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1518: The proceedings here at Chipadze Stadium have come to an end and that concludes our updates. Thank you for joining us.

1517: “I would like to thank the party supporters here for attending this rally in this cold weather….I also want to thank you, President, for showing us your respect by visiting this province,”

1512: Cde Perrance Shiri is now giving the Vote of Thanks. He says Mashonaland Central is well known as a rich agriculture area as well as being a strong support base for Zanu-PF.

“We assure you Cde President that we will give you a resounding victory come July 30…we support your stance regards there being no winners or losers in our primary elections as that was just an in-house competition,”

1506: “Victory is certain comrades…right now we are about to reap what we sowed on July 30. Pamberi neZanu-PF! Pamberi nekuVhota! Pamberi nekubatana!….Mashonaland Central, tsime reZanu-PF, musvo we Zanu-PF zvichemo zvenyu ndomutoro watinotakura, Ndatenda,” says President Mnangagwa as he leaves the podium.

1501: “We have just opened the Empower Bank for the youths but we don’t want the youths to repeat what happened during the Kasukuwere era whereby youths failed to pay back the money they borrowed. We want you to pay back those loans.”

1454: “When you work for the people, you must put all your effort and must have integrity. We don’t want corruption…we are not against people becoming millionaires but we are against corruptly acquired wealth,”

1441: President Mnangagwa said agriculture is the backbone of the economy and the Command Agriculture model is meant to ensure food security.

1431: “Independent candidates automatically expelled themselves from the party and should not campaign using my name or our party regalia as that is in violation of Zec regulations.”

1433: “We hear that some people are saying the new dispensation will return farms to the colonial settlers but I want to assure you that will never happen because we united the people with their land.”

1429: He says Government will continue looking after chiefs despite criticism from opposition political parties and will avail vehicles to remaining traditional leaders during the first weeks of next month.

“Our priority is now development, development, development so that the future generations will thank us for setting a solid economic foundation,”

1427: “We need peace in this province because we once heard of the skirmishes caused by G40 but ignore them because we want peace,”

1426: “We want to make sure that we create a competitive environment for businesses to thrive in the country. In Zimbabwe, we have stability, unity and peace this will make sure that capital comes because capital comes where it’s comfortable,”

1422: “In January I went to Davos where the rich people of the world meet and when I went there I told them that Zimbabwe is open for business and now we are overwhelmed by the interest shown by investors in our country. When investors come here we should treat them well because the aim of a businessman is to make profit, however, we need their skills and technology which our people will learn,”

1417: President Mnangagwa reiterates the need for peace and unity in building the country.

1413: He says the liberation struggle began in Mashonaland central province hence the ideals of the struggle should be safeguarded.

1409: He says the party doesn’t want the imposition of candidates. The President wants leaders that come from the people because the power of the party is vested in the people.

“The party is the backbone of Government,”

1409: “You held primaries and let me reiterate that the party is bigger than any individual and no person should personalise it,”

1403: The President starts of his salutations by jokingly saluting party provincial chairman Cde Kazembe Kazembe by saying “Pamusoroi chairman Kazembe Kazembe, huya pano”

He acknowledges the work done by the province in getting party supporters to come out in their numbers.

1400: President Mnangagwa is now on the podium.

1354: The party’s representatives in the July 30 elections and those that lost in the primaries have been called to the main stage so that they meet President Mnangagwa.

1337: “Zanu-PF is a like a pocket, it can fit everyone but no one can put the party into their pocket. No matter how popular you become you’ll never own Zanu-PF,”

1336: “The President was arrested by Inspector Beans and Bradshaw for bombing a locomotive in Masvingo. He was spared the hangman’s noose because he was underage.”

1334: President Mnangagwa then returned to Zimbabwe to fight against the settler regime. He reiterates that President Mnangagwa was part of the Crocodile Gang but that does not mean he is of the Garwe totem, the President’s totem is Shumba Murambwi.

1325: VP Chiwenga says he will narrate who President Mnangagwa is, giving his history so that people vote for him. He says it started with President Mnangagwa’s father resistance of the colonial law which led to the banishment of his family to Zambia. President Mnangagwa later got into politics and went for training in Tanzania and Egypt.

1321: Cde Rugeje hands over the proceedings to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

1318: He says he is happy with the huge turnout despite the cold spell. He says his task today is to inform the gathering some of the senior party leaders that have accompanied the President, who include ministers Perrance Shiri, Miriam Chikukwa, Martin Dinha, and Politburo members Cdes Kenneth Musanhi and Chen Chimutengwende among others.

He asks Cde Edna Madzongwe to do a slogan on behalf of all the senior members accompanying the President

1315: National political commissar Cde Engelbert Rugeje takes to the podium and is introducing the dignitaries that have accompanied the President.

1313: Cde Kazembe said the President has officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony of a sports academy at Bindura University and reopening of Eureka Gold Mine. He says Mashonaland Central has promised him that they will vote President Mnangagwa into office.

1312: This is the fourth time the President has been in Mashonaland Central since his inauguration last November.

1311: “We already have council wards in the pocket that we have won uncontested… we are happy that the province has already started receiving agriculture inputs something that never used to happen,”

1309: He speaks of his humiliation at the hands of the former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe at the same venue last year.

“Mashonaland Central follows the party, not an individual,”

1307: Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Kazembe Kazembe is now giving his welcome remarks.

1257: The National Anthem is now being sung.

1252: His Excellency has arrived to wild cheers from the party faithful. Jah Prayzah’s “Kutonga Kwaro” has made the arrival even more electric.

1247: Vice President Chiwenga has arrived.

1200: We are at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura for President Mnangagwa’s campaign rally where thousands of Zanu-PF supporters have thronged the venue.