PrimeMinisterRobertMugabesaddresstotheZimbabweannationinApril1980

(readthewholethingor,iflifestooshort,thepartsIvehighlightedinbold.)
LongliveourFreedom!
ThefinalcountdownbeforethelaunchingofthenewStateofZimbabwehasnowbegun.Onlyafewhoursfromnow,
Zimbabwewillhavebecomeafree,independentandsovereignstate,freetochooseitsownflightpathandchartitsown
coursetoitschosendestiny.ItspeoplehavemadeademocraticchoiceofthosewhoastheirlegitimateGovernment,they
wishtogovernthemandtakepolicydecisionsastotheirfuture.
This,indeed,isthemeaningofthemandatemypartysecuredthroughafreeandfairelection,conductedinthefullglare
oftheworldsspotlight.WhilemyGovernmentwelcomesthemandateithasbeenfreelygivenandisdeterminedto
honourittotheletter,italsoacceptsthatthefulfillmentofthetasksimposedbythemandateareonlypossiblewiththe
confidence,goodwillandcooperationofallofyou,reinforcedbytheforthcomingsupportandencouragementofallour
friends,allies,andwellwishersintheinternationalcommunity.
Themarchtoournationalindependencehasbeenalong,arduousandhazardousone.Onthismarch,countlesslives
havebeenlostandmanysacrificesmade.Deathandsufferinghavebeentheprizewehavebeencalledupontopayfor
thefinalpricelessrewardoffreedomandnationalindependence.MayIthankallofyouwhohavehadtosufferand
sacrificefortherewardwearenowgetting.
Tomorrowweshallbecelebratingthehistoricevent,whichourpeoplehavestrivenfornearlyacenturytoachieve.Our
people,youngandold,menandwomen,blackandwhite,livinganddead,are,onthisoccasion,beingbroughttogether
inanewformofnationalunitythatmakesthemallZimbabweans.Independencewillbestowonusanewpersonality,a
newsovereignty,anewfutureandperspective,andindeedanewhistoryandanewpast.Tomorrowwearebeingborn
againbornagainnotasindividualsbutcollectivelyasapeople,nay,asaviablenationofZimbabweans.
Tomorrowisthusourbirthday,thebirthofagreatZimbabwe,andthebirthofitsnation.Tomorrowweshallceasetobe
menandwomenofthepastandbecomemenandwomenofthefuture.Itstomorrowthen,notyesterday,whichbearsour
destiny.Aswebecomeanewpeoplewearecalledtobeconstructive,progressiveandforeverforwardlooking,for
wecannotaffordtobemenofyesterday,backwardlooking,retrogressiveanddestructive.Ournewnationrequires
ofeveryoneofustobeanewman,withanewmind,anewheartandanewspirit.Ournewmindmusthaveanewvision
andournewheartsanewlovethatspurnshate,andanewspiritthatmustuniteandnotdivide.
Thistomeisthehumanessencethatmustformthecoreofourpoliticalchangeandnationalindependence.Henceforth,
youandImuststrivetoadaptourselves,intellectuallyandspirituallytotherealityofourpoliticalchangeandrelateto
eachotherasbrothersboundonetoanotherbyabondofnationalcomradeship.IfyesterdayIfoughtasanenemy,today
youhavebecomeafriendandallywiththesamenationalinterest,loyalty,rightsanddutiesasmyself.Ifyesterdayyou
hatedme,todayyoucannotavoidthelovethatbindsyoutomeandmetoyou.Isitnotfolly,therefore,thatinthese
circumstancesanybodyshouldseektorevivethewoundsandgrievancesofthepast?Thewrongsofthepastmustnow
standforgivenandforgotten.Ifeverwelooktothepast,letusdosoforthelessonthepasthastaughtus,namely
thatoppressionandracismareinequitiesthatmustneveragainfindscopeinourpoliticalandsocialsystem.It
couldneverbeacorrectjustificationthatbecausewhitesoppressedusyesterdaywhentheyhadpower,theblacks
mustoppressthemtodaybecausetheyhavepower.
Anevilremainsanevilwhetherpracticedbywhiteagainstblackorbyblackagainstwhite.Ourmajorityrulecouldeasily
turnintoinhumanruleifweoppressed,persecutedorharassedthosewhodonotlookorthinklikethemajorityof
us.Democracyisnevermobrule.Itisandshouldremaindisciplinedrulerequiringcompliancewiththelawandsocial
rules.Ourindependencemustthusnotbeconstruedasaninstrumentvestingindividualsorgroupswiththerightto
harassandintimidateothersintoactingagainsttheirwill.Itisnottherighttonegatethefreedomofotherstothinkandact,
astheydesire.
I,therefore,wishtoappealtoallofyoutorespecteachotherandactinpromotionofnationalunityratherthannegationof
thatunity.OnIndependenceDay,ourintegratedsecurityforceswill,inspiteoftheirhavingonlyrecentlyfoughteachother,
bemarchinginsteptogethertoheraldtheneweraofnationalunityandtogetherness.
