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President Mugabe hands over the symbolic traditional stick to Mr Alfred Simba Tome, the newly-installed Chief Bepere in Zvimba yesterday while president of the Chief’s Council Chief Fortune Charumbira looks on. — — (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
President Mugabe yesterday said pledges made by China during his recent visit have shamed those Western nations that imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe in vain efforts to effect regime change.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was speaking at the installation of Chiefs Bepere and Chidziva at Murombedzi Growth Point in Zvimba.

“Takabva KuChina masvondo maviri apfuura aya, aiwa vekuChina vakativimbisa kuti aiwa maprogramme enyu amuinawo ese angava eagriculture kana ekugadzirisa migwagwa imi monyora pasi kuti zvamunoda ndezvizvi tinokubatsirai. Saka vaifunga kuti hatina shamwari vachitiisira zvirango pamusana pekuti takatandanisa mabhunu muno — haiwa ngavaone kuti tichiri neshamwari.

“Anywhere shamwari dzedu kunyanya vanhu veduka. Shamwari dzevatongi vakuru vanotonga muno muZimbabwe vateeri vavo vakaramba vakavatsigira mabhunu hapana zvaanokwanisa kuita,” he said. Zimbabwe signed nine deals with China where the global giant committed itself to fund viable infrastructural projects in agriculture, transport and communications, roads and railways and energy, among others.

China also provided a grant for construction of schools and clinics in resettlement areas. President Mugabe said the support he continued to receive from Zimbabweans spurred on him in defending indigenous Zimbabweans’ right to their land and resources.

He said most Western leaders were afraid of him because of his stance on the country’s sovereignty and right to self-determination.

“Saka itsigiro yenyu iyoyo yamunotipa, yamunondipa inoita kuti inini nekamhumhu kangu aka ndibva ndatyisa vananaObama vese ivava vese maleaders vanganzi vangauye asiMugabe hatimude. Ndogoti munyama here wangu? Kareko taiti tikaenda kumeeting vakaziva kuti ndiripo vanongonzvenga vachingonzvenga.

“Handiurayi munhu handisi muroyi ini isimba ramakandipa saka, handingakuregererei. Ndozvavanoda kuti mutungamiri ave munhu akarenda, anoregerera mabhunu awuye tikamutyisidzira anobva ati aiwaiwa mabhunu ngaadzoke zvavo, hazvifi zvakaita pasi navo. Ko havazivi kwavakabva here kana kwakabva madzitateguru avo? The English vaive muno should go back to England, ko chinoshupa chii?

“Inga ndege dzavepo dzinokurumidza kuvasvitsa ikoko,” he said.

He warned Zimbabweans against entering into partnerships with white former commercial farmers, saying most of them harboured intentions to return.

“Sakai imiwo moregedza kupota muchivakwezva mabhunu aya muchiti vanotirimira chete — vanotirimira chete vouya nematractor avo vachikurimirayi dakara vazodzika midzi, hatidi izvozvo. Zviri kuitika kakanyanya aiwa it’s a dangerous, dangerous arrangement yatisingade. Kana iri contract farming nemacompanies atinoziva kuti ava macompanies atinechokwadi nawo kwete nevanhu zvavo mabhunu.

“Vamwe vakabva pamapurazi zvemanomano vachisiya matractors nevasevenzi vavo vachiti tichadzoka, tichadzoka, tichadzoka.

Vanongoramba vachiti bhasa wedu achadzoka ariko mapurazi akadaro tinonzwa ka information yacho, tinayo aiwa hatidi izvozvo,” President Mugabe said.

President Mugabe also said there was need to complete changing colonial names that still existed in some parts of the country.

“Province ino yainzi Lomagundi, ugoona kutsvinya kwavo varungu. Varungu vakanga vasingadi kududza mazita edu sezvamadudzire atinoita isusu. Vakangonzwa zvavanzwa ndizvozvo vanongonyora vachibharangidza, Makonde, Lomagundi, Chinhoyi, Sinoia, zvino chii ichocho. Makwiro aive makomo e Makwira ayo ayo, ivo voti Makwiro. Zvavaingofunga izvozvo ndizvo zvavaingonyora.

“Saka mabhuku edu achatoda kuchinjwa ese. Mamwe mazita takachinja anaChinhoyi vana Makonde asi zvichigere kunemamwe mazita akangokanganiswa nevarungu,” he said.

Turning to the newly installed chiefs, President Mugabe urged them to use their offices wisely and not to pursue personal interests at the expense of the wider community.

He said the chieftainship was not for the benefit of their families alone, but for every person in their jurisdiction.

“Batanidzai vanhu kwete kuti zvatiri nehushe isu, veGushungo ndovakakosha kupinda vamwe — aaa panyaya dzekurima panya yezvose.

“Panyaya yekodzero dzinofanira kupihwa vanhu hapana mutsauko apa. Chembere kana irimbuya yedu yekwaZvimba nechembere kanairiSoko varimuno vese vachitambudzika, haungazoti ava havasi vekwangu veSoko rubatsiro rwoenda kunevekwaZvimba. Aiwa mukadaro munenge makanganisa,” he said.

“Chionai kuti ini pandinovhoterwa handivhoterwe neGushungo yoga. Nyika yose inondimuka, vechiTonga, veChimanyika vechiNdebele, vechiKaranga vose vanobuda, vose vanoteedzera gwara kuti mukuru pamusangano wedu ndiani watinosesekedza saPresident wenyika.”

He warned senior civil servants not to resettle people clandestinely without the knowledge of the local leadership and also urged people to start preparing for the coming farming season.

The President had the crowd in laughter when he narrated how his parents got married.

“Baba vangu vaive mwana wekwaZvimba amai vangu vabva nekuChishawasha mwana weMadyirapanze wekwaGutu – ndopavakasangana paMission (Kutama) pavakangonzi iwewe mukadzi ndouyu iwewe murume wako ndouyu. Hanzi ndozvatakangoitwa zvakanga zvisingarambwe waingosarudzirwa.

“Zvino vemazuva ano vanoda kuzvisarudzira kuti musikana uyo akamira sei, chimiro chake, makumbo ake. Zvakanga zvisiko zvekutarisa makumbo izvozvo. Zvaingonzi uyu musikana akanaka tamuona anetsika dzakanaka, uyo mukomana akanaka tamuona chatai. Dai zvisinakunzarwo ini ndinototenda kuti zvakanzarwo ndingadai ndisipo nhasi uno,’ President Mugabe said.

Earlier on President Mugabe officially unveiled earth moving equipment that include a tractor fitted with a grass mower, a bowser, dumper, graders and a tipper bought by Zvimba District from the $10 million donated by Zimplats to the Zvimba-Mhondoro-Ngezi Community Share Ownership Trust.