Published by the government of Zimbabwe
2 November 2009
editorial
Harare — EVERY nation has founding values and ethos that all in leadership are expected to uphold and defend and these values constitute the bedrock of the nationhood the leadership pledges allegiance to when taking the oath of office.
Zimbabwe is no exception.
Ours is a country that was born out of protracted liberation struggles culminating in the Second Chimurenga War (1966- 1979) that ushered in majority rule.
The expectation, therefore, is that all in leadership and anyone aspiring for high office will strive to uphold the values for which our forebears, living and fallen heroes committed themselves to for 90 years till the attainment of majority rule, independence and democracy on April 18, 1980.
Though MDC-T has some Rhodesian forces personnel in its ranks, and is led by a man who deserted a liberation war camp within hours, the party's leadership must remember that they are free to form such a party today because of the democracy accruing from the liberation struggle.
The sacrifices of the men and women who risked life and limb to win us freedom made it possible for the MDC-T leadership to participate in issues of governance.
It is that democracy that enables even those who fought against majority rule to stand for elective office today let alone having the black component of the MDC-T rub shoulders with the Roy Bennetts and Eddie Crosses of this world who constituted a privileged class in Rhodesia.
To this end, the attitude of the MDC-T leadership towards the liberation struggle as manifested in their behaviour whenever the heroes of that struggle pass on deserves strong censure.
For instance, on two separate occasions this year alone, MDC-T leaders showed utter scorn for the struggle and its heroes.
When Vice President Joseph Msika passed on in August and as his body lay in state in Harare, MDC-T legislators gathered in Dangamvura for Giles Mutsekwa's victory celebration.
The gathering would have passed of as an oversight were it not for the statements made there to the effect that the MDC-T should identify and honour its own heroes.
Utterances that implied that the holding of the victory celebration at the time of the demise of a venerated national hero was not coincidental, and may not have been about Mutsekwa's victory in last year's harmonised elections.
On Saturday, it was party leader Morgan Tsvangirai's turn as Cde Misheck Chando was being interred at the National Heroes Acre. Tsvangirai was teeing off at Ruwa Country Club as other leaders gathered for the burial at the national shrine, oblivious to the fact that were it not for the sacrifices of the likes of Cde Chando, he would only have been allowed on the Ruwa green as a caddy.
To this end, we urge the MDC-T leadership to embrace national values, respect the legacy of the struggle so that they can be trusted to uphold its gains.
Even Article VIII of the GPA, Respect for National Institutions and Events, which the MDC-T leaders claim to uphold, counsels the same.
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Terera zvaurikutaura. Ungatevedzera dzungu raTsvangirai here? He is disengaging from the gvt not Zanu PF, over Bennet who was released a day after asungwa on bail. How do you except VaMugabe to respond to such a move from a senior gvt official who signed a deal that requires him to do as much as he can to make things work for the country. and you are taking this situation and equating it to his abscence on the burial of a national hero. Get real!!
the straw that broke the camels back my friend...
Moyo4663;
So you think Tsvangirai the sellout is more important than the Warriors"? You must be joking! Tell me you were joking. Warriors are Ambassadors of the great nation of DZIMBAHWE; they deserve to be seen first by the Head of State and Government of Zimbabwe and Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Force, before the sellout, the sanctions campaigner, the puppet and stooge of the CIA and MI6.
The so-called issues that led to the "current political crisis" are what I call mazvokuda mavanga enyora. Tsvangirai invited the situation to himself because he listens too much to the CIA and MI6 who are running his party. What should we expect from a person who has no mind of his own? Zuro ndizuro he withdrew from the run-off again as a result of CIA/McGee’s advice when he could have won the re-run.
You can rest be assured that he will continue to blunder until he goes into political oblivion together with his sellout party. I will celebrate that day as does Frelimo in Mozambique who are celebrating the demise of the former rebel Renamo movement.
more nonsense from Takunya, dont listen to him. He thinks the CIA invented homosexuality and spread it to africa, and he also thinks that the MDC killed 130 of their own supporters last elections and then blamed in on the ZANU PF to make them look bad.
Clearly he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Why should Mr Tsvangirai be expected to attend the burial of a Mugabe goon? Who knows how many MDC supporters this goon may have sanctioned their killing. Did anyone hear Mugabe or any of his goons outraged at those killings? Nope. So, six feet deep and happy landings!
Two weeks ago, Mugabe snubbed MT, preferring to see bid farewell to students or was is footballers because he thought it was more important than meeting MT to discuss issues that led to the current political crisis. And here you are, criticising MDC-T for not attending a ZPF hero. Its rubbish. Show us just one article the Herald has reported criticising Mugabe since 1980. Does this mean this man has never erred in the eyes of the herald?