, I could not distinguish the right from the left.
Ndakaita sambuya vangu vaimbouya kuchurch vakapfeka matennis vachiti yekurudyi yoenda uku (laughs).
Ndakatozoona zuva ratobuda kuti that was the disaster that had attended my feet.
You know, the Tangwenas had been fighting for Gaerezi Ranch.
It was that resistance, vaivingwa from time to time vachipfurwa. Ndiro chaidzo dzaiboorwa nemabullets kuti vabve.
Their children were all taken away to a school somewhere but they resisted.
We got to a village where two headmen vekwaTangwena decided to get away from this problem and settled on the Mozambican side, and two headmen had remained, so they were four.
We were drenched, very wet, and we needed fire, so, early in the morning, fire was lit for us outside.
I noticed that my shoes had done harm to my toes and we were not prepared to continue.
So, we remained there for quite some time.
Kwakanga kusina masoja eFrelimo akawanda, so we had to relay our presence to them, and from that place word was sent ahead that we were there and we then got to a base that was close to Tete. This place was called Vam-Vam.
We were at Vam-Vam for quite some time; that’s where we met vanaMao and others who had been recruited in Highfield. From there, we were taken along a road in the direction of a town yaimbonzi Villaguveya, now Katandika.
It was while we were at Vam-Vam that Mozambique celebrated its independence.
We stayed at Katandika for a month or two.
From Katandika, we were taken to Chimoio, and there, we met many more and now we were moving with other comrades whom we had met along the way.
That is where we met vanaChamu (Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri) vachiri vadiki and many others.
We had some students from university, vana (Zororo) Duri, vana (Christopher) Mutsvangwa, vanaGula Ndebele, vana (John) Mayowe, who had left university; we met them there.
There were about 5 000 to 6 000 of us kuChimoio; it was a bit out of town, and then the governor decided that some of our cadres who had been trained who were in Tete should be informed about our presence.
There were about three ladies and mukuru wavo akavatora ndiMai (Joice) Mujuru, and there were about four or five male cadres.
So, they came and saw us and came back, and asked them to take control because they were trained cadres.
So, that was the journey, and all the while we were with Chief Tangwena, right up to the end taive naChief Tangwena, and when we came back, we came back with him also.
He was quite a gallant cadre — very strong.
PANEL
In commemoration of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, here we reproduce selected quotations on youth empowerment from various speeches made by Cde Mugabe since independence.
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At the ZANU (PF) National Youth League seminar (July 17, 1983)
“I cannot visualise any social transformation amounting to any solution to the economic contradiction between the economically privileged and the poor; the contradiction between wealth and poverty, unless our youth in their broad totality become the driving force, the vanguard of this new revolution.”
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Speaking during the Meet-the-Youths tour in Marondera (February 19, 1984)
“I will not be ruled by a man who smokes dagga, and I will not rule a country of dagga smokers.”
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At the 21st February Movement celebrations (1988)
“Life has no room for rehearsals. Every step we take is final and can either mar or improve your well-being. Therefore, my advice to young people is that you should view life at all times as a perpetual practical examination by which society is able to judge our success or failure.”
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Addressing the First National Youth Convention (October 3, 1988)
“The formation of tomorrow’s leaders must be on the basis of unity. Unity, development and discipline are crucial objects on our agendas and are very closely connected. There can be no development without unity and discipline at all levels of society. We can never progress without the three and we would not be a nation.”
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At the 21st Movement celebrations (1989)
“Discipline, unity and peace constitute very important aspects of the personality that we would want to see in the children of Zimbabwe and, consequently, in the new society.”
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Addressing attendees at the 21st February Movement celebrations (1996)
“These elderly ‘born-frees’ should be exemplary to the hundreds of children who will be born in many years to come. We look on you as the future leaders and like me, you should lead by example. Even today, I do not smoke nor drink beer, and smokers should remember that when sitting next to me.”
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Speaking at the 21st February Movement celebrations (2005)
“Some born-frees don’t really appreciate what happened before April 1980. Let that story be retold. Let’s not be shy about it. Let’s not think that teaching our children about their background, their history is politicising the youths. Let’s explain to them why they are in the situation they are today.”
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Addressing the Students and Youths Convention, Harare (2008)
“We were left a legacy to defend our country and its heritage by Mbuya Nehanda, Cde Tongogara, Cde Takawira, Cde Nkomo and Cde Muzenda, among others who have passed away. We need to keep this legacy, then pass it on to you (the youths) and you would then pass it on to your children. That legacy has to be passed to all future generations. Don’t let them down, don’t drop that legacy. Don’t, don’t don’t. Rambai makatsigira.”
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Speaking during the 21st February Movement celebrations (2010)
“As I have said before, I encourage all young people to maintain abstinence as the best solution to the HIV and Aids pandemic. My role as patron of the 21st February Movement is to encourage our young people to always live right as they take care of themselves.”
