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President Mugabe, who left for Zambia yesterday, bids farewell to his deputies — Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko — while Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and his Information, Media and Broadcasting Services counterpart Professor Jonathan Moyo look on at Harare International Airport. —(Picture by Justin Mutenda)

Morris Mkwate in LUSAKA, Zambia—
PRESIDENT Mugabe says he will not throw all his hard work down the drain by allowing former Vice President Joice Mujuru to ascend to the helm of Zanu-PF and Government via undemocratic means. He also says the revolutionary party is still strong, despite undergoing structural realignment at its 6th National People’s Congress, which he described as “the biggest and most democratic”.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by a community of Zimbabweans living here, the President said Dr Mujuru had become “overambitious” to the point of trying to push him out and install herself in his stead.

He told the Diasporans, who took advantage of his scheduled appearance at the inauguration of Zambia’s presidential by-election winner to organise the dinner, that self-veneration was morally wrong.

The President joked that his opponents should be wary as his fist will weigh 91 tonnes once he turns 91-years-old on February 21.

“Mai Mujuru was not satisfied. She thought as we went to elections on July 31 (2013), that victory was for President Mugabe to go and her to (come in).

“Ko, basa . . .ndagara ndichirara na2am; 3am. Ndorara (na3am) kuti Mai Mujuru vatore? No! When it comes to that; you want to destroy the party, we stand firm. We stood firm against sanctions and we say yes – thanks to help from our Eastern friends – and we say this can never destroy us. The sanctions. . .it doesn’t matter. As long as we have that revolutionary purposefulness we stand firm,” he said.

He went on: “We had a Congress and we are glad some came to support it. It was produced by those who put their minds together, including VaMutasa (former Zanu-PF secretary for Administration). He was in my office, the President’s Office – also working on intelligence and security.

“And we were working together; the funding for the huge Congress. We raised the money from companies. The people were prepared, but alas, others had their own views. It was a people’s Congress, but also structurally we had to rebuild ourselves”.

“. . .Yes, building capacity but not building personalities that think the party is there to serve them. That is not what the party has been established for. What we want are people who say I am there to serve the party. It does not matter what position (one lands). That is what we have always known. Now it is, ‘Ndapihwei?

“Of course, that leads to people to be overambitious. The mind of a person who is overambitious will contrive all means to get there. If the democratic means do not do it, then undemocratic means. . . This is the issue we are fighting.”

Regarding agriculture, President Mugabe said preliminary indications were Zimbabwe’s grain output will improve this season.

He said though torrential rains led to flooding in parts of the country, late-planted maize showed signs of better yields.

He urged Zimbabweans to maintain hope and aspire to accelerated development.

Further, Cde Mugabe advocated investment while calling attention to empowerment of indigenous Zimbabweans.

Zimbabwe Residents’ Association chair Mrs Elizabeth Karonga – whose committee organised the dinner – said the association was working to channel investment back home.

She also said: “Every year, on the anniversary of our independence, Zimbabweans across Zambia converge to observe this important day. We intend to honour fallen heroes of the liberation struggle who died here by refurbishing their shrines.