PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is partially deaf, a disability which occurred during the liberation struggle, Acting President Constantino Chiwenga claimed at a religious gathering in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Chiwenga made this revelation at a Family of God (FOG) church service themed, the second ‘National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service” while explaining the sacrifices people made in the quest for freedom.
He said freedom does not come easy or cheap but has to be wrestled from the hands of the oppressor, the same way Zimbabweans fought against the white settlers.
It is in that struggle that people suffer the consequences of freedom, said the acting president.
“Those who survived and luckily came back from the struggle were not the clever ones or Gods favourite ones. We were spared to tell and preach the story of our collective quest for freedom. And to provide witness to those who like you when you give thanks and dedication to God for the wonderful gift of freedom. Some he made crippled, others like our President – he made partially deaf, still others he made to survive with bullet heads lodged in their bodies,” Chiwenga said.
The former army strongman said some people now lived with various disabilities while not revealing the circumstances leading to President Mnangagwa losing part of his hearing ability.
“Disabilites which warn us against ever taking that God’s gift for freedom for granted. When we do that we secure for ourselves a second curse from God,” he said.
Chiwenga said the struggle albeit painful was necessary and those who partook knew of the sacrifices they made.
“Our nation sacrificed thousands upon thousands of its children, men, women boys and girls, the young and the old, no age group was spared when the bugle of freedom was sounded. They too loved to live and loved the gift of life which God gave. But they surrendered their lives for you, for me for us all so we could have anew, a free people.
“Like the children of Israel they could have grumbled could have loved the sumptuous food of oppression than die grimly in struggle. Many still lie in unmarked graves, a lot more are not accounted for to this day. That is our grim story as a people,” Chiwenga noted.
