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He said as chiefs, they would always be active in politics since they had a duty to serve people although they did not aspire to get into political offices.
“Chiefs do not seek to be councillors or Members of Parliament. We just want our people to be taken good care of. We are in politics because we want our people to be fed and to ensure that they survive.
You politicians get into politics because people vote for you. We agree with Zanu-PF’s policies of fending for the people. That is why as traditional leaders we never miss their meetings such as this one.
It is the only party that takes care of people,” said Chief Charumbira.
The president of the chiefs’ council said Zanu-PF restored the traditional leaders’ respect and power, which they had been stripped of by successive settler regimes that displaced them from their land.
He said chiefs would forever remain indebted to the Zanu-PF leadership for organising comrades who then waged a bitter war to liberate the country and reclaim the land.
“Nyika yakatorwa ivhu rikaenda but Zanu-PF organised its comrades who then fought hard to reclaim our land. I don’t think there is a chief who would ever forget that. Everything in this country, the land and what’s underneath, belong to chiefs. So the party that brought back our land and caused problems for the settler regime should forever remain in power,” said Chief Charumbira.
The president of the chiefs’ council said as traditional leaders, they were very proud of President Mugabe who empowered them and their communities through programmes like the Community Share Ownership Scheme Trust.
He said Zimbabwean chiefs have become the envy of their colleagues in Africa following Zanu-PF’s empowerment programmes.
“We are now the envy of many African chiefs who often appear on television especially Nigerian chiefs (igwee), but do not have any riches to their names. Some of you in Zanu-PF do not even realise how special the leader of this party is. The share ownership scheme that he launched is big. Other chiefs in Africa wish the President could be exported to their countries and help empower them but that is not possible.
As we all know, independence without economic freedom is empty. This is why Dynamos players went on strike just after winning the league and cup double. They realised that their win was hollow for as long as they did not get anything for their efforts,” said Chief Charumbira.
He said chiefs in Zimbabwe have always been indigenised by virtue of their being the custodians of local culture but only joined the empowerment programme under President Mugabe’s rule.
Chief Charumbira pleaded with President Mugabe not to listen to critics of the indigenisation and empowerment programme who argued that such a programme would scare away investors.
“Your Excellency, don’t listen to people who say investors will go if we indigenise because there is nothing like that. These people are clever. They want you to let them continue extracting our resources without giving us anything. For these past 32 years of independence, they have mined our resources and we had not started the indigenisation programme. The indigenisation programme only started yesterday why didn’t the investors come? In Zambia and Malawi the people there are struggling but they did not indigenise their economies, neither did they embark on the land reform. They do not have foreign investors so Your Excellency, do not stop the empowering programme because these people are not sincere.
“As chiefs we have always been indigenous but now we have been empowered. This can be traced to the electrification of our homes and growth points, the land reform, cars and tractors that we got from the Government. However, our cars are now old as we last received cars about five years ago. We have not received anything ever since the inclusive Government came into being. The Ministry of Finance is saying they won’t give us anything, well, it does not really matter.
“Tichasangana kumberi. We won’t tire, we will remain resolute,” he said.
Chief Charumbira also praised President Mugabe for the Presidential Input Scheme.
He said people in rural areas were happy with the scheme and the efficient manner in which the inputs were being distributed.
The traditional leader discouraged the party from placing too much faith in the Young Turks, arguing that most did not have the interests of the party at heart.
He said most of the “Young Turks” quickly disappeared from their constituencies when they lost in the primary elections.
“A serious party cadre should assist the winning candidate campaign for the elections after losing the primaries. However, these Young Turks do not come back to support the winning candidate in the main elections campaign after losing the primaries. They go back to towns or even London. We need serious vetting of candidates for the primaries. Stop such people from participating in primaries,” said Chief Charumbira.
Chief Charumbira said all arms of the Zanu-PF party should work together as a team for the party to win resoundingly in the forthcoming elections.
Online Reporter