40 000 pack Lupane • President underscores importance of unity  • Emulate the youths, senior cadres urged This picture collage shows President Mugabe addressing thousands of zanu-pf supporters during a Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday.
This picture collage shows President Mugabe addressing thousands of zanu-pf supporters during a Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday.

This picture collage shows President Mugabe addressing thousands of zanu-pf supporters during a Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday.

Takunda Maodza News Editor
PRESIDENT Mugabe has exhorted Zanu-PF to remain united and protect the gains of the liberation struggle, in the process fulfilling the wishes of revolutionary icons like the late national hero, Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo.

Addressing a 40 000-strong crowd on the fourth leg of the Presidential Youth Interface rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday, President Mugabe challenged senior Zanu-PF cadres to draw a lesson from the unity displayed by the Youth League in its organisation of the highly-subscribed rallies.

STANDING ROOM ONLY . . . Part of the 40 000-strong crowd that attended the Presidential Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

STANDING ROOM ONLY . . . Part of the 40 000-strong crowd that attended the Presidential Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

The rallies come in the wake of the historic Million-Man March organised by the Youth League in Harare in May last year amid concerns that not all youths managed to meet the President, hence the decision to bring him to the provinces.

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His call comes at a time some elements in Zanu-PF are reportedly at each other’s throat, driven by unbridled ambition to succeed the President.

President Mugabe officially opens Lupane Post Office and ICT Community Centre last Friday. Here, he is joined by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko

President Mugabe officially opens Lupane Post Office and ICT Community Centre last Friday. Here, he is joined by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe and Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko

The youths reaffirmed their loyalty to President Mugabe through massive attendances of the interface rallies in province visited so far.

“I cannot be President if I do not have followers, not just two followers like they have in the MDC and other parties but the whole country, the whole of the provinces. That love must continue to bind us,” President Mugabe said.

He recalled how, ion his deathbed, Father Zimbabwe had urged him to preserve unity and to defend the land.

“Before Umdala Wethu passed on, on his bedside when I went to see him Umdala uNkomo wathi kimi two things I want you to observe – One, ukubambana. Do not lose that virtue, that principle. The people must remain united. Two, ilizwe lethu, do not let our land go into the hands of the enemy again. Ilizwe lethu ngelethu phela. So, those two things are very crucial. But why are they crucial? Why should we remain united? We must remain united because this is now Zimbabwe. Once upon a time ilizwe lethu balithatha ama foreigners and we lost it,” said President Mugabe.

He said losing the land meant losing our wealth and dignity.

Part of the 40 000-strong crowd that attended the Presidential Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

Part of the 40 000-strong crowd that attended the Presidential Youth Interface Rally at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

“So, we must defend it. Those virtues, those objectives we have about ourselves development objectives, depend first and foremost on our having our land. But if we are to prosper as a nation, as individuals, as families – unity, unity and more unity is required! It cannot be just my interests or your individual interests. You as an individual, No. It must be we together. We together fought for the country to become Zimbabwe. We must defend it so the country will continue in the future as Zimbabwe,” added President Mugabe.

“So the enemy be careful, be careful the enemy has his own tricks. He might once again rob us of our right of control and ownership of the land.”

President Mugabe urged senior officials in Zanu-PF to emulate the unity shown by the youths.

“What are the youths doing? They are doing precisely what Umdala said – be united. Our national Youth League as indeed the Women’s League, as indeed Zanu-PF, we must all be propelled by that principle or objective that the country must remain ours. We must work together. We must defend it against the enemy. So together we find ourselves here province by province. Sibanye, Simunye province by province. We are all Zimbabweans. Move out of here and let people ask you who you are, you cannot say I am a Ngwenya or some other name. You tell them I am Zimbabwean. You feel proud because we have together fought against the enemy until we were victorious and this is what umdala (Dr Nkomo) meant. We must be together,” he said.

President Mugabe thanked the youths for teaching elders in the party a lesson on unity.

zanu-pf Youth League Secretary Kudzanayi Chipanga addresses party supporters at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

zanu-pf Youth League Secretary Kudzanayi Chipanga addresses party supporters at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province, last Friday

“You are saying to the elders look at us. We are united. We can raise crowds and crowds of unity. This is a phenomenon that the elders must grasp. I say to the youths thank you for your respect, for your confidence in me and I also respect you as without followers what will I be? I might say I have followers when the followers do not actually have confidence in me but here we are – immense confidence shown… but I want to say to those of us who are leaders look at what the youths are able to do.”

President Mugabe said there wass no bickering or fights among party youths.

“No fights among them. They are united, firmly united. They could not achieve this without unity. No backbiting. 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 yena (Who is it)?” he said.

“Okay, well. We are united under Zanu-PF and Zanu-PF has programmes and objectives. It is in Government. It is principled. It is very clear in its principles and in how to achieve those principles.

“I want to thank the party for the unity they managed to put together to achieve what they designed and called Command Agriculture and I want to thank you for responding to the call by the party to join this programme.”

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