HARARE – The following is the full text of the address by the former opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa at the Annual Charity Dinner in Harare.
LIVING A GIVING CULTURE.
- ON HOPE AND GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
I know a lot of people have lost hope. A lot of people are saying God has forsaken us and has left us. But I know our God is faithful and is in it. He allows certain processes to unfold so that certain things become so apparent. Do you know that He also allows Pharaoh to look so strong and invincible, so that when he breaks down, people will know that this can only be of God. God is not cruel; He will not allow Zimbabweans to suffer the way we have suffered and not be redeemed to celebrate. ON PRAYER FOR THE NATION
Our Intercessors and Pastors, pray for this nation; pray for us all. Continue praying. You are not praying for politicians, political parties, or individuals; you are praying for the nation, future generations, and for Zimbabwe.THE POWER OF PRAYER
Zimbabwe is not going to be liberated by activism alone. Zimbabwe is not going to be liberated by guns. Zimbabwe is going to be liberated by persistent and faithful prayer.ON THE RESTORATION OF A NATION
This is a sign of hope. Many Zimbabweans have gone into the diaspora. Zimbabweans in the diaspora—when God is about to restore a nation, He allows an exodus and a dispersion, and the dispersion is for the relocation and restoration of a people.- Advertisement -ON HOPE
We are each a piece to the puzzle that forms a bigger picture. A piece is not the bigger picture. A puzzle is meaningless if there are no other pieces. God is seeking that we are connected to the bigger picture. I am part of the bigger picture, but I am not the picture. I am not the hope; Jesus is the hope, and He works through people as the vessels, and all glory belongs to Him.ON THE ENVIRONMENT
We have been unkind to our mountains, our God-given endowments and resources. Many of our mountains have been indiscriminately decimated and destroyed, some of them being wantonly shaved into different styles and left bare and bald. We must preserve and conserve these natural resources and endowments. Mining does not mean undermining.ON THE LEGACY OF SERVING AND GIVING
This Nelson you see will never let you down. Morgan Tsvangirai did his bit. We were together from the beginning and for the long haul; he never let you down. And because Morgan did his bit, I will have to do my bit. You do your bit too. I am saying Morgan to my father because that is his name known in heaven. He ran his race; he never betrayed people, not one day.ON GIVING SELF TO OTHERS
Be rest assured that whatever I do, and if I have not told you, is because I have considered it not materially relevant. But if it is materially relevant, I will tell you. When I get tired, I will tell you. When I feel I cannot take it anymore, I will tell you. But as far as I am concerned, I have the energy, I have the power, I have the commitment to go forward. And God willing, we are going to win it.ON GIVING AND NATION-BUILDING
A nation is built by givers and not by takers. No nation builder is a taker. Nation builders are givers.ON THE LEGACY OF GIVING
We are here to celebrate Living a Giving Culture under the theme Caring Hearts, Sharing Hope. This annual charity program has been consistently carried out. This is not an individual but a collective effort.ON SERVICE
One of the greatest and highest honours for an individual is the honour to serve and give.ON LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, AND SACRIFICE
To lead, you need to be a person who is showing that you are able to pour out for others.ON GIVING AND NOT TAKING
The business of public service is not taking but giving. It pains me; instead of having leaders in public office, we have dealers. Dealers are people who are there to take; leaders are people who are there to give. Nations fall because they have more dealers than givers. Nations fail because there are dealers where they should be leaders. Are you a dealer or a leader?ON KENOTIC AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
I am talking to those who have a Jesus-like mindset. Jesus did not come to take but to give; He came to give, and to give life in abundance. It is called Kenosis. What we need is kenotic and transformational leadership: a leadership that is able to pour itself out, to give sacrificially, to pour itself out for others.CALLED TO SERVE
Public duty is not about self. Our destination is not Parliament, our destination is not Local government but our destination is a government FOR ALL AND FOR EVERYONE.ON GIVERS IN A BROKEN WORLD
We live in a world where philanthropists, givers, and servers are fast disappearing. We are here to rescue the world by living a giving culture.ON CHARITY AS A CALLING
Charity is our mission. Charity is our commission. Charity is our assignment. Charity is our calling. Let us continue to serve and give.ON THE TAKER MENTALITY
A lot of you are going into public office with a taker’s mindset, with a pioneer-column mindset: I want to grab this land, I want this stand, I want this mining claim, or that car.ON INTEGRITY
Integrity is the high line of fine leadership.ON HOPE
Our theme for this year is Caring Hearts, Sharing Hope. I have come here to share the hope. We will get there. We will cross there.ON THE MANDATE TO SERVE AND GIVE. CALL TO ACTION.
As you leave this place, may you say to yourself: I am a giver; I am not a taker. When you go into community or public service with this heart-set and mindset, you will never steal a penny or a cent, because you know I am not here to take but to serve, give, and live a giving culture.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”John 3:16
Caring Heart, Sharing Hope
God bless you.
God bless Zimbabwe.
God bless Africa.
Godisinit.
