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Zimpapers Online gives you LIVE UPDATES from Mataga where First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe is addressing a rally for the Midlands province.

LIVE FEEDS: SIMISO MLEVU

EDITING AND UPDATES: HAPPINESS CHIKWANHA

Amai Mugabe is on a countrywide tour of irrigation and empowerment projects. She has so far visited Matabeleland North, Manicaland, Mashonaland  Central and Harare Provinces.

During her tours, Amai Mugabe is handing over tractors and other farming implements to cooperatives.

ENDS

14:45 – Amai Mugabe joins the crowd on the dance floor!

14:42 – The crowd takes to the dance flow with the song Mhururu kuMatenga.

14:40 – First Lady concludes her address and dedicates the song, Jehovah Mwari Munogona, to the people of Midlands province.

14:40 – She has also donated 16 suits to Chiefs and 16 bicycles to Chiefs messengers.

14:38 – Amai Mugabe has also donated 10000 liters of diesel⁠⁠⁠⁠.

14:37 – National Political Commissar, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere has donated 40 computers to Midlands province

14:36 – Her first born son has also donated hampers to the people of Midlands province

14:34–  She has also donated 8000 liters of cooking oil,  2016 bars of soap and 336 tablets of bath soap. First Lady’s brother has also added a tonnes of maize.

14: 30 – She  also hands over 4 tractors, 2 disc harrows, two planters, 10 knapsack sprayers to Mataga irrigation scheme.

14:27 – FOOD DONATIONS:- Amai Mugabe donates 350 tonnes of maize and 130 tonnes of rice.

14:25 – Amai Mugabe also pays her condolences to the people of Midlands following the tragedy caused by violent winds and rain.

14:25 – She has called on Zimbabweans not to take for granted the peace they are enjoying

14:23 – BABY DUMPING – First Lady bemoans moral decadency which has led to increased cases of baby dumping.

14:21– Sandawana Emerald mine, she says will create jobs for the locals.

14: 19 – Amai Mugabe calls on VP Mnangagwa to ensure that Sandawana Emerald mine is reopened.

14:17 – She says VP Mnangagwa is hardworking man who is there to assist President Mugabe in his duties.

14: 10 – She warns people to avoid seeing specs in other people’s eyes yet they have logs in their own eyes

14:05 – Amai says there are people who pitting her against VP Mnangagwa. She says Zanu PF respects its constitution and there is no way she can usurp VP’s powers.

14:00 – However, these tractors will be paid for on collection by beneficiaries

13:59 – MORE TRACTORS: Amai Mugabe says there are tractors which will be coming from Belarus which shall be given to commercial farmers

13: 58 – She also warns those not fully utilizing their farms that they will be repossessed and given to those who are serious about farming.

13:54 – Amai Mugabe also explains to the people that tractors and other farming implements that she is handing over are not for free: “People have to pay for these things.”

13:52 – The Food Security and Nutrition cluster, Amai says caters for the general livelihood of the masses. As such, the government saw it prudent to capacitate irrigation projects in order to avert starvation in the country.

13:50 – She stresses the importance of Food Security and Nutrition cluster of ZimAsset.

13:49 – ZIMASSET: – Amai Mugabe is explaining the economic blue print to party supporters.

13:47 – ON FACTIONALISM: She heaps praise on the people of Midlands for defeating factionalism.

13: 45 – Amai Mugabe is encouraging people to avoid cutting trees unnecessarily.

13:44 – CLIMATE CHANGE: Amai Mugabe now touches on climate change and the effects of industrialization.

13:42 – She says at some point some white man offered her $10 million in an effort to buy her into influencing President Mugabe into abandoning the land reform program.

13:41 – She says, “let me tell you one thing, I hear Rugare Gumbo is moving around offering people money. Money is not everything.”

13:39 – First Lady warns people not to work with the MDCs (Zimbabwe’s opposition parties) saying Morgan Tsvangirai’s party and its successive splinter formations were formed with the help of bitter whites who had been forced out of farms which they had forcibly grabbed from native blacks earlier.

13:37 – She says it has to be stressed on people that Zimbabwe’s independence did not come on a silver platter.

13:35 – She is narrating the experiences of liberation icons who include President Mugabe and Vice Presidents Mphoko and Mnangagwa.

13:34 – First Lady says President Mugabe has undying love for Zimbabweans as shown by his decision to dedicate his life to serving the people.

13:30 – She says from what history taught her, Gumbo has always been a traitor.

13:28 – Amai Mugabe warns the people of Mberengwa to be wary of people like Rugare Gumbo who are going around trying to recruit people to join People

First.

13:24 – “Let us not forget our heroes and what they fought for. It is not by coincidence that every year we celebrate the sacrifices made by our heroes.

We do this in order to teach our children the importance and value of our independence. We need to teach our children proper history of our

country,” says Amai Mugabe.

13:19 – Amai Mugabe says on her way here, she noticed that villages are sparsely populated and she was wondering how people would make it to the rally.

13:14 – Amai Mugabe is now addressing the crowd and thanks everyone for coming to meet her.

13:12 – VP Mphoko has invited Amai Mugabe to the podium to address party supporters.

13: 08 – According to VP Mphoko tribalists are fundamentalists and such people have no place in today’s society as they are bent on creating divisions.

13:05 – VP Mphoko also calls on Zimbabweans to shun tribalism adding that it is the basis for corruption.

13: 04 – This follows an incident where Midlands Acting Chair pronounced the VP’s surname as ‘Mboko’.

13: 01 – Vice President Mphoko takes to the podium. But first, he makes a point of correction to those who pronounce his surname as ‘Mboko’. ‘Mboko’, says the Vice President, Shona speaking people knows it is a dehumanizing term.

12:58 – Cde Machaya says in a proper family setup, problems are reported to mothers who then take matters up with the father of the house.

12:54 – Cde Machaya says now that Amai Mugabe has visited the province, it means all their worries would be addressed.

12:53 – Minister of State for Provincial Affairs (Midlands province), Cde Jason Machaya welcomes Amai Mugabe to the province.

12:45 – Other ministers here present are Cdes Chris Mushowe, Sithembiso Nyoni and Dr Joram Gumbo.

12: 20 – Zanu PF Midlands Acting Provincial Chairman, Cde Kizito Chivamba takes to the podium to introduce delegates attending the rally.

12: 15 – The rally is about to start. Now, party leaders and supporters are singing the national anthem.

12:11 – The briefing is over and Amai Mugabe is now moving around greeting party supporters clenching the trademark Zanu PF fist of freedom.

11:25 – First Lady is now at the venue. She is accompanied by Vice President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa

Network hiccups affecting updates – but stay logged in as we will try to be on top of the situation.

11:18 – Sports and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane has also arrived.

11:16 – Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Tapuwa Matangaidze and Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Annastacia ndlovu are here at Mataga for the rally.

11:08 – Amai Mugabe has arrived in Mberengwa and she is expected to go into a briefing with Zanu-PF Midlands provincial executives.

11:04 – Zanu-PF supporters who braved the scorching sun are dancing to the song ‘Unconquerable’

10:09 – Thousands of party supporters are gathered at Mataga Growth Point, Mberengwa for First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe’s Midlands rally.

10:50 – Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has arrived at Mataga Growth Point for the rally.