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Zvamaida Murwira and Tendai Rupapa

President Mnangagwa last night chronicled how he has narrowly cheated death on three different occasions as his life journey has been characterised by huge challenges and minefields that have shown how God loves him.

He said the most recent attempt on his life was when he was poisoned in Gwanda, Matabeleland South province in 2017, from where he was eventually flown to South Africa while he was unconscious.

The Head of State and Government said this last night at State House during his 81st birthday commemoration organised by the First Lady and members of the First Family.

In his address, President Mnangagwa reminisced on his life, characterised by humble begginings and later imprisonment, among other events which preceded his ascension to the highest office in the land.

“My life history has not been an easy one. I joined UNIP (United National Independence Party) in Zambia in 1959 when I was at college in Lusaka.

“They had broken away from the ANC of Harry Kumbula, that is Kapwepwe and Kenneth Kaunda, so they came to the college and recruited us. The blowing of the train was not the first time. My first arson attack was the burning of a school and then I was expelled in 1959,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said upon leaving for military training in Egypt, he and his 13 colleagues were jailed by authorities in that country after they sided with Zimbabwean nationalists referred to then as “rebels ” who had defected from the former Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo after a split in the political movement around 1963.

The “rebels” were led by Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole and had Robert Mugabe, (Enos)Nkala among others who left to form Zanu.

He said he was the only survivor in the two instances that he faced death, including when he faced capital punishment for blowing up a locomotive at the height of the liberation struggle.

“During my time, the age of majority was 21 that is why I survived. My colleagues got hanged. I was the only survivor. I then spent 10 years at Khami prison in a dark room. God has been very kind to me. None of my 13 colleagues I had in Egypt in 1962 and 1963, survived. In China when we trained, we were only five and no one except me is alive. My colleagues again were hanged here. I am the only survivor even among members of the “Crocodile gang”, I am the only survivor,” said President Mnangagwa.
“I had taste of death three times. First in Iringa (Tanzania) but that is for another day, second when I was captured and I got my ten years because I was under the age of majority and I survived.

The third one is very recent in 2017 when I was poisoned. I am here because of this young man (Vice President Constantino) Chiwenga. He and the First Lady were able to rush me to South Africa where I survived.

Some of the guests at the dinner

“They tell me how I travelled but I don’t know how we got there. They tell me from Gwanda, Gweru to Harare I was sleeping on Chiwenga’s laps while I was unconscious. So I want my family to know that this young man saved me.
“He took me to South Africa. It has been a challenging journey,” said President Mnangagwa.

He also reminisced on how he used two names Dambudzo and Emmerson at home and at school respectively.

This was after he discarded the name “Dambudzo” for “Emmerson” without the knowledge of his parents.

“So in the 40s when we went to school, results would be announced on a weekend and parents would come. So class teachers would announce results class by class.

“At home I was called Dambudzo but at school I was Emmerson because I had never told my parents that I had changed my identity. So the teacher said Emmerson you did well in English and Arithmetic stand up; pointing at me. “But I could not stand up because I was sitting with my mother. When I then stood up, my mother said ‘hezvo hezvo ko wavakunzi ani,” said President Mnangagwa.

It was an evening to remember as President Mnangagwa was treated to a massive 81st birthday dinner by his wife, children, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law and grandchildren.

The colourful event attracted members of the Presidium, traditional leaders, politicians, diplomats and the clergy, among a host of other delegates.

Guests were treated to a combination of sumptuous western and traditional dishes which are famed for their high nutritional value and medicinal properties.

First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa explained that the dinner was organised by her children in honour of their father.

“I wish to thank you first and foremost for coming to be with us this evening as we celebrate the President’s 81st birthday. It is my honour to see you gathered here for this event.

“Today’s event has been organised by our children, varoora, vakwasha nevazukuru. I told the children that I cannot continually hold an event of this magnitude for baba annually hence, had to put the ball in their court. As you see me here, I am now a grandmother, so a grandmother wants to see her daughters-in-law, children, sons-in-law and grandchildren honouring their grandfather. We then see what their minds tell them to do. I then tasked the children to hold the party to assess their minds. This is the Mnangagwa family, it is a big family. Some have come from the rural areas and we welcome you tonight to celebrate with us,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa spoke about the need for women to play a leading role in building and uniting families to ensure children grow in a peaceful environment that is free from drug abuse and other vices bedeviling society today.

“To all women here present and the grannies that I am seeing here, we say as women we are the ones who build our homes.

“To varoora vese, build the homes where you were married, be unifiers and peacemakers. See to it that you build homes and raise your families in happiness and enjoy sound relations. Vana baba nanamai, please love one another. I urge you women who are married that you came for good and shall not go back wherever you came from. Vana baba, we love you,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa, who is also the country’s health ambassador, stressed the need for people to embrace traditional dishes and outlined their benefits.

“I want you to get the food you want but there is a mixture of western and traditional dishes. Do not leave traditional food as it is nutritious and has health benefits. It defends us from diseases and please do this at home and you introduce it little by little,” she said.