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President Mugabe this afternoon addresses the seventh Youth Interface rally at Mkoba Teacher’s College Open grounds in Gweru where more than 120 000 people from all corners of the Midlands province are expected to converge. Zimpapers Online gives you live updates of this event. Stay logged in and join the discussion forum below to share your ideas on the issues being raised in the key address.

UPDATES: Costa Mano, Freedom Mupanedemo, PHOTOGRAPHERS: Wilson Kakurira, Eliah Saushoma,  PROOFING & PICTURE EDITING: Clearance Munondo, ONLINE EDITOR: Happiness Chikwanha

11:00 – The Zanu-PF First Secretary, President Mugabe has used the rallies as an opportunity to impart in the youths the need to protect the revolutionary legacy that brought independence to the country.

President Mugabe is also scheduled to commission the Gweru Community Information Center before proceeding to the main event.

11: 18 – Delegates waiting to witness President Mugabe as he officially opens a state of the art information center in Gweru Central Business District are now seated with the President expected to arrive here at about 11.30

Present are ICT Minister Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, Defence Minister Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, Zanu-Pf Midlands chairperson Cde Daniel MacKenzie Ncube among other senior government and party officials

11: 31 – President Mugabe has just arrived at the Information Center and is welcomed by Minister Mandiwanzira.

11:37 – Some of the ministers already present at the rally venue include Dr Ignatius Chombo, Josaya Hungwe, Prisca Mupfumira, Joram Gumbo, Prof Jonathan Moyo, Joseph Made, Patrick Zhuwao

11-:44 – Some of the ministers already present at the rally venue include Dr Ignatius Chombo, Cde Josia Hungwe, Cde Prisca Mupfumira, Cde Joram Gumbo, Prof Jonathan Moyo, Dr Joseph Made and Cde Patrick Zhuwao

11:50 – Various groups are currently entertaining the party supporters

11:57 – President has officially opened the infor centre and now inpectong the computers

Meanwhile at the main venue in Mkoba, the numbers keep swelling with the party faithfuls still trooping in.

11:59 – Mbare Chimurenga Choir is currently keeping the bumper crowd on their feet with their  discography of  music.

12:07 – Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has arrived at the main venue.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) pledged wagons for support in areas such as Mberengwa, Zvishavane, Mvuma, Lalapanzi and Kwekwe for the Midlands Province Presidential Youth Interface rally. 

12:27 – Meanwhile State Security  Minister Kembo Mohadi has just arrived.

Zanu-PF has 536 party districts in the eight administrative districts in Midlands and today’s rally is the seventh one with President Mugabe having visited Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West and Matabeleland South provinces.

12:36 – National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere has arrived , followed by Vice Presidents Phelekezela Report  Mphoko and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

12:45 – The atmosphere has turned electric as President Mugabe is set to arrive

12:50 – President Mugabe is accompanied by First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe and Youth League secretary Kudzanayi Chipanga as he goes around greeting party supporters

The Midlands Province also donated to the First Family three Tuli pure breed beasts, a bull and two heifers.

13:05 – President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe are now making their way to the main stage. Whistles and ululating fill the air .

 13:07 – The National Anthem is now being played

13: 09 – A minister of religion is now blessing the gathering

13;10 – National Youth Political Commissar Innocent Hamandishe is the Master of Ceremony

13:14 – Hamandishe  invites the provincial leadership to chant slogans

13:18 – Zhuwao as youth minister chants the party slogan, followed by Cde  Letina Undenge who chants on behalf of the Zanu-PF Women’s League

13:24- Cde Hamandishe calls on Cde Chipanga to introduce Politburo members as the Youth Secretary advances to the podium chanting the slogan. He begins to introduce the Politburo as well the Central Committee members.

13: 28 -VP Mphoko is now greeting the party supporters followed by VP Mnangagwa.

13:34 – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cde Hamandishe is back on the podium and calls on provincial youth chairperson Cde Machando to address the gathering

13:39 – Cde Machando says youths need loans to start businesses because after school they can’t find jobs. He says college students who fail to pay fees should be allowed to write exams and look for the money afterwards.

