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Midlands Correspondent
GOVERNMENT will prioritise provision of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in time for the summer farming season as part of the Zanu-PF-led Government’s post-election priorities, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

Speaking during his victory celebrations in Mvuma on Sunday, Minister Mnangagwa said the Government would soon distribute agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers as Zanu-PF’s partial fulfilment of promises made during election campaign.

Cde Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF has been preparing for the forthcoming summer farming season.
“Of late, we have seen the delay in the distribution of agricultural inputs by Government where in some cases it would be distributed way after the summer farming season. This was because MDC-T had misplaced priorities during the time of the inclusive Government. In some instances they would deliberately delay availing funds to acquire agricultural inputs.

“One of our priorities is to make agricultural inputs available on time ahead of the summer farming season,” he said.
Cde Mnangagwa said Government had secured funding to acquire agricultural inputs for early distribution to smallholder farmers.

He also reiterated that citizens should benefit from their own resources as well as embracing empowerment programmes such as the land reform, indigenisation and empowerment programmes.

“We would want to revive Athens Mine here in Mvuma so that local people would benefit from it in a shareholding capacity. We have seen a group of foreigners coming to siphon resources from our country. They have exhausted our resources yet we have not benefited from them,” he said.

Cde Mnangagwa said the disgruntled MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was now down and out and would not hamper any people-centred initiative by Zanu-PF.

“VeMDC-T takavarova vakati feretu feretu kupera. (MDC-T is now finished after losing dismally in the harmonised elections). We are now focused on delivering what we promised to the people and honour our commitments as articulated in our party manifesto. We will not be distracted by noises made by toothless and harmless dogs,” he said.

Cde Mnangagwa also expressed gratitude to the people of Zimbabwe for showing confidence in the revolutionary party.
“I want to thank all of you who voted for President Mugabe, Zanu-PF Members of Parliament and councillors.

“You have shown your confidence in us as a party. We are a party with a rich history and tried and tested leaders,” he said.