Brig Gen Francis Chakwiya from Zimbabwe National Defence University presents a gift to President Museveni after an opportunity lecture at State
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The historical friendship between Uganda and Zimbabwe, dating back to the liberation struggles when Robert Mugabe stood with Uganda’s National Resistance Army (NRA), is momentous.
According to President Yoweri Museveni, during the liberation war, the late President Robert Mugabe was with Uganda.
While delivering a lecture on economic and strategic transformation to a delegation of officers from Zimbabwe’s National Defence University, Museveni emphasizing Africa’s need for unity, industrialization, and self-sufficiency.
“We have realized prosperity cannot be achieved through begging or aid. It comes from producing goods and services and selling them to earn income,” he pointed out at State Lodge Nakasero, where addressed 22 officers from Zimbabwe.
Museveni traced Uganda’s ideological foundation to the 1960s, a time when African politics were dominated by religious, tribal, and sectarian divisions.
“The National Resistance Movement (NRM) asked critical questions at that time: such as “Do Africans deserve prosperity? If so, where does prosperity come from?”
He argued that tribalism cannot drive prosperity because internal markets become saturated. Using the example of cattle keepers, he said that no one from the same tribe will buy what they themselves also produce.
This, he noted, gave rise to the NRM’s first principle: Patriotism. “Love Uganda because you need it for your prosperity,” he said, warning that a sectarian army cannot deliver national security.
Museveni then explained that Uganda’s production had surpassed the internal market, leading to the realization that the country needed regional buyers — which birthed the second principle: Pan-Africanism. “Love Africa because you need it for your prosperity,” he added.
The third principle, Socio-Economic Transformation, emphasizes modernizing African economies by shifting from muscle power to machines and modern technology.
He explained that Uganda’s historical mission is to link its economy to the rest of Africa to ensure prosperity, while achieving strategic security through stronger regional integration to guard against external threats.
He added that promoting political integration through federations where possible would enhance both economic and strategic security.
Museveni warned that development alone was insufficient, citing World War II, where even advanced nations suffered aggression.
“That’s why Africa must embrace both economic integration and political federation,” he said.
He also criticized African leaders after independence for abandoning these critical historical missions.
Brig. Gen. Francis Chakauya, head of the Zimbabwean delegation, noted that the delegation had gained valuable knowledge from the interaction.
Brig. Gen. Wycliffe Keita, the head of Joint Staff – Training and Doctrine Command at the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), led the Ugandan side of the engagement.
The visit underscored Uganda’s continued commitment to sharing its experiences with fellow African nations in the pursuit of shared prosperity and security.
