Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe with First Lady Amai Grace at a February 21 celebration. The ZANU-PF Party is preparing for two national elections during 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Monday, 04 March 2013 00:00
Zimbabwe Herald
President Mugabe released balloons during the 21st February movement celebrations in Bindura on March 2
Farirai Machivenyika recently in BINDURA
PRESIDENT Mugabe has urged youths to vigorously defend Zimbabwe’s independence, saying the empowerment programmes being championed by Zanu-PF are a fulfilment of the fight against the
colonial regime.
President Mugabe said this on Saturday while addressing thousands of people at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura during 21st February Movement celebrations.
The 21st February Movement is a brainchild of the Zanu-PF Youth League to commemorate President Mugabe’s birthday.
It was founded in 1986.
“Ian Smith eventually agreed to have majority rule because of the struggle and we said ivhu kuvanhu, that is how we managed to restore our dignity as human beings and that must be safeguarded.
“The 21st February Movement should not waver in defending the gains of the liberation struggle.
“The gains of independence should not be negotiated, that is why we took our land and all the resources that are beneath or above that land are ours.”
President Mugabe said Zimbabwe was richly endowed with vast mineral wealth that should be used to develop the whole country.
“This is our heritage all of us as Zimbabweans irrespective of the area they are found and should be used to for the development of the nation,” he said.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said while the current thrust of the indigenisation programme was on a 51/49 percent ratio with foreigners, it was Government’s wish for Zimbabweans to be in total control of their resources.
“I have told Ministers Mpofu and Kasukuwere that for us to have total control of our resources we should have our own companies. That is real empowerment but some are resisting that.
“We cannot use shortage of machinery as an excuse not to have our own companies. Let us create our indigenous companies from our own indigenous people, we have accountants, engineers, geologists and others,” he said.
He castigated people who were fronting for whites in their business ventures to subvert the requirements of the law.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF political commissar Cde Webster Shamu said they decided to launch the 21st February Movement with the likes of the late Ephraim Masawi, Michael Munyati and others to preserve President Mugabe’s values that propelled his leadership during and after the liberation struggle.
“We thought of coming up with this day to preserve the values that President Mugabe promoted during the liberation struggle and even after independence.
“The President was dedicated to the struggle despite the difficulties and to honour him we thought of coming up with the 21st February Movement that would be open to people between four and 40 years and teach the importance of education, conservation of nature and resources to young people, crèches, schools and colleges,” he said.
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