Chronicle Editor
PRESIDENT Mugabe this afternoon addresses thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at Somhlolo stadium in Lupane in what is the fourth leg of the Presidential Youth Interface rallies which kicked of in Mashonaland East two months back.
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ONLINE REPORTER: Vusumuzi Dube, PHOTOGRAPHERS: Eliah Saushoma, Wilson Kakurira, ONLINE EDITOR: Happiness Chikwanha
PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived in Bulawayo last night ahead of the Presidential Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North today. The Head of State and Government has already met youths in Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Masvingo provinces.
11:10 – President Mugabe will started by officially opening a community information centre in Lupane. The community information centre is part of a project funded by Portraz whose aim is to construct information centres in all the country’s constituencies. To date 80 centres have been set up at a cost of $800 000.
11:33 – The two Vice Presidents, Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko have arrived at the community information centre followed by His Excellency, President Mugabe. President Mugabe is accompanied by the First Lady Dr Amai Grace Mugabe.
11:40 – The President is now touring the Lupane Community Information centre after cutting the ribbon to officially commission the centre. He is being showed around the facility by ICTs Minister Cde supa Mandiwannzira.
12:18 – Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Cain Mathema takes to the podium to welcome President Mugabe to Matabeleland North province. “In Matabeleland North we are working hard to fulfill the mandate of government despite there being sanctions which are inhibiting our efforts,” says cde Mathema.
1243: Some of the officials here present include Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, Dr Joseph Made, Professor Jonathan Moyo and Cde Tshinga Dube. Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo and National Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere are also here.
12:48 – Florence Khumalo who is standing in for Chief Mabhikwa welcomes Zanu PF members to the area. She sings a traditional welcoming song ahead of the national anthem by all.
12:53 – Youth Minister Cde Patrick Zhuwawo now greeting delegates followed by Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Cain Mathema who emphasizes that Zanu-PF has one father and mother.
13:00 – Zanu-PF Youth Affairs Secretary Cde Kudzi Chipanga takes to the podium to introduce members of the Politiburo.
13:06 – Secretary for Administration Cde Ignatius Chombo leads fellow Politiburo members in chanting the party slogan. Vice President Cde Phelekezela Report Mphoko takes to the podium too, to greet delegates.
13:09 – VP Emmerson Mnangagwa also takes to the stage to greet supporters. Matabeleland North provincial youth chairperson Cde Mbongeno Dube follows through to address the thousands of jubilant supporters.
MBONGENO DUBE’S ADDRESS
“I welcome everyone to Mat North the province with the most mineral wealth in the country,” he opens his speech.
13:12 ” In Mat North we are saying you are our sole candidate for next year’s election and also our life President. As youths we are determined to assisting in the economic revival programme of the nation if given the necessary opportunities.
“We thank you for gracing this occasion Your Excellency and we thank everyone who made this possible,” says Cde Dube.
13:22 – Secretary for youth affairs, Cde Kudzanai Chipanga now takes to the podium to address delegates.
KUDZI CHIPANGA’S ADDRESS
13:27 – “Thank you your Excellency for gracing us today in Mat North. There is no province which is as united as Matabeleland North. This province is solidly behind President Mugabe 120%!
13:28 – “This is the second province to build its own party offices and they are showing that Zanu-PF is here to stay. They had asked that today President Mugabe also opens its party offices but we said they should wait till next year when you come next year for the rally trial.
13:29 – “The elections are now a done deal, what we are now waiting for is that ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) next year shows us the statistics we would have won with,” says Cde Chipanga.
13:34 – “We are however worried about the performance of certain parastatals. There are some parastatals that are existing just to waste the taxpayer’s money. When we get to the party conference in December as youths we suggest that Ministers be given the platform to state the performance of the parastatals under their portfolios.
“Some parastatals are following the ten-point plan but some are not, it has to be stated why they are not doing this.
13:36 – We want the decentralisation of parastatals so as to improve their performance. We know there are a number of projects being undertaken by various Ministries, they should employ the youths as we also want to contribute to the country’s economic revival.
13:39 – “We understand that senior government officials here in Mat North, work here but have to travel back to Bulawayo where they stay. This goes against the development agenda. We should now address the issue of accommodation so that the government leaders stay here in Lupane.
“As part of the interface we are calling on youths to all go register because it does not count at all for you to do all the slogans when you are not registered to vote. So as we introduce the biometric voter registration system, we say please go register so you vote for President Mugabe next year.
13:41 – “As youths we are beginning our registration exercise so that we are able to tell how many youths we have in the party. Regarding the issue of discipline, I must emphasize that as youths we only know one centre of power which is you, President Mugabe!
13:42 – “We thank our First Lady Dr Mugabe for continuously showing us the way even when we seem to be diverting. We fall under you, Dr Mugabe please feel free to give us guidance.
