Speaking at a ceremony held in honour of the First Lady’s
various achievements over the years, the President said the Government had for
the first time since independence in 1980, begun assisting vulnerable
communities in areas such as Kanyemba and developing basic amenities such as
schools, roads and clinics, among others.
The ceremony was organised by the leadership in Mashonaland
Central and was held in Chiweshe where the First Lady was born.
“When we came into office, the First Lady left her post as
a Member of Parliament and started the Angel of Hope Foundation,” said
President Mnangagwa.
“Through this Foundation, she has managed to reach out to
the most marginalised communities. She pointed out to me that since
independence, the Government has never assisted the communities down in
Kanyemba.
“She has helped build a school and even provided
scholarships for the children and we are grateful. On our part, we sent Ministers
to look into this and now the road is being fixed and we are planning to build
a state-of-the-art city there. All this is happening through her work.”
President Mnangagwa said through the Gota/Nhanga/ Ixhiba
initiative, the First Lady had revived traditions that had been lost because of
efforts to brainwash the people by colonialists.
This has helped to restore cultural and traditional values
that can be the bedrock of the ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa
ngabanikazi balo’ mantra.
“Colonialists imposed their own culture on us and our
people lost their identity. There were no programmes that targeted teaching our
culture and tradition to the youths. We had gotten to a point where our youths
identified more with foreign cultures and wanted to be like the English or the
Germans or the French.
“The First Lady has taught these young people to respect
themselves and their culture. This will help them accept who they are and grasp
the concept that ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, nekutongwa nevene vayo’.
“We are the ones who should build this country and also
rule it, not these puppets who are swayed by what their colonial masters want.
Those who want to help us should do so on the basis of what we have planned,
not what they want,” added the President.
He said most of the notable developments that had been made
by the Second Republic had been achieved with no foreign funding, but by using
local money despite the presence of sanctions.
The President also commended the achievements and
recognition that the First Lady had received, adding that they were a sign that
she was doing good in the communities that she worked with.
Part of her achievements include an Honorary Doctor of
Philosophy degree from GD Goenka University of India, an Honorary Doctor of
Philosophy degree from Russia State University for the Humanities and an
Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies from the Zimbabwe Open
University.
Dr Mnangagwa was also awarded the “#We are together” global
humanitarian award from Russia as well as a Gold medal from Crimean Federal
University of Russia in recognition of her contribution in the education sector
through her Angel of Hope Foundation.
Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs and Devolution
Minister, Monica Mavhunga, said the First Lady’s programmes do not leave anyone
or place behind.
Representing the Provincial Council of Chiefs, Chief
Nyamaropa thanked the President for allowing the First Lady to carry out her
work without hindrances.
“Since she started working with the communities, we have
seen the number of domestic violence cases go down because she has been
addressing these issues.
“We hope to see her continuing to work in this manner,” he
said.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and
Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, said it was important
for people to have confidence in their systems to cultivate a sense of
ownership for their country.
He said the First Lady’s programmes were building such
confidence through the restoration of cultural and traditional values. Herald
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