Buhari, Atiku mourn Mugabe

• He Was Hero Of African Liberation’

As tributes continue to pour in for former President of Zimbabwe, the Late Robert Mugabe, who died yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with family members, friends and political associates of the political activist.

Buhari said Mugabe fought for the independence of his country from colonial rule, and lived most of his life in public service.The President noted that Mugabe’s sacrifices, especially in struggling for the political and economic emancipation of his people, would always be remembered by posterity.

Buhari’s praise of Mugabe’s virtues came as Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, also declared him a national hero, saying that the country would be in official mourning until the former leader’s remains were brought back from Singapore and buried.

Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s long-serving aide, who took the reins after his master’s fall, called his predecessor “an icon of liberation, a remarkable statesman of our century and a pan-Africanist, who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people.”

In the same vein, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar described Mugabe as a hero of the African liberation struggle. Atiku said, “No man is perfect and he had his flaws, but nobody can take this fact away from him: That he loved his country and its people, and took practical and patriotic steps to improve their well-being.

“Mugabe gave Zimbabwe freedom, which in itself is commendable. Yet, he gave them something greater than freedom. He gave them education. His razor-like focus on investing in education resulted in Zimbabwe having the highest adult literacy rate in Africa. One can even say he emancipated the minds of Zimbabweans. Other African leaders can learn from him in this regard.”

Atiku said that Mugabe’s footsteps in the sands of times were indelible and far-reaching, noting that African leaders have a lot to learn from his many successes and inevitable mistakes.