13:44 – “In terms of the social media we know there are people who are abusing the name of President Mugabe and that of the youth league. We won’t tolerate people who want to abuse our name. We are saying enough is enough. Please leave all these Whatsapp groups that are bent to tarnish our image, if you are still in those groups by Monday you therefore stand suspended.
“As your league we don’t believe in violence. We believe in these interfaces (in order to improve communication).
13:47 – ZICOSU (Zimbabwe College Students Union), you are our friends but you are not above us at all. Stop going to the media to speak ill of your Minister, if you have grievances against him go to him and stop tarnishing our name,” says Cde Chipanga.
Cde Chipanga concludes by inviting First Lady Dr Mugabe to address the youth. Dr Mugabe starts by leading the rally in song.
DR AMAI MUGABE’S ADDRESS
13:53– “Mat North is a vast province and bringing together all these people is very amazing,” says Dr Mugabe.
“What I should emphasize is that we should always visit the people, we should not come here just to ask for votes after every other five years. ZANU PF is the people’s party and we have to continue that way.
“As the youth league we must remember that we are the vanguard of the party.
13:55 – “I must talk of a project which is dear to me, the Bulawayo kraal (edited), as you know that district has been a marginalized area. When I got a place there to establish an irrigation project, I approached a partner under the public private partnership as stated in the Zimasset document.
13:56 – “Yes we had opened 250 hectares of land but due to various challenges we have 100 hectares under maize and we want to do seed maize which pays more and very soon we will be saying most of our seed will be coming from Binga.
13:57 -“In the next five years we expect to open about 15000 hectares within the Bulawayo Kraal in Binga.
13:59 – “We will continue working and in August we will be back to see how the maize crop would have developed. In the long term we will also establish processing factories so that we do everything from Binga. What we want to prove is that if it can be done in Binga then it is possible through out the whole country,” says Dr Mugabe.
14:03 – “As for MDCT I know that they want to make this their playground but come 2018 we will prove them wrong as we want to win resoundingly but we can only do this by implementing such key projects
14:06 – “Thank you for your patience Mat North. As for violence we are saying no no no, down with violence. I was shown a video of some people claiming to be children of war vets, beating up people. This is wrong and the police should arrest these people.
14:10 – Dr Mugabe ends her speech by thanking the people of Mat North for attending the Presidential Youth Interface rally in their thousands
Cde Chipanga invites President Mugabe to the podium.
14:11– As President Mugabe takes to the podium the DJ plays Jah Prayzah’s Mdhara vachauya with members of the youth league dancing to welcome President Mugabe.
PRESIDENT MUGABE’S ADDRESS
14:12 – President Mugabe now addressing delegates.
14;13 – “Before i begin i would like to praise Chief Mabhikwa for allowing us in his area of jurisdiction, remembering that 4th chiefs me an everything to our culture and future.
14:15 – “We are here, invited by our youths. We do not forget the massive response we got when the youths called for the One Million Man March in Harare to thank myself and honour me during my stint as chairman of AU and Sadc. I believe that we actually got more than a million people at that march.
“Since it was a Zanu-Pf thing we are proud because they showed that they can do it even when some people were doubting them.
14:18 – “This time they have come again with this youth interface. Where they want to meet the President. As such thousands of people have come from far off places just to meet the President.
14:19 – “This is the fourth interface rally we have held and the victory scored is always the same. Thank you for all this resounding support.
ABOUT LAND
14:20 – “My heart is overwhelmed by your love and generosity, by your confidence in me, your belief in me and I also am overwhelmed by that support. In other words I am your President. I am happy, I jump about. If I can not do it with my legs, I will do it with my heart (updated).
“I cannot be President if I don’t have your support. I am not talking of two supporters like they have in MDCT, but the entire country.
“When Umdala Nkomo was dying he said to me that I must maintain unity and also not allow our land to go into the hands of the enemy.
14:24 – “Land is a key facet of our freedom and wealth as Umdala wethu emphasized. It must be our land in total, land for us to produce our food and our wealth.
To our followers – we are experiencing network problems, and we are trying all we can to remain connected. Keep logged in to discuss the issues being raised at Lupane.
1437: It doesn’t matter, izibongo zinengi/surnames are too many but we are bound by one surname. We are Zimbabweans. This is what umdala wethu meant, we must be together. Our children must inherit unity as something we bequeath to them. When we die, they will respect our graves. Not as graves, but as places where those who have left them are laid.
He says youths will feel compelled to carry forward the torch and protect the ethos set by the elderly generation. President Mugabe thanks the youth league for recognising that they are the leaders of tomorrow.
“Of course you are leaders, but you are young, the future belongs to you.”
1439: President Mugabe says the control and ownership of the land go together. He has paid tribute to the youth and Women’s League for staying United. The youth and Women’s League are all propelled by that principle that the country must remain ours. So, today, province by province sibantu banye/we are one.
