Our national anthem, “Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe”, is a powerful rendition which expresses the pride of our national liberation, thanks Almighty God for our blessings and serves as a calling for leadership. Over the last few months, I have thought a lot about liberation, leadership and legacy.
The life of a nation travels through many different cycles, and this is certainly true of our nation Zimbabwe, which today celebrates the 38th anniversary of its independence, alongside a timeless history without measure or compare.
When Professor Solomon Mutswairo first wrote the beautiful and inspirational words to our anthem, our nation was reborn after throwing off foreign and colonial rule.
We would now be the masters of our own fate and the land would revert to its original and indigenous owners.
Before independence, we experienced many difficult years where many of us sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to work towards freeing Zimbabwe. Many of our families and friends paid the ultimate price, but their sacrifice was not in vain as we liberated our land.
This year we are also celebrating a second independence, as we enter a new period of openness and freedom.
This new Zimbabwe is one the heroes of our Chimurenga, who we remember daily, would have been proud to have fought for, one where our people are free to speak their mind, vote their conscience and seek greater unity towards reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
We must as a people all become leaders and enthusiasts for Zimbabwe’s tomorrow, for our bright and prosperous future.
We must work together in righteous unity, free of the distinctions which separate us, yet secured by the flag and national ethos which bind us.
When I travel abroad and greet foreign guests in Zimbabwe, many want to talk about our natural resources and potential for investment.
I tell them that our greatest natural resource is our hardworking and talented people. I tell them that if they join me in having faith and investing in our people they will reap the greatest of dividends.
I tell them Zimbabwe is a rich nation with enormous and untapped potential.
Not because of the lithium under our ground or the soil beneath our feet, but in our minds and imagination as we develop our ICT industry, in our hands as we craft and manufacture, and in our hearts as we push harder to complete the task facing us.
Regardless of our profession or vocation, we are a nation of leaders which has never lost hope or become exhausted by the challenges facing us.
We demonstrated that many times over the previous century which led to our hard-earned independence and we once again displayed it last November when the people demanded a new tomorrow for themselves and their children without bloodshed, acrimony or revenge.
Now that we have taken back our future, we look at our children and grandchildren with renewed hope and energy.
The sparkle of optimism for our nation has returned to our eyes and theirs.
It is our task now to lead our nation forward to a new and exciting chapter, but we must do it carefully, constructively and with deep compassion.
I believe just as we previously liberated the land, now we must as a people finally be fully liberated. We need to be liberated not only from without, but also from within, from hate, prejudice and discord.
Together, we are liberating Zimbabwe one day at a time, and our vision of great progress, development and economic resurgence is one we will be able to reach if our minds and souls are liberated along with our bodies, and we work hand-in- hand towards building a better future for every single Zimbabwean in unity, love and resolution.
This will be the legacy we leave to our children and future generations.
Our country needs leadership by consensus. Our leaders must listen to the people and heed their advice and listen to their voices, the voices of a liberated, unified and free people.
I am honoured to be your servant as together we lead our nation, liberate ourselves and those around us anew and restore the legacy of our great nation.
Happy Independence Day
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