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zanu-pf supporters welcome the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe at AmaZulu Sports Club in Bulawayo with a banner showing their support for her yesterday.— (Picture by Elias Saushoma)

Nduduzo Tshuma Bulawayo Bureau—
The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe yesterday slammed inept ministers, saying time had come for only those meriting their ministerial posts to stay in Government. President Mugabe, she said, was “very tolerant” and patient, but she warned that the demands of meeting Zanu-PF’s electoral promises required servant leadership, yet some in Cabinet were not ready to sacrifice.

“Baba is very tolerant, I’m talking from an informed position,” she told a rally at AmaZulu Sports Club in Bulawayo.
“All these people, I know who’s good at their job and who’s not. I know it, but when we meet them we say, ‘hello minister, how’re you?’ We respect them.

“At times, I say Baba, the forgiveness is too much. We want people to be in positions on merit, people who will work for us.”
She said some ministers were riding on the President’s back, content to have “made it” by getting the ministerial posts.
“Baba Mugabe works, get me right. People are used to riding on Baba Mugabe’s back as work is done for them while they sit.

“There are those that you think that if a ministry is changed and handed to such a person, it will die,” she said, speaking on the eighth leg of her tour of the country’s 10 provinces following her nomination to lead the Zanu-PF Women’s League.

Amai Mugabe, who takes her tour to Mashonaland Central today before concluding in Mashonaland East on Friday, said people were tired of being lied to, but President Mugabe was a selfless leader who did not just consider his home area of Zvimba.

She said although her home province is Mashonaland East and is married in Mashonaland West, she had built an orphanage in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central.
Cde Mugabe also said President Mugabe should deal with troublesome senior leaders within the party.

“Baba should look at each and every person who is a nuisance in the party, who divide the party. They should be removed and go. They can be back-benchers, but they should not be given roles to play because people have gone too far,” she said.

“They’re told today to stop what they’re doing, and tomorrow they do the same thing again. As I speak, there is a person who spent the night giving youths money. That’s wrong! You must stop it! You hear? You hear? In the dead of the night! You should stop it!” she said.

“As it is, you are busy following Amai because you’re fleeing troubles back at home. When you’re following me, you must behave and not embarass me. Doing the business of buying youths, if you buy these few, how about the rest waiting for you back home? What will you do to them? That must end; we don’t want to hear it.

“If you’re not going to take heed of my advice, you will be finished, uchaerera (you will go down). You will find it waiting for you, we’ll have put stumps in our ears and not listening to you when people turn against you.”

A group of rowdy youths had to be escorted out of the venue yesterday for unbecoming behaviour. The same youths were making noise during the First Lady’s address in Lupane.
Cde Mugabe also castigated two unnamed senior party officials w+hom she said had party regalia made in China for resale in the country.

“There’re two senior people who went to China and made regalia and started selling to people. We don’t have any regalia for sale, if you bought that regalia, go and claim your money back. Because you’re in a position you take advantage of people. A man and a wife abusing their positions,” she said.

Cde Mugabe said President Mugabe had raised money to buy regalia which was distributed for free.
She said the unnamed pair, “an elderly couple with no shame”, was making hats with the President’s signature and selling them.

She castigated officials who joined Zanu-PF with an intention to make money through the party, saying the revolutionary movement was formed to unite people.
“Zanu-PF as you know has no money, at times when we do programmes like these, we’re supported by businessmen. You heard (Cde Philip) Chiyangwa saying some were claiming that Government money was being used,” said Cde Mugabe.

“There’s no government money that is being used here, even (Finance Minister Patrick) Chinamasa doesn’t know that there is money coming here. There’re the likes of Chiyangwa and other business people who are saying this is our mother, if we get to a place there is need for accommodation and other things. They’re the ones pooling resources together so that we’ve a successful meeting.

“People just want us to fight, including some within our party. Most of them, they steal, they sell party things and sellout to be given money by Americans. They should stop now because we didn’t form the party with money on the table but because we want to unite people.”

The rally was attended by Zanu-pf Politburo members Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, Professor Jonathan Moyo, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Cde Obert Mpofu, Cde Patrick Zhuwawo and Cde Joshua Malinga.

Ousted Mashonaland West provincial chairman Temba Mliswa and Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Cde Supa Mandiwanzira were also in attendance.