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fulfillment of the ideals of the liberation struggle.
“We will not reverse this policy. Let no one believe it is a policy we are making for elections. It is a fundamental policy. What is ours, is ours. What is theirs, is theirs,” he said.
“We are a liberation movement, let this policy be implemented without fear or favour.”
Under the empowerment regulations foreign-owned firms must cede at least 51 percent stake indigenous Zimbabweans.
MDC-T is opposed to the policy prefering what it calls a ‘‘jobs programme.”
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The Zanu-PF First Secretary and President said there was delay in implementing the empowerment regulations in mining and other sectors as Government was still occupied with land redistribution.
“We left the mining and manufacturing sector to go on without application of indigenisation and empowerment because we were dealing with the land issue.
“For years now, even before I was born, our mining resources have been disappea- ring.
“We want to reverse that completely. We insist our people will not get less than 51 percent. They must pass the ownership to us,” President Mugabe said.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces challenged Zimbabweans to use the opportunity presented by the indigenisation and economic empowerment policy not only to have shares in foreign firms but to also create new companies.
President Mugabe was adamant that elections will be held next year, describing the inclusive Government as not democratic and illegitimate.
MDC formations are against the holding of elections next year.
“Time has come now for us to prepare for elections and we just have to have elections next year.
“Look at this, there are three parties – MDC formations and Zanu-PF. There are those among us who lost the elections completely. They were rejected by the people. We asked Parliament to regard them as if they won the elections. Now we have them in Government.
“We have honourable that and honourable this when votes had made them dishonourable this and dishonourable that. We actually cheated on democracy but let us not over do it. Time has come to go for elections and let people choose their Government,” President Mugabe said.
He denounced violence and urged the party to win votes through its sound policies and persuasion.
“We in Zimbabwe, we in Zanu-PF realising that unity requires that we be orderly, that we also accord each other their own rights, recognise the need for peace among us. We in Zanu-PF must renounce and denounce violence completely. We must reject it. We do not need it in the party. Our progressive policies, those are the tools that will always win us the day – the elections. We have better thinking than anyone else. We think of our people,” President Mugabe said.
He added: “Why are you afraid of the MDC? Just show them clean girls and we will defeat them. Batshengiseni amankazana bazahamba bonke! We are a party of the people; they are a party of women. We must go out there and win the people using your ideas, using your words. We must remain united because we are one. Sisonke… Simunye.”
This was in apparent reference to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s 12 day marriage to Ms Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo.
The MDC-T leader is believed to have dated a chain of other women after the death of his wife Susan in a car accident in 2009.
President Mugabe urged Zimbabweans to unite in safeguarding the gains of the liberation struggle and not to betray the wishes of the gallant sons and daughters of the soil who died fighting the callous Rhodesian regime.
“Are we united today? I was looking at an exhibition that has been displayed by the friends of Umdala Wethu (late Vice President Joshua Nkomo). I was looking at characters and scenes and memories came back. As I saw the faces, I said to myself this one we were together kaseko (no longer there) Umdala, uMsika, u JZ (Jason Ziyapapa Moyo). I said what does that mean to me?
“I am walking on the path we created together. It was a path of unity. We learnt that Zimbabwe belongs to us all. We learnt that tribe does not count whether you are Ndebele or Kalanga,” he said.
President Mugabe said it was those national heroes “who gave their lives for the redemption of our country”.
“That was the nature of our alliance, of our understanding. Does that mean anything to you? Are you thinking the same way? Are you walking the same distance? What is your choice today? Are you as revolutionary? Don’t, don’t, don’t do them injustice,” he said.
President Mugabe urged Zanu-PF to be vigilant and strengthen its relations with sisterly liberation movements in the region and abroad in the face of open aggression by imperialists as witnessed in North Africa.
“A party like Zanu-PF born and built in circumstances of a revolution, a party that was the vanguard of our struggle for freedom, struggle to liberate our resources. A party of that nature must be a party that has alliances and friendships. It is necessary that we continue the friendship that we established during our struggle. We fought our struggle on the basis of this interactivity and collaboration with our friends.”
President Mugabe castigated the African Union for its lackadaisical approach to the Libyan crisis that not only killed thousands of civilians but also claimed the life of its leader Muammar Gaddafi.
“Against the naked intrusion Africa was ill prepared. A weak continent weakened itself further…we were found weak. Today we have a broken nation, a broken people, a broken hope in Libya. If this trend proceeds we face the prospect of broken independence,” he said.
The President said there were lessons to be learnt from the collapse of Tripoli.
“Then what should we learn from what happened in North Africa – imperialism or colonialism can never be appeased? We all know that Gaddafi tried to please them. He accepted responsibility for downing the plane over Lockerbie , which killed a lot of people. He proceeded in a naïve way investing big monies in Europe,” President Mugabe said.
He said Gaddafi proceeded and invited Mr Tony Blair to Tripoli and opened up his security forces to the CIA and MI6, a development that cost him dearly.
“Zvimwe zvaakaitawo Bhururu wedu Gaddafi zvanga zvoratidza kunge munhu asina ruzivo,” President Mugabe said.
He said despite giving him advice to invest in Africa Gaddafi would not listen.
The Zanu-PF First Secretary said there were no significant Libyan investments in Zimbabwe except “four camels”.
The President later presented the Central Committee report to the conference.
He said since the conference is the last one before national elections are held, it had the full weight of a congress.
Online Reporter