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President Mugabe addressing the huge crowd

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
President Mugabe says he will continue leading zanu-pf and the country at the pleasure of the electorate and will not be pushed out through calls by opposition political parties and their Western backers.

The zanu-pf First Secretary and President said he drew his mandate from the party and to that end, he would only step down if the revolutionary party says so.

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko joins the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe on the dance floor at the Million-Man March at Robert Mugabe Square in Harare yesterday. — (Pictures by Chief Photographer Believe Nyakudjara)

President Mugabe said this when he addressed a capacity crowd at Robert Mugabe Square at the Million-Man March in Harare yesterday.

He hailed the Youth League which organised the march in solidarity with him as the party’ sole candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections.

President Mugabe chided MDC-T for calling for him to step down through a lead story in Daily News yesterday.

Said the President: “Ko ndogoenda kupi? I belong to my people. My people say ‘stay here’. I am not a Briton, I don’t like it. I am not American, I am not Yankee. I told (former British Prime Minister Tony) Blair to keep his England so that I can keep my Zimbabwe. Ko, zvino?”

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and zanu-pf Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo follow proceedings at the Million-Man March at Robert Mugabe Square in Harare yesterday

President Mugabe said he belonged to Zimbabwe and was put in his position by zanu-pf.

He said only zanu-pf and Zimbabweans in general could ask him to step down.

“I belong to Zimbabwe. So, they say I must go. The outsiders, why do they want Zimbabwe to stand down, to resign, to retire?

“Vanhu vanguka ndovangati aah, chiregai. Ko MDC itsitsi here dzekunzwira VaMugabe kuti vaneta? Kana kutya VaMugabe? Kutya VaMugabe, so tell the papers that VaMugabe says, go hang, hang yourself.

“Anyway tiri tese. I am at the service of the people. If the people say I should go, I go. But as long as I feel I can serve the people and I can do my best as I have done in the past, I will do my best and when time comes I go. Hapana kwandinoenda,” said President Mugabe.

Delegates follow proceedings at the Million-Man March

He said the opposition did not have ideological orientation that would improve the lives of Zimbabwe since it was only obsessed with removing zanu-pf from power.

President Mugabe hailed the zanu-pf Youth League led by deputy Youth Affairs secretary, Cde Kudzanai Chipanga for organising the march saying they showed determination even as they faced resistance from some quarters in the party.

He also thanked all the party’s provincial structures for supporting the initiative saying without their support, the march would not have been successful.

“I, as President of Zanu-PF, wish to express my deep thanks and appreciation and the thanks of my family, my wife Grace who is here, the whole family to our youths, the Youth League of Zanu-PF for this great revolutionary act run by them, organized by them sure as they say with support from the women and also here and there support from the main body of the party.

“As they championed it right through, they travelled to reach each and every province organising the people for this march. They were determined that this will succeed. Along the way, sure they met some discouraging words even from within and amongst us. But they persisted and said forward ever, backwards never.

“Forward ever and even some circles who had said ‘oh no you cannot organize this, oh no what are you doing it for?’ eventually realised that the youths were determined and they decided to support them,” said President Mugabe.

He said with that support, the march was a success.

“It’s glory that you are giving the President but the President says in a reciprocal way, that it’s our glory together. It’s a glory of the party. A glorious day for the party. A glorious day for us all. Let us again and again thank the youths for it. But it’s a day also you have organized for us, a day which the Lord has made this a glorious day. We thank the Lord,” said the President.

President Mugabe hailed the youths for organising the march in a peaceful manner.

He said this had inspired other youths to join the revolutionary party.