Maravi

I’m proud to be born in Zimbabwe – Rupiah

I’m proud to be born in Zimbabwe – Rupiah
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Gwanda, Zimbabwe
Monday, May 04, 2009 2:50:24 PM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has said he is proud to have been born in Zimbabwe. And a Gwanda businessman who sponsored President Banda's secondary and tertiary education has advised him to be a humble President who must leave a legacy that Zambians will always remember.

President Banda, who did not go to the exact place at Manama Mission in West Nicholson south of Gwanda where he was born to his migrant mine-working father in 1937, toured one of the mines, a school and compound where he grew up.

He was accompanied by his wife Thandiwe, commerce minister Felix Mutati, and senior chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of Southern Province, who later squeezed an opportunity to invite five chiefs in the area and a children's dance troupe for a traditional ceremony in his chiefdom later this year.

The day before his visit to Gwanda, while officially opening the golden jubilee of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, President Banda reminisced about his growing up as a boy in the mining town of Gwanda, about 130 kilometres south-west of Bulawayo.

He spoke of what he described as "romantic memories" of his childhood and that he was proud and had never hidden his Zimbabwean roots.

President Banda told the crowd that some people had thought his Zimbabwean roots would create a problem for his presidential bid last year.

"During my campaign, I made it clear that I was born in Zimbabwe and they still voted for me," he said.

He said he fondly remembered his formative years in Gwanda.

"I have romantic memories of my childhood. There was a tree I used to climb. It used to be big but I'm going to see if it's still there," he said, thrilling many with his fluency in speaking the Ndebele language.

Unfortunately, it had been 36 years since President Banda last visited Gwanda and he was quite disappointed to find that the tree he had so much wanted to see had been cut down and the house that his parents lived in had been brought down to pave way for new housing.

"This government destroyed the house. They are building new ones," he jokingly said.

Addressing a crowd earlier on Friday that gathered at Sabiwa Primary School, President Banda said he was happy to be back "home" and promised that he would return to Gwanda to stay a little bit longer when he leaves the presidency.

He told the children at Sabiwa School near Vumba Chikwe mine, where his father once worked when President Banda was still an infant, that they had to pay attention to school if they needed to succeed.

"The future of each one of us is known by God, but we all have something to do with it. You can do something to ensure that your future is successful, just as you can destroy it," he said. "I am an example of one who was born like you at this mine and now heading a country of 12 million people with a great potential."

President Banda later wept when he met his sponsor Amratlal Naik, whom he had last seen in 1972 but had kept close contacts through the Naik family in Lusaka.

President Banda thanked him profusely and kept referring to how Naik had hardly changed and still looked strong.

And Naik, 79, a philanthropist who said he was impressed by President Banda's intelligence while he was a young boy and subsequently offered to pay his school fees, said he felt honoured and humbled that he had contributed to moulding a President.

Naik said this in an interview in Gwanda on Friday when President Banda toured the town where he was born and in which he spent the early part of his childhood.

The soft-spoken Naik, who was once detained for 15 months along with Zimbabwe's founding fathers for political activities, said he had met President Banda when the young Rupiah used to go and see his elder brother, Major Banda, who was a tailor at the Naiks.

He said he was impressed with President Banda's intelligence and decided to pay for his secondary and tertiary education.

Constantly referring to President Banda as "my son", Naik said he did not want President Banda to do anything for him in return.

"I feel honoured, privileged and humbled. I am satisfied that what I did has now worked out, that God gave me the inspiration which has brought about success for President Banda. I would like him to be humble and to leave a legacy that the Zambian people will remember him for," said Naik, who has now partially retired from his businesses to concentrate on charity work. "I believe in community service. I want President Banda to serve the nation selflessly so that people can remember him like the late president [Levy] Mwanawasa.

The usually quiet small town of Gwanda, with a metropolitan population of 35,000, briefly came to a standstill as the 30-car motorcade criss-crossed the town roads when President Banda went about his tour.

President Banda visited Vumba Chikwe Mine, Sabiwa Primary School, a local polytechnic college, and met relatives in the community that he grew up in.

He exchanged telephone numbers with his relatives and urged them to either phone or visit him in Zambia.

President Banda also offered them undisclosed gifts, which he said would be channelled through Matebeleland South governor Angeline Masuku.

Gwanda Mayor Lionel De Necker said the town was contemplating naming one of the roads after President Banda.

Labels: RUPIAH BANDA, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 1:52 PM