Factionalism treasonous: President President Mugabe at the podium.
President Mugabe at the podium.

President Mugabe at the podium.

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF First Secretary and President Cde Mugabe has castigated factionalism, saying such groupings were treasonous as they sought to destroy the revolutionary party.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces also called on war veterans to work within the party and not isolate themselves.

He made the remarks while addressing hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans from all over the country who thronged the Robert Mugabe Square in Harare in honour of his visionary leadership.

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The Zanu-PF Youth League organised the Million Men March that coincided with Africa Day celebrations.

President Mugabe, whose whole speech was punctuated with calls for unity in Zanu-PF, said lobbying for positions was alien to the revolutionary party since the first liberation movement, the National Democratic Party, was formed.

He said in his entire life since joining active politics, he never lobbied for a position but he was always elected by those he worked with.

President Mugabe narrated the journey the revolutionary parties Zanu and Zapu walked since the liberation struggle until signing the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987.

He also spoke about how other leaders during the liberation struggle, among them the late Vice President Simon Muzenda and the late national hero and Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai implored him to take up leadership of the party to give it direction after their leader Rev Ndabaningi Sithole left.

“Tichizojoinwa nevamwe vanana (Vice President Emmerson) Mnangagwa ava vabva kuchikoro kuuniversity takazovadana vanana (Defence Minister Sydney) Sekeramayi vese kuti huyai tisangane,” said President Mugabe.

“Havana kuuya vachiti aah, tinoda zvigaro zvakati nezvakati. Takangovapawo zvigaro zvatakavapa ikoko. Ndirikuda kuti zvibude pachena kuti haisi tsika yedu mumusangano yekuti vanhu vakambire kuti tinoda kuva zvakati kana kuenda kun’anga vachiti tinoda. Hatina izvozvo.

“Hatina kumboita musangano wataisarudzirwa nen’anga kuti uyu achazova mutungamiri. Ayewa ngazvive chido chevanhu. Vanhu maonero avo vachiona kuti iwe wakakwana panzvimbo apa, iwe wakakwana panzvimbo apa. Mumusangano toita congress dzedu ndopanosarudzwa vanhu.”

President Mugabe said factionalism was alien adding that it would destroy Zanu-PF if allowed to continue.

He said party officials must stop plotting the downfall of each other in order to position themselves.

President Mugabe said it was up to the people to elect the leadership that they want, adding that it was unnecessary for party officials to then challenge that appointment.

“Party yevanhu inozvara hurumende yevanhu. Taiswa munzvimbo dzataiswa idzodzo dzehurumende, iwe wapiwa basa iri. Takupa kuti uve minister wechakati, iwe minister wechakati. Ko, rega kuva nekunyunyuta kuti ‘aaah in ndapiwa ministry isina kukwana. Aah ndanga ndichida kuti kuti ndive kuministry yakati.’ Kwete, yawapihwa iyoyo ndiyoyo. Shanda pairi unozoonekwa kuti ungaenda here pane imwe ministry.

“Asi tinenge tichinzwa runyerekupe rwekuti vanhu vanga vachitsutsumwa kuti ‘aah ko izvi zvazoitirwei? haa ini ndakandwa uku, ndanga ndichida kupihwa ministry yeFinance kana kuti ndanga ndichida kupiwa ministry ye Foreign Affairs’. Aiwa, hatidaro!

“Tinoona kuti zvaunenge wakakodzera ndezvipi. Dzimwe nguva unenge usina kumbokodzera futi. Zvino vamwe vanenge vachiuya vachiti ‘zvandava MP, aah ndakuqualifier kuvaminister’. You haven’t qualified at all. Not at all! Do your work urimuParliament, uonekwe zvakanaka wozosarudzwawo,” said President Mugabe.

He said it was gratifying that the Youth League received support from the Women’s League headed by First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, the main wing and the war veterans.

President Mugabe, however, called war veterans to order saying they must work within the party and not isolate themselves.

“Let this day, be the day you have made, in the sense that you have determined to listen to yourselves first and listen to the voice of the party and never to listen to the discordant voices from whatever sources they may come from within the party.

“The party has no factions as the party. Those who say they belong to this or belong to that are deceiving themselves. There is only Zanu-PF and let us not hear discordant voices from whosoever.

“Our war veterans, I say they must work within the party. They cannot be preaching their own political voices outside the party. No! They must come within the party then whatever grievances we have, will be solved within the party. Whatever they have, will be listened to within the party,” said President Mugabe.

He said it was important for Zanu-PF officials and supporters to unite.

President Mugabe also castigated party officials who were badmouthing each other through “feeding lies” to the media that has been quoting party officials tarnishing other leaders’ images.

“There should never be little groups to promote so and so. Those little groups are treasonous groups. They are treasonous groups, they spoil the party.

“There is one group- Zanu-PF. Why can’t you come with your views to the party, we discuss them? Your differences to the party, your criticism even within the party.

“You can criticise the leaders within the party and not go to newspapers, The Daily Nonsense or whatever. And you are making these little papers live. You are helping them to live.

“You are giving them lies. The stories that are being told, you get stories against the First Lady, the stories against so and so in the leadership and so forth. Nonsense! Stop all that.

“The party was never founded on other principles other than principles of unity, principles of togetherness and principles of harmony not disharmony. There are those who are specialising in writing to the press giving false information about others. We don’t want that. It should stop,” said President Mugabe.

He hailed Bishop Trevor Manhanga who gave a sermon calling for unity in Zanu-PF saying that was the only way the party would win at the 2018 harmonised elections.

He said if the country was united, God would shower blessings on Zimbabwe.

President Mugabe said when he visited the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo when he was on his deathbed, Father Zimbabwe implored him to ensure the country remained united and that there should be no tribalism.

To that end, he said Zanu-PF would not tolerate tribalists bent on demeaning other tribes.

President Mugabe said Dr Nkomo also said it was important for Zimbabweans to get their land.

The country embarked on the fast track land redistribution exercise at the turn of the millennium from the white minority farmers to the landless majority which saw hundreds of thousands of indigenous Zimbabweans benefiting from the exercise

President Mugabe said Government would however, put mechanisms in place to ensure that the youths who did not benefit because they were young when the exercise started, also get land.

He said youths must also get residential stands in urban areas regardless of their political affiliation.

President Mugabe added that all Zimbabweans regardless of their political affiliation must also be given food aid that Government secures to alleviate hunger instigated by climate change that saw the country yield poor harvest.

He said while MDC-T called for sanctions on the country, it was the Government’s responsibility to fend for its people including those opposed to it regardless of their mischief.

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