1441: “We must defend our land. Those virtues and those objectives we have about ourselves. The development objectives depend, first and foremost on having land.”
President Mugabe says we need to pride ourselves as sovereign owners of the country called Zimbabwe saying “if we are to prosper as individuals, family or country, unity, unity and more unity is required.”
It can not be achieved by any of us as individuals. It should be WE together. We together can defend our country and conquer the enemy.
1443: One thing that umdala wethu (late VP Joshua Nkomo) told me when he was in hospital, it was unity. Ukubambana. He told me don’t allow our nation to be divided. The other thing was ilizwe lethu. Our land. Why are these things important? Once upon a time, our land was taken away from us. We lost wealth. We lost our belongings.
It is important that we take ownership of our land, not as servants of the white man but we must own it to produce for ourselves, build our houses and rule ourselves on it as we beat our chest saying Lilizwe lethu/this is our country.
1447: President Mugabe says due to shortage of drinking water, animals became so daring. They would visit our homes as uninvited guests. They would even eat our food we intend to use to feed ourselves. But we are happy because as things stand, the animals will not bother us.
“The soils are wet and there is abundant water on the land. We are sure if the situation is like that, there will be evaporation and more rains will come. We will continue to produce more and once again become the bread basket for Africa.”
1449: President Mugabe thanks farmers for responding to the call to join Command Agriculture programme.
“This year, we are all happier. We tried our best by combining efforts. Labour and inputs. We are happy, command Agriculture has produced massive, massive tonnes of maize. Even here, there is plenty maize. Every province, it is the same. So, akulamuntu ozalamba. We are not going to import maize anymore, I think, for the next year or so.”
1450: “I want to thank you again, even though you are young, for teaching us as elders, that you can raise crowds and are united. This is a phenomenon that the elders must grasp and learn. Thank you youths, for your respect and confidence in me. Let me say, I also respect you.
“I want to say to those of us who are leaders, look at what the youths are able to do. No fights among them. They are firmly United. They could not have achieved this without unity. They have no factions, and no desire at the moment to be successors, when the President is still there. The youths are saying NO. The women are saying NO. The majority of the people are saying NO. Who then is saying YES? Ngubani?” He says with light laughter.
“People must develop that sense of loyalty but first and foremost, we must ensure we are educated. Skills come after elementary and secondary education. As such, we must educate children without fail.”
1454: “I want to appeal to those in the diaspora to come back and work in areas like mining, commerce, industry and infrastructure. I don’t see why they can’t get the same treatment in terms of treatment if that is what is attracting them elsewhere.”
President says Zimbabweans must be impelled by the love of their own country and serve it.
1459: He has encouraged Zimbabweans to be entrepreneurs especially in the technology sector.
“Let us not scramble to be employees of a white man. Let us be our own employers. I want to see a black man forming a company and hiring his own people.
Perhaps it’s coming but I believe it is belated.
15:01: “Zimbabwe is a blessed country that it is endowed with natural resources like minerals and plenty timber. It is good that more and more minerals are being exposed to the surface and locals will continue to exploit.”
“We are going towards elections, province by province, are ready for elections? Those youths who were 16 and 17 last elections during last elections, have they registered to vote this coming elections?
Our institutions, the universities have lots of young people, let us not ignore them. VaChipanga, there is another assignment for you
1505: “I want our women to recognise what the youths have done. You are the mothers of youths. But in the Women’s League, are we as united as the youths are? BoBaba, whether you are in the central committee or in the politburo, are you as united as your children are? If not, why not? Let us be united, the youths have given us reason to be.”
15:10 – President Mugabe says usually, universities have two groups, those who are Pro-Zanu PF and those who are pro-opposition.
“But the opposition are zero parties. They have nothing to offer. People need to check what are the proposals on offer for the nation are in the opposition. There is nothing there. They lack leadership and mobilisation skills.”
15:14 -“I hear there are groups that are moving around beating people. No, that is not our way of doing of things. If you see them, push them off the road and give them the punishment they deserve. Do not even wait for the police to come. We can not have criminals spoiling our good name.”
He says violence is not Zanu PF mode.
15:19 – “Well done Mat North. Let other provinces learn. To those who have hosted the rallies, keep your lessons. Phambili ngeMat North Province. This is the province of John Nkomo and bequeathed to us that if you want unity, it must begin with you,” he says before asking party supporters to repeat the statement after him.
President Mugabe says Matabeleland North has created a name for itself as a province as he ends his address.
Meanwhile the Youth League has presented the Fifth Family with a portrait of President Mugabe and his colleague, the late Vice President John Nkomo.
Matabeleland North Resident Minister Cde Mathema gives vote of thanks, thanking President Mugabe and Amai for taking time off their busy schedule to visit the province.
This concludes our updates. Thank you for following. Join the discussion below on the issues raised at Somhlolo stadium here in Lupane.
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