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Kennedy Mavhumashava in Harare
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday officially launched the 2013 Zanu-PF election campaign and manifesto at Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield here, setting the stage for an intense three-week process he said must yield a resounding victory. Tens of thousands attended the launch of the campaign for the harmonised elections to be held at the end of this month. All the party parliamentary candidates were introduced to the party faithfuls and the Presidium shook hands with all of them.
President Mugabe described the elections as “a battle of our lives” which he said the revolutionary party would win regardless.
He said: “We have just congratulated our candidates for the elections. I say that because you are looking forward. It’s you again whom we are saying are leaders in the elections that we will have. We will only be your supporters but we will be assisting so that we are elected and elected resoundingly.
“We are here not only to congratulate, we are also here to send you on a mission, to give you top authority of the party to represent it in the election and to enable you to conquer. You are our soldiers; you have a battle to fight. Go into battle well armed with a full knowledge that there is a political enemy.
“This is a do-or-die struggle. You are not alone because your victory will be our victory and your defeat, alas, will be our defeat. We want you to succeed.”
The President said Highfield was a historic suburb where many pioneer nationalists like him, Cdes Enos Nkala, George Silundika, Joshua Nkomo, and Josiah Chinamano lived. Early nationalist parties like the National Democratic Party and later Zapu and Zanu-PF were formed in Highfield. Therefore, he said, the suburb is the cradle of the liberation struggle.
“That is here where we returned after the struggle. Dr Nkomo returned first and he came to Highfield first. I followed. So Highfield is a politically sacred place. It is the cradle of our political struggle but now Highfield, Highfield, Highfield, I cry, where are you?
“We have come here to regain what we have lost along the way, including Highfield, to correct an error, a huge political error.
“We failed in 2008 and so we decided that in this sacred place we should bring our entire team (of candidates) which shall lead in a fight to conquer. We are not talking about defeat but victory,” he said.
He added that this time, Zanu-PF must secure a massive victory of up to 90 percent majority in Parliament and an equally decisive success in the presidential race as well.
“Will it be just 51 upon 100?” he asked.
“Fifty one percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent or will it be upon in every constituency. Let us expect that we lose one or two men who have fallen as soldiers in a fight but we shall be able to say that our victory was not less than 90 percent. Tell the rest of the country that you have seen the soldiers that we put together. We have shaken their hands and we have strengthened them as fighters on our behalf.
“Go ye fight the battle and come back and tell us that you have won. Go ye meet the people, talk to the people, because you came from people, you were elected. Go back to them and join forces in going to the national battle. It’s a battle for survival and all of us should support them. We shall work together and make the pledge that we of Zanu-PF do not know defeat. We, yes, suffer losses, losses of individuals here and there, a setback but we are able to re-organise and come back invigorated and wage a real, real, vigorous, devastating battle and this one should be a fight of our lives.”
Cde Mugabe reiterated that Zanu-PF should get a decisive victory to make sure that there is no another inclusive government with parties that work with Zimbabwe’s former colonial master, Britain. Never shall Zanu-PF allow such parties to taste government again, he said.
“You saw that the inclusive government that gave us a three-headed creature. Some were refusing to let go, ahh, clinging to it but we said let’s go and seek a new mandate; democracy demands that we do that,” said President Mugabe.
The Constitutional Court, he said had to order him to proclaim an election date and make it a point that they are held by the end of this month. This ruling could not deter the MDCs in the inclusive government from lobbying Sadc to delay elections he added, but Zimbabwe does not tolerate outside interference. The President also castigated Ms Lindiwe Zulu, a member of the Sadc facilitation team who has frequently made public pronouncements opposing the holding of elections.
“No outsider is allowed to intervene in a situation where our court has given a ruling. That’s final and we decide whether to comply or not. That is why I decided to comply and I chose the last day of July and that was not a violation of the ruling but some said Mugabe didn’t consult. Did I have to consult? I have authority to proclaim. I didn’t have to consult anyone. The court said the President must give a proclamation, it didn’t say the President, Morgan Tsvangirai and Mutambara. Sadc has no power to command what our court said can’t be done. Let it be known that we are in Sadc voluntarily. If Sadc does stupid things we can pull out, but for now we have Sadc that has done well,” said Cde Mugabe.
On Thursday, the highest court in the land dismissed an appeal to have the elections delayed by two weeks. The judgment, said the President vindicates Zanu-PF which has always wanted elections.
On Ms Zulu, the President said her utterances were stupid.
“Then you have utterances by a stupid, idiotic woman of South Africa saying ‘no elections cannot be held on the 31st of July’. Just an ordinary street woman! Really, did someone think that as an independent country, we would take heed of street utterances which are stupid and idiotic?
Zimbabwe was fought for and on 18 April, we got independence. We say no interference from any quarter. We were in that situation whereby even street women could make utterances. Let’s not make mistakes that invite such utterances,” he said.
The party is running its campaign under the theme “Indigenise, empower, develop and create employment.” The 108-page manifesto is a five-year plan of action for the party if it secures victory in the forthcoming elections.
The President said the document focuses on the land reform programme, indigenisation and economic empowerment, job creation, promotion of social services and industrial development, among other sectors. Small and medium-scale enterprise development, he said are also an integral part of the manifesto. He said SMEs must aim to grow bigger.
He acknowledged that the economic hardships caused by illegal sanctions had made life difficult for people including job losses but commended their perseverance and calm regardless of the challenges.
According to the manifesto, Zanu-PF would focus on consolidating and deepening “independence, sovereignty, unity, security, respect for the values and ideals of the liberation struggle, patriotism, gender equality, respect for the elderly, economic prosperity, achievement, equality, peace, freedom and democracy, non-violence, tolerance, stability, the youth as the future, employment, housing for all, respect for persons with disabilities, development and freedom of worship.”
It says the revolutionary party has indigenized 12 million hectares of land. It would also seek to create value of $7, 3 billion from the indigenisation of 1 138 companies across 14 key sectors of the economy.
“These initiatives will create 2, 265 million jobs across key sectors of the economy and contribute to export earnings, food security and to the fiscus among many other benefits including urban housing, and construction of peri-urban farms acquired during the land reform exercise. In addition, Zanu-PF’s indigenisation and empowerment initiatives outlines in this people’s manifesto will see an average GDP growth rate of nine percent by 2018 up from the current 4, 4 percent.”
Beneficiaries of the projects would include both rural and urban communities.
Online Reporter