Letthisbeanexampleofusalltofollow.Indeed,letthisenjointhewholeofournationtomarchinperfectunisonfrom
yeartoyearanddecadetodecadetowardsitsdestiny.Wehaveabundantmineral,agriculturalandhumanresourcesto
exploitanddevelopforwhichweneedperfectpeace.Givensuchpeace,ourendeavourstotransformoursocietyand
raiseourstandardoflivingareboundtosucceed.Themineralresourceslyingbeneaththesurfaceofourcountryhave
hardlybeenscratched,norhaveouragriculturalandindustrialresourcesyetfullyharnessed.Nowthatwehavepeace,
wemustgofullyouttoexploitthem.Wealreadyhaveasophisticatedinfrastructure.Ourexpertiseisboundtoincreaseas

moreandmoreeducationalandtechnicalinstitutionsareestablishedtotransformourskilledmanpower.Thewholeworld
islookingonusthisday.Indeed,manycountriesintheinternationalcommunityareamazedathowwehavesoquickly
andunexpectedlymovedfromwartopeace.Wehavecertainlywonthegoodwillofmanycountriesandcanconfidently
expecttobenefitfromtheeconomicandtechnicalaidtheyareableandwillingtoprovideforus.MayIassureyouthatmy
Governmentisdeterminedtobringaboutmeaningfulchangetothelivesofthemajorityofthepeopleinthecountry.ButI
mustaskyoutobepatientandallowmyGovernmenttimetoorganizeprogrammesthatwilleffectivelyyieldthat
change.Therearepeoplewithoutlandwhoneedland,peoplewithoutjobswhoneedjobs,childrenwithoutschoolswho
needschoolsandpatientswithouthospitalswhoneedthem.Wearealsofullyawareoftheneedforincreasedwagesin
allsectorsofemployment.MyGovernmentwillcertainlydoitsbesttomeettheexistingneedsintheseareas.Butyou
havetoassistusbybeingpatientandpeaceful.
Inowfinallywishtoappealtoyou,whereveryouare,toparticipatefullytodayandSaturdayintheIndependence
celebrationsthathavebeenorganizedthroughoutthecountry.Thereare,ofcourse,thoseofyouwhohavethedutyto
maintainessentialservices.Theseservicesmustindeedbemaintainedsothatthecelebrationsarefacilitated.
Maintainingsuchessentialservicesduringthecelebrationsisasignificantcontributionoftheirsuccess.Iwishtothank
HerMajestytheQueenforhavingsentHisRoyalHighness,PrinceCharles,thePrinceofWalestorepresentherand
officiateatourIndependenceceremony,wherehewillperformthesymbolicactofseveringourcolonialtieswithBritain.
Asyouareaware,thishistoricceremonywillbewitnessedbyHeadsofStateandGovernmentandrepresentativesof
nearly100countriesplusrepresentativesofseveralinternational,politicalandvoluntaryorganizations.Theceremony
willbealsobereportedandrelayedtomillionsofpeopleintheworldbythemassmedia.MayIenjoinyoualltoregard
thissolemnoccasionwithhonouranddignity,andparticipateinthecelebrationsthatfollowitwithjubilation.Letus
rejoiceoverourindependenceandrecognizeinittheneedtodedicateourselvestonationalunity,peaceandprogress.I
nowwishtopaytributetoLordSoames,ourGovernor,forthemostimportantrolehehasplayedinsuccessfullyguiding
thiscountrytoelectionsandindependence.Hewasfromtheveryonsetgivenadifficultandmostunenviabletask.And
yetheperformeditwithremarkableabilityandoverwhelmingdignity.
ImustadmitthatIwasoneofthosewhooriginallynevertrustedhim,andyetIhavenowendedupnotonlyimplicitly
trustingbutfondlylovinghimaswell.Heisindeedagreatmanthroughwhomithasbeenpossiblewithinashort
periodIhavebeenPrimeMinister,toorganizesubstantialfinancialandtechnicalaidfromBritainandother
countries.Iampersonallyindebtedtohimfortheadvicehehasconstantlygivenmeontheartofmanagingthe
affairsofGovernment.
Ishallcertainlybemissingagoodfriendandcounselor,andsowillourindependentZimbabweandallitspeople.Ialso
wishtothankallourdistinguishedquestsforthehonourtheyhavegivenusbycomingtoattendourIndependence
celebrationsonbehalfoftheircountriesororganizations.Theirpresenceinourcountrysignifiesabondofsolidarityand
friendshipbetweentheircountriesororganizationsandourcountry.Withoutthesupporttheyhavegivenustowardsour
liberation,thisdaywouldneverhavecomeabout.
Thanks,therefore,forallthematerial,political,diplomaticandmoralsupporttheyhavegivenus.Sonsanddaughtersof
Zimbabwe,IurgeyoutoparticipatefullyandjubilantlyinourIndependencecelebrationsandtoensurethatallourvisitors
arewellentertainedandtreatedwithutmosthospitality.Ishallbeoneinspiritandlove,inloyaltyandcommitmentwith
youall.ForwardwiththeYearofthePeoplesPower!LongliveourFreedom!LongliveourSovereignty!Longliveour
Independence!