“We got chrome claims but Zimasco got claims that are under other people’s names. The same is the case regarding residential stands . . .

“Youths got offer letters but the same youths saw those offers being withdrawn,” says Cde Machando.

He calls for full youth participation in all government initiatives especially in farming programme of Command Agriculture.

13:41 – He says Midlands is not a factional province but a province that follows President Mugabe and Amai Mugabe.

13:45 – He has finished his address and Cde Chipanga is back on the podium  and calls for inclusion of youths on parastatal boards

13:47 – He calls for formalization of small scale miners . He also says youths should get jobs in the dualization of the Chirundu-Beitbridge highway

13:54 – Chipanga endorses President Mugabe as the sole 2018 presidential election candidate for Zanu-PF.

He urges the youths to register so they can vote in 2018. The youth leader says the new recommendation to change over from metal IDs to plastic ones should be looked at closely.

13:55 – Chipanga also says the period during which they will be issued should be extended

13:57 – Chipanga thanks the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe  for the work she is doing and urges her to include youths in her latest poultry initiative.  Chipanga also asks for the party faithful to be given party regalia

13:59 – The Youth League has started publishing the Interface magazine that will soon be sold locally. He says the magazine will capture all the activities being done by the youths and women’s league.

14:02 – He says every edition will carry the images of the President and First Lady on its cover page.

“We don’t tolerate factionalism..usave nekamwe ka president kunze kwa Mai na baba Mugabe”

14:06 – “We don’t want the name of our war veterans to be tarnished by a few individuals who dream that they will one day rule this country,”

He says next year’s 21st February celebrations will be held in Nyanga, the area through which  President Mugabe went to Mozambique with the late Edgar Tekere during the liberation struggle. He ends his address

14:12 – Cde Chipanga returns to the podium to ask First Lady Grace Mugabe to address the rally. Amai Mugabe takes to the podium

AMAI MUGABE’S ADDRESS

14:13 – Amai Mugabe says she is originally  from Midlands and is a Karanga.

14:14 – She says it doesn’t matter where one comes from but what is important is that we are all Zimbabweans

“I once said what we do in the President’s presence should be the same with what we do in his absence”

FACTIONALISM 

14:16 – “We want unity….Midlands I hope you are not involved in factionalism like you have said today but what we hear is a different story . . . unless you’ are saying from this day forth we are united then I may be convinced,” says Dr Mugabe.

14:18 – “Those fanning factionalism should STOP IT!”

14:19 – “Listen to me because I am  your mother . . . those who scold President Mugabe and his family will not be blessed”
14:20 –  “VaMugabe vakaziva Mwari vasati vambove muchibereko cha Amai vavo . . . read Jeremiah 1 verse 5. Kutaura kwakashata hakuvake musha (Quarreling is not good for family unity),”

14:22– “If you see bad things happening to you don’t then turn around and say President Mugabe has bewitched me. President Mugabe thought all he wanted to do was to be a teacher but God had a bigger job for him.

14:24 – “That is why we respect you as the President because you tolerate everyone . . . God still wants President Mugabe to lead and he will tell us when he wants to step down.

14:25 – “You must be loved by all provinces not just one if you want to lead Zimbabwe . . .

The First Lady has also brought ice cream and yogurt worth more than $15 000 for the youths to enjoy

14:34 – President Mugabe is now preparing to take to the podium and Jah Prayzah’s “Mdara Achauya” is playing.

PRESIDENT MUGABE’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS

 14: 38 –President Mugabe is giving the keynote speech and starts with salutations

MIDLAND IS THE BEDROCK

14:40 – President Mugabe says such a gathering has shown the unity and love the people have for the party. He says Midlands has always been the bedrock of the party since the days of the late Vice President Muzenda

“This should be a lesson to other provinces as well as party leaders that the youth can be a leading light . . .

