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President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe flanked by Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa (left) and Phelekezela Mphoko on arrival at Harare International Airport from the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. — (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
President Mugabe yesterday urged Zanu-PF youths to respect the party leadership and avoid being used by some ambitious elements in the revolutionary party pursuing personal agendas.

The President said Zanu-PF had laid down rules governing the conduct of elections to leadership positions, adding that people should not be swayed from those principles.

He said this to Zanu-PF supporters soon after landing at the Harare International Airport from New York where he joined other world leaders attending the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

President Mugabe said the party did not tolerate individuals who wanted to impose themselves on positions.

“Be united as youths,” he said. “We don’t want people who come to you and say support this person. Why should you support that person? The party has its principles. We support the party. We support the leadership of the party because it is the leadership that you have chosen.

“We don’t want people who give themselves positions. We don’t want people who divide the people. We have procedures of electing party leadership starting from the branch up to national level. Everything is in the party constitution.

“Ko izvi zvoitika nerweseri zvava zvei? Rambai izvozvo. Ngatirambei takabatana tichitevera gwara remusangano.”

President Mugabe warned the youths that they might end up fighting among themselves if they allowed other people to use them.

He said the Youths and Women’s Leagues were the vanguard of the party and should remain united.

President Mugabe said if those wings remained united, the revolutionary party would never worry about the opposition parties such as the semi-political party fronted by former Vice President Joice Mujuru called People First and the MDCs in their various guises.

“If you fight each other you will not go anywhere,” said the President.

“You have principles in the party constitution that guide you. Let’s continue to be guided by the party constitution. If these wings are united, our party will remain strong. Izvi zvinonzi nhasi kwamuka chii hanzi First chii, (Elton) Mangoma nekwake, (Tendai) Biti nekwake. Hameno zvimwe zvinomuka semakurwe. Zvinongouya izvozvo hapana munongonzwa kuti apa paitika chakati, chabudawo nepapa chimusangano, mangwana chazozvarawo chakati ichocho chozvara chakati.

“Zanu-PF haina gwara iroro. Yakatwasanuka kuti twii. Zanu-PF ine Women’s League yakamira kuti twii. Ine Youth League yakamira kuti twii. Zanu-PF musangano wevanhu vakamira kuti twii.”

Turning to the United Nations General Assembly, President Mugabe said he told the meeting that Zimbabwe was an independent and sovereign state and no country should meddle in its internal affairs.

“I said to (Barack) Obama why imposing sanctions on us? We have never wronged you. Leave us to do our own things and we will not tolerate those who talk about regime change. We rejected that. There is no country that has powers to meddle in the internal politics of another sovereign state with its own Government.”

President Mugabe said he was invited to several meetings during the 70th session of the UN General Assembly but he could not attend all of them.

He said he assigned Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi to finish some of the meetings that were ending today.

During the meetings, President Mugabe said in his capacity as the African Union chair, he touched on several issues affecting the continent including the instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He said Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic also addressed the world body and urged global leaders to assist the poor.

“His word was that leaders should assist the poor and look after children,” he said.

“He said if there are disagreements among nation states, they should prioritise dialogue and not war.”

President Mugabe said Pope Francis also called for respect among churches and freedom of worship.

He said all countries in the world were represented by their Presidents and or Prime Ministers and in some cases by Kings.

He took the opportunity to explain how the United Nations operates.

President Mugabe said the biggest organ of the UN was the General Assembly, but it had also other organs such and the Security Council and the International Court of Justice.