Steer clear of politics, President tells military President Mugabe, who is also zanu-pf President and First Secretary and Women’s League Secretary First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrive for the organ’s National Assembly meeting in Harare yesterday
President Mugabe, who is also zanu-pf President and First Secretary and Women’s League Secretary First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrive for the organ’s National Assembly meeting in Harare yesterday

President Mugabe, who is also zanu-pf President and First Secretary and Women’s League Secretary First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrive for the organ’s National Assembly meeting in Harare yesterday

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter—
President Mugabe has said the military has no right to interfere in politics and should air its views according to the dictates of the country’s Constitution.

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In his address to the Zanu-PF Women’s League National Assembly meeting at the ruling party’s headquarters in Harare yesterday, the President — who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces — said politics leads the gun, not the other way round.

He slammed those urging him to step down, saying his mandate derived from the people. “The people are the ones who have chosen me. Ko mamanoeuvres aya anozoitwa nerweseri and organisations twese tumwe even of young people vatakange tinavo kuhondo kuti vaswere kunditsoropodza mupaper? It is not vanaMutsvangwa per se.

“Mutsvangwa takavatambira paChimoio vachibva pauniversity paya nevamwe vakomana vari four tikavati welcome ndivo nhasi vaakuti aah President ngavabve, zvinorwadza, but they are not alone. They are being sent.

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“The military vese have no right you know, to be interfering with the political processes. Theirs is to support. They can give their own views within the Constitution and according to also the principle that politics shall always lead the gun and not the gun politics. Iyoyo inenge yava coup iyo. The gun should not lead politics, but politics the gun that is the principle,” he said.

The President castigated leaders calling on him to step down and advised them that the mandate to lead derives from the people. He said he never imposed himself on leadership positions since the time of the liberation struggle, but was chosen by the people.

“Zvino chiona zvimwe zvirikuitika zvichibva ikoko kuvakuru vari ikoko kuti aah President ngaachibva. Ngaachibva kuchipinda ani? Ndiani akatarirwa kuti ndiye anosungirwa kupinda. Isu hatina kumbotarirwa kuti ndiwe uchazopinda. Haisi nhaka. Achazopinda ndiyeye anenge asarudzwa nevanhu. Kwete anenge azvisarudza kuti ini ndinoda kupindawo.

“Macandidates yes when the time comes vanokwanisa kuti neniwo ndinodawo kumboitawo candidate. Kwete kuti ndini next no! It does not matter who you are. It is not within the principles of the party. It is disgraceful for one to say I am the one now the President must go. You are the one by what virtue and principle. Kungozvirova dundundu kuti I am the one now. Aiwa hatidi, hatidi,” he said.

President Mugabe urged party cadres to accept leaders chosen by the people and urged them to follow party procedures if they had any grievance against them. He warned power hungry individuals against fomenting chaos in provinces by conducting unsanctioned meetings to remove elected leaders.

President Mugabe took a swipe at some elements in Zanu PF’s Harare province for attempting to remove Cde Charles Tawengwa as chairman. “But also when the people want certain so and so to take a position apa nepapa let us accept the choice that has been made by the people ndozvasarudzwa nevanhu izvi kumaprovinces kuti uyu ave chairman uyu ave secretary, let us accept that. But kana wouya zvino ikoko nezvimeeting zvinenge zvaitwa nevamwe nerweseri zvonzi aah let us have a vote of confidence.

“I know a vote of confidence yakaitwa pass pana chairman ngana aah wavamutorododo zvino yoitwa echoed everywhere vote of no confidence, vote of no confidence. Kwete zvinonyadzisa. Let the province truly say aah chairman taona nezviito zvako zvakadai zvichionekawo hazvina kutanga saka party yedu yakagara pasi ikamuudza kuti wanga uchikanganisa saka taka pasa vote of no confidence saka tiri kukupirai imi kupolitburo ehe ndezvechokwadi zvivi zvake ndezvizvi nezvizvi. Kwete iyi yekungoti hatidi apa akazotaura zvakati hatidi,” President Mugabe said.

He said provincial structures had no authority to pass votes of no confidence in Politburo members as they were his appointees. The President urged party structures to bring forward any misgivings they might have against Politburo members to the leadership of the party.

“The province cannot pass a vote of no confidence kumunhu akasarudzwa nesu ari mupolitburo vakuru vepolitburo vakasarudzwa kaava and vane zvigaro zvakati vanokanganisawo huyai nezvavakanganisa kwatiri zvivi zvavo tinozvitora and isu kupolitburo ndisu togara pasi tiri disciplinary committee kuti kwaiti zvichemo zvakati zvakati iwe unoti chii.

“Kwete kuti disciplinary yogara pasi kuti tirikuita vote of no confidence on (Cde Christopher) VaMushohwe or on any member of Politburo no you cannot do that hazvisirizvo zvinosungirwa kuitwa its wrong procedure.

Kwete kuti tiri kuti imi you should accept zvitadzo zvinobva kumusoro aiwa zvichemo huyai nazvo kumusoro kwedu,” he said. Meanwhile, the President castigated some officials who are undermining provincial ministers that he appointed to represent him.

“This back door business must stop. Ndoirikutiuraya iyoyo back door and failure to recognise marules e organisation yedu. Let us be disciplined. Kushaya discipline ikoko. Ndakasarudza, semawonere atakaitawo ndakasarudza maresident ministers kuno Mai (Miriam) Chikukwa, Kwa Mutare kuna Mai (Mandi) Chimene, KuMidlands kuna va (Jaison) Machaya va (Martin) Dinha KuMash Central. Ndiri kungotaura ivo vana chete asi ivava vaonesawa nhamo vanondiudza havadiwi nevamwe. ‘Uri ani uri pachigaro ichi? Ndini ndainge ndakaiswa apa.’ Ko varegei vaite basa iroro,” he said.

President Mugabe urged people to be patient as they might also be considered for leadership posts in future and warned those that try to belittle other people’s contributions during the liberation struggle. He cited the insults that had been directed at Cde Chimene and warned that there was no one without his or her past misdemeanours.

“Mangwana iwe uri kudaro dzimwe nguva ndiwe uchaiswa ipapo. KwaMutare Mai Chimene nevamwe vongobvarurana hapana kubatana. But apo pane mudzimai ane nharowo futi akaendawo kuhondozve asi anongotukwa achinzi kuhondo ikoko hapana chawakaita waingozvara vana chete. Zvino tobva tasvika ipapo? Tikada kutaurirana zvivi zvaiitika kuhondo tikazviti bvuu ende ini ndinonatsozviziva hapana angasare kubva kumusoro kudakara zasi. Varume nemadzimai vese ndinoziva ndine book razvo umu asi book racho ndakavhara nderangu ndoga ringauraye musangano wedu, ringauraye musangano,” he said.

President Mugabe also took a dig at people in the Midlands Province that were fighting Cde Machaya as part of their factional agenda to attain power.

“VaMachaya vanongobvumbiswawo vanondiudza asi mazuvano varikuti zvakanyarara vanoti varikumusoro ndovanova varikuvashusha vekumusoro vanoda kupa zvigaro vachiti vozovhoterwa mangwana nevaye vanenge vapa zvigaro vanoti ava ndivo vavopa vari muhomwe vakagara vaorganizwa kare kuti imi ndimi masupporters edu saka uyu haasi mugroup redu. Haasi mugroup redu kusupporter mukuru ari kumusoro watinotsigira. Musangano haungafambi nemutowo iwoyo,” he said.

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