Hon Speaker, Ministers and hon Members of Parliament, we are gathered here today to join the people of Zimbabwe in paying tribute to a warrior, gallant fighter, tried and tested cadre, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Allow me to preface my tribute by quoting an African proverb "Until lions tell their own stories, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter", meaning that if we as Africans who are the victims of slavery, torture, killing and land dispossession, do not tell our stories or write our own history. The former coloniser will always be the heroes. Unless we have our own storyteller, the oppressors will always have the best part of history.
To free ourselves from oppression, we must tell our history. African history has been told and written from the dominating oppressors' perspective, in such a way that the victims' voices are silenced. Our duty is to tell the African story of African civilisation, slavery, colonisation, apartheid, exploitation of our natural resources. The effect of colonialism is to annihilate a people's belief in their heritage, struggles and heroes. We will never allow our former oppressors to tell the story about our heroes and President Mugabe in particular.
We are tasked by history not to let the lies spoken about our fallen heroes and President Mugabe in particular to be distorted. We owe it to them, the liberation movement and the people of Zimbabwe. President Mugabe was born on 21 February 1924, Kutama, Zimbabwe. He led Zimbabwe African National Union, Zanu - a trained teacher who studied at Fort Hare University. Mugabe battled against torture, prison and banishment designed to weaken him and the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front, Zanu-PF, as a liberation movement of the people - a true people's organisation loyal to the great principles which
inspires its creation and have guided it to the liberation of Zimbabwe.
He was imprisoned by the racist Ian Smith regime from 1964 to 1974. His wife was arrested and his child died whilst he was in prison. He was a tried and tested Pan Africanist committed to the unity and liberation of Africa. He drew strength and courage from the deep well, which gave him strength to lead people's resistance and racial tyranny. He taught his people not to fear the oppressor, however powerful they might seem. We remember the revolutionary life of President Robert Mugabe and send our collective condolences to his family and the people of Zimbabwe.
The story of the revolutionary of Comrade Mugabe is a story of the struggle of the African people in their quest to be free. It is a story of the triumph of the human spirit against the injustices and subjugation. His relationship with the ANC started at the University College of Fort Hare in the 1950s. In his own words, he said, I quote: "Fort Hare transformed me, defining my African identity and African personality." He has
participated in the activities of the ANC Youth League in Fort Hare alongside Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Duma Nokwe, Joe Mathews and others, and at one stage decided to boycott the visit by the Governor General of Fort Hare. It was in Fort Hare that the ideas of African nationalism were inculcated in the minds of young activists, to whom President Mugabe was one of them.
During the years of struggle for liberation, the solidarity of the people of South Africa and Zimbabwe were solidified in the Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns. The Zimbabwean patriots through their armed forces Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army, Zipra, fought side by side with uMkhonto weSizwe combatants against the tyrannical regime of Ian Smith and the apartheid regime in South Africa. He played a critical role in the merger of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, Zapu, and Zanu to form the Zanu-PF. The liberation of Zimbabwe and other countries in the region, paved way for a possible liberation of South Africa.
President Mugabe played a critical role in the transformation of the then Frontline States which is
called the Southern African Development Community, SADC, today - which was to focus on the economic development of our region. We are highlighting this point to demonstrate the Pan Africanist commitment of President Mugabe. President Mugabe knew it as he was convinced of the certainty of our victory, that the historic and urgent issue of the day in Southern Africa was the question of the transfer of power to the people. Some years ago, the people of Zimbabwe under the leadership of President Mugabe decided to advance with their land reform programme. This has raised a number of responses from around the world, with some of the Western forces putting Zimbabwe under difficult circumstances through sanctions.
As South Africans, we will never be threatened by any force to expropriate land without compensation. We will learn from the mistakes and the good that the Zimbabweans have done.
His monumental legacy will inspire the current and the future generations. Despite a protracted economic crisis, Zimbabwe's education has retained its ranking amongst the best in African Report by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, that put Zimbabwe's literacy at around 90%. Today, we join the people of Zimbabwe under President Mnangagwa to call for the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe ... [Applause.] ... which has done more harm to the people and the economy of Zimbabwe. Our approach ... [Interjections.] ... Hey, former colonisers keep quiet. [Laughter.] [Applause.] You were fighting against us with Ian Smith ... [Interjections.] ... yourselves.