Harare (New Ziana) -President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday challenged the media to be responsible and never sell their birth right for a few pieces of silver.
He said this whilst addressing thousands of mourners who thronged the national heroes’ acre in Harare for the burial of former Information and Publicity Minister Christopher Mushohwe who died on Monday after a long illness.
“As we accelerate our national socio-economic development, and more immediately, prepare for the oncoming Harmonised General Elections, I call upon the media to be responsible and always seek to unite the people of our great country,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa said the late Mushohwe was one person who loved his country and challenged Zimbabweans, both locally and abroad to draw inspiration from his exemplary qualities, which included simplicity, humility, sociability, integrity, dedication to hard work and unflinching patriotism.
“To the late Cde Mushohwe, the country and interests of people of Zimbabwe came first. This is the national character trait that us who remain must continue to nurture and share across our provinces,” he said.
He implored Zimbabweans to continue individually and collectively to build a modern, industrialised and prosperous country as were the aspirations of many gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe whom the late Mushohwe was joining at the sacred national shrine.
Due to his hard work and dedication to duty, President Mnangagwa said the late Mushohwe became one of the first black Zimbabweans to get jobs in the public service from the unwilling white settlers.
In 1981 the late the late Mushohwe was taken into the confidence of then Prime Minister, former President Robert Mugabe to serve in the demanding and sensitive positions in his Office, where he rose through the ranks to become Personal Staff Officer.
“Such placements called for total trust, integrity and loyalty, attributes which Dr Mushohwe exuded in abundance,” President Mnangagwa said.
He said the late Dr Mushohwe’s proximity to the late former President Mugabe inspired him to improve his own education and that of many others, particularly the under-privileged in societies, which saw him using his spare time to study through distance education until he attained two doctoral degrees.
“His passion for education for the under-privileged saw him appointed to lead the Scholarships department, which he did both as an Executive Director and Minister responsible for scholarships in the Office of the President,” he said.
The appointment gave him scope and capacity to facilitate study opportunities through scholarships that were extended to beneficiaries throughout the countrywide.
New Ziana
