President remains a darling
EDITOR — While MDC-T and its smaller parties are busy labelling President Mugabe locally, abroad hundreds of people that participated in Saturday’s President Mugabe solidarity march dubbed “Mugabe is right” at the United Nations General Assembly in New York is a testimony of the huge following that the statesman continues to command in and outside Zimbabwe.
The December 12 Movement protests overshadowed the much hyped MDC-T North America Province’s “Mugabe Must Go” protest which attracted nine people.
President Mugabe has over the years proven to be the voice of the downtrodden nations at the UN, where the mighty superpowers are at the forefront of bullying real or perceived smaller nations.
President Mugabe has often used the UN platform to speak for the poor people who constitute the majority. This has seen Zimbabwe’s President being a darling of many. Whereas he has successfully won every election held in Zimbabwe since 1980 he has also won more friends in Africa and the world over.
In his address at the UNGA 2012 President Mugabe said: “Social justice, political stability and sustainable development in African countries can best be achieved through genuine and committed support for the ownership of means of production that favour the poor, who are the majority.
“In Zimbabwe, my Government has gone a long way in laying the foundation for sustained food production through our Land Reform Programme.
“The majority of the rural people have been empowered to contribute to household and national food security. The possession and exploitation of land has also turned them into masters of their own destiny through giving true meaning to our national independence and unquestioned sovereignty.”
Back home President Mugabe managed to build a strong education foundation for free Zimbabwe whose human capital has become an envy of many.
At independence, President Mugabe proclaimed the free education for all policy which saw Zimbabwe’s literacy rate grow to be the best in Africa until recently. Virimayi Chidembo, Via e-mail.