14:42 – “Be instep with each other, instep with the march so that you do not  lose the ethos of the party,” says President Mugabe

WITCHCRAFT IN THE PARTY? NO. 

14:44 – President Mugabe says there is no such thing as witches and wizards in the party . . .

14:47 – “They maybe opponents, yes, but not witches. The party has principles that must be followed and those that fail to follow the rules cannot be bewitched but must be disciplined within the party,

14:53 – He says some people sold out when was in jail during the liberation struggle . . . He narrates the events that happened at the Lancaster House negotiations.

“Musangano hausi wa leader, aiwa, musangano ndewe vanhu. The leader mutungamiri we musangano.

President Mugabe says in Zanu-PF there’s no dictatorship . . .”As a leader, you must be able to listen to what others say⁠⁠⁠ . . .

14:59 – When I asked someone in Zuma’s (SA President Jacob Zuma) administration why the whites still have so much power . .  he said “I ask your friend Mandela” as if Mandela was still alive . . . apparently Mandela negotiated with the whites by himself. Chaive chikuru kwaari yaive freedom yekubuda mujeri achikanganwa kuti zvikuru ndeizvo zvaakaendeserwa kujeri (Apparently Mandela viewed his release from jail as more important but forgetting about how he had been jailed in the first place).

COLONIALISM 

President Mugabe narrates how Rhodes colonised the country . . .

LAND FOR THE YOUTH

He says the need for land among the youth is something that will be deliberated in the Politburo

15:05– He says numbers of those without land should be handed over to Government and they can have access to farming land.

15:09 – “We need you, the youths, to have a sound ideology of the party. Youths should have knowledge of the history of the party, why we were put in detention, why we were put in keeps? . . .

” As for us we asked our parents about our history and they told us of the likes of Nehanda and Kaguvi and what they stood for . . .

MNANGAGWA, WITCHCRAFT AND ICE-CREAM

15:20 -“Kana tonzwa kuti kuri kubuda shoko rekuti ah kune varoyi vamwe vakadya ice cream, VaMnangagwa vozoti handina kumbodya ice cream . . .(Then we hear there are witches, and that others were poisoned through ice-crea, then Mnangagwa says he never ate ice-cream . . .

He says Cdes Sekeremayi and Parirenyatwa have been falsely  accused as having poisoned vice President Mnangagwa but blubbering mouths are a sin when they accuse others of witchcraft.

15:22 – He says Vice President Mnangagwa’s doctor came to explain what happened with the VP and they spoke for an hour. He says the doctor says there were no traits of poison in the Vice President’s blood. But what amazed us was how Mnangagwa  vomited and had diarrhea and there was swelling and they fought a battle to save him. They gave him about four drips in succession… “Anga akuenda murume uyu” (He was almost dying this man).

15:26 – Brain yake futi was getting affected asi akashingirira building up his strength and body  . . . he is now fit again, wasimba, he is back. The doctor said we will keep investigating to find out what may have caused the sickness, but it’s not food poisoning,” says President Mugabe

15:32 – He says, “mukandibikira sadza ne broccoli ndoti ndaguta  . . . hanzi ndoyava kufanirwa kudya mavegetables kunyanya broccoli iyoyo . . . nyama akanzi rega kubata, yemombe, yose nyama chero hove, hameno zvako, mudzimai wako ndiye achaona . . .akanzi (He has been advised to take sadza and broccoli, he has not been advised to take meat, including fish) he is now strong and back to normal,” he says to a bout of laughter from the gathering.

“So we are together again, let’s be together, no insults . . . I want to thank you as a province for coming together. Don’t get disunited. As I say all the time in remembrance of John Nkomo “peace begins with you, peace begins with all of us,” says President Mugabe as he ends his address.

15:43 – The youth league has given the first family a gift  as Cde Jason Machaya is now gives vote of thanks. He thanks President Mugabe for blessing the province and factionalism is now a folktale.

This brings to an end the proceedings here at Mkoba. Thank you for joining us. feel free to express your views in the conversation below.