Firm, resilient, and undeterred are just some of the characteristics of Africa's leading leader.  Never mind the relentless attacks by the world wide media machine, Zimbabwe's president, Robert Gabriel Mugabe remains the most respected leader on the continent.  Twenty five years after leading his country to independence, President Mugabe celebrates with his people, Zimbabwe's Silver Jubilee.  Parts of his anniversary speech were taken from the New African magazine, June 2005 and made available for your reading:

"Twenty-five years have gone by since that eventful midnight of 17 April 1980 when our country was born, proudly taking up her place among members of the community of nations as a full, independent and sovereign state.

This birth followed bitter struggles and wars of resistance waged by our people for nearly a century, struggles meant to dislodge British settler colonialism which, in 1890, had planted itself on soil through force of arms.

Above all, our struggles have taught us that sacrifices are an integral part and signify the element of bravery and courage. For Africa, freedom has never come cheap and easy.  Colonizers do not freely let go of nations they occupy.  Their hold has to be broken through bitter and bloody struggles by the  oppressed.  Such struggles have always demanded sacrifices.

Democracy has come during the same 25 years, not as a hand-down from Europe, but as a natural offshoot of our struggle.  We made our democracy, and owe it to no one, least of all Europeans.  Until we beat them on the battlefield, Britain and her kith and kin here would not concede voting rights to Africans.  Let it be forever remembered that it was the bullet that brought the ballot!

The historical fact of land, at the heart of our liberation struggle, necessarily forges this vital connection in our political circumstances.  In Zimbabwe, land governs the ballot.  It is a symbol of sovereignty, it is the economy, indeed, the source of our welfare as Africans.  It remains the core social question of our time, as indeed, it was the main grievance on which our liberation struggle was based.

Today, 25 years later, we rejoice that this fundamental goal of our struggle has been achieved.  We have resolved the long outstanding national land question, and the land has now come to its rightful owners, and with it, our sovereignty.

Our people are happy and fulfilled, and this is all that matters to us.  Let the grief and bitterness that has visited Europe following the repossession of our land heal on its own, in its time.  Zimbabwe is in Africa, not in Europe!

But not all has been rosy in the 25 years that we are taking stock of today.  The specter of drought has repeatedly visited us, seemingly increasing in frequency in the new millennium.  And although we have invested heavily in harvesting water, not much has been done to harness that water irrigation purposes. We thus suffer repeated 'wet' droughts.  Increasing irrigable land is the surest insurance and no effort will be spared from this very year.

While our detractors claim that our economy has not done that well, we are happy that is has delivered spectacularly on our social goals, thereby laying a firm foundation for our future growth policies.  It has delivered on education, health, infrastructure, water, energy and communication.  These happen to be prerequisites for an economic take-off. and we now have them in place.

We are clear and definite on the way forward in the years ahead. We need to protect our people from the ravages of drought that have afflicted us for years.  The responsibility of sustaining our people during challenging periods is primarily that of government.  We shall always live up to this responsibility.

The hostility we have faced from Western countries in response to our land reform program has taught us to diversify our source and export markets.  We have turned East, we have turned to our region and other sub-regions on our continent.  With this support, we have started building mutually beneficial partnerships that will help us build a strong national economy, out ultimate goal.

Gone are the days when Africa produced tragic revolutions. We have to defend our own space by any means necessary. We have to defend our policies and pursue them unhindered. Africa for Africans!"