Zimbabwe Independence Day: What they said
Morgan Tsvangirai (Prime Minister): “Today, we pride ourselves in being a nation of heroic fighters-a gallant people – who attained our independence at a great loss of our sons and daughters who fought in the liberation struggle.
“The only tragic news is that independence did not come with basic freedoms as we had all assumed. We still have a huge deficit when it comes to respect for human dignity and human rights because we take for granted the people’s basic freedoms of assembly, speech and association.”
Tsitsi Valerie Machingauta (PR Consultant and businesswoman): “As we get ready to celebrate independence let us stop to ponder the amount of blood spilt, the volume of tears shed, the degree of pain and anguish endured, the number of noble men and women lost in battle so that we as individuals might have a say in governing our country. Honour the lives sacrificed for your freedoms. Register and Vote.”
Nelson Chamisa (ICT Minister): “The independence of our country is a convergence point in pursuit of the ideals and aspirations of all Zimbabweans. The independence was born out of a revolution but it can only be salvaged and protected on the basis of revelation.
“The right to vote, one man one vote, the sovereignty and sanctity of the people’s aspirations, the pursuit of happiness and the desire for dignity stands at the core of why our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers gave all to save all.
“It is precisely for that reason, that to give independence a meaning we must deliver real change, a new Zimbabwe, a new beginning. Independence should mean jobs, independence should mean accountable and transparent servant leadership, allergic to corruption, parasitic instincts and vampire tendencies.”
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA): “While we have much to commemorate we also have a lot still to achieve before we can say that all Zimbabweans are really free. We cannot ignore the millions of Zimbabweans who live in poverty who cannot benefit from political freedom, as they face a daily struggle to survive.”
Dumi Senda (poet): Today is the 33rd Zimbabwean independence anniversary. I join my fellow countryman in paying my respects and appreciating Zimbabwean heroes who risked their lives to secure our independence from colonialism in 1980.
“They sacrificed so much because they valued freedom not only theirs but also the freedoms of future generations of Zimbabweans. We have a duty as beneficiaries of their sacrifice to work for peace, unity and prosperity for all Zimbabweans today!”
Obert Gutu (Deputy Justice Minister): “We are independent but we are not free. We have sovereignty but we have no freedom. We are still in bondage. The dictatorship has brutalized our daily existence, bastardized our very soul as a nation and savaged our fundamental rights and freedoms. The Mafia has left us destitute, vulnerable and traumatized.
Happy Independence Day Zimbabwe..!!”
Tinoziva Bere (Human rights lawyer): And 33 years on we still IN DEPENDENCE…. and the victims and perpetrators alike are angry and full of unrestrained hatred….on this day if you can…pray…if you prefer “invoke your spirits” but lie not to yourself…. nothing is right right now…nothing is well anymore.”
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA): “Gross inequalities in wealth distribution, health and education remain defined along political lines just similar to the time it was done along racial lines. The fault lines of the colonial economy remain largely intact.
“In the main it is the children of the poor, the working class whose educational experience is marked by poor learning infrastructure, high tuition fees, classroom overcrowding, high dropout rates and unsafe schools.”
