by Innocent Mujeri

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday chose to spend his birthday chairing a Cabinet meeting and attending to other Government business.

This was in sharp contrast to other birthdays of Heads of States in other countries were such events are usually characterised by pomp and funfair that usually gobble millions of dollars.

However, President Mnangagwa who turned 78 yesterday treated his birthday as any other day and did not appear as the birthday boy, as no lavish parties or official celebrations were held to mark this important day.

Instead President Mnangagwa took time to chair the Cabinet meeting that dwelled on various economic issues.

One resident of Harare, Mr Alexio Mudzviti, said that President Mnangagwa had surprised many people by not marking his birthday with huge celebrations as was expected by many people.

“I was surprised to learn that yesterday was President Mnangagwa’s birthday. I was expecting to hear the radios and the national television station playing celebratory jingles about the President’s birthday, but there was none. President Mnangagwa  showed the World that he is focused on uplifting people’s lives as he chose to spent the day attending to national business, thereby saving the country millions of dollars that could have been channelled to the birthday celebrations,” said Mudzviti.

Another resident of Bindura, Ben Mberikwazvo, further opined that President Mnangagwa is an exemplary leader, who put the nation first ahead of his personal interests.

“By choosing to be in the office on his birthday, President Mnangagwa has shown the world that he is a pragmatic leader who put people first instead of his personal interests. If he was someone, he could have taken leave from work and celebrate with his family or friends, but instead he was at work. With such type of leadership that is hardworking and practical, Zimbabwe can be a success story again,” said Mberikwazvo.

Meanwhile, congratulatory messages continue to pour in for President Mnangagwa from all corners of the country.

The Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu said the party cherishes President Mnangagwa’s consistent ideological leaning to the decolonisation agenda and his meticulous reinvention of the liberation legacy as the Founding Father of the New Dispensation.

“ZANU PF wishes to convey its profound delight in His Excellency and the First Secretary of the revolutionary Party for yet another anniversary of his long-lived commitment to the freedom of Zimbabwe.

“Your Excellency, through this life anniversary, as ZANU PF we join the rest of the nation in commemorating the divine validation of your vocation. We also cherish your consistent ideological leaning to the decolonisation agenda and your meticulous reinvention of our liberation legacy as the Founding Father of the New Dispensation,” said Dr Mpofu in a statement.

The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, his deputies, senior management and staff in the Office of the President and Cabinet in their congratulatory message to the President said they are inspired by the President’s wisdom which he demonstrated in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, steering the nation away from a catastrophe through robust and judicious deployment of human, material, and financial resources.

ZANU PF National Secretary for Women Affairs, Cde Mabel Chinomona also said President Mnangagwa’s life serves as an insignia of not only political democratisation, but it also epitomises the mainstreaming of the gender equality that women are now enjoying. She further said that President Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to the Presidency has widened the vistas of de-patriachising politics, the economy and  general social livelihoods.

Some netizens who congratulated President Mnangagwa on Twitter yesterday also described him as a dedicated Statesman who devoted much of his life to the freedom and economic emancipation of Zimbabweans.

President Mnangagwa was born on 15 September 1942, in Zvishavane District, Midlands Province and since the day he came into office, he has greatly transformed the country through pragmatic policies that are likely to see Zimbabwe become an upper middle income economy by 2030.