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1555: Proceedings have come to an end here in Chinhoyi and that concludes our updates. Thank you for joining us.

1553: VP Chiwenga has just announced that chiefs will be getting solar geysers donated by the President.

1550: President Mnangagwa has ended his address.

1544: “We are going to win through the ballot and we want our people to warmly receive election observers. Victory is certain and we are only waiting for the celebrations. Together we will rebuild our nation, a new prosperous Zimbabwe for our people,”

1541: “Land barons have been warned. We now have a preliminary report and we now know the names of land barons and we will soon expose them.
We have foreign election observers in the country and we are saying to our people we want a free and fair election. No to violence. We have opened up the democratic space. Everyone has space on national television ZBC,”

1538: “While others are planning demonstrations, Zanu-PF is planning development. Our flag shall fly and Zimbabwe shall remain Zimbabwe. Vanorota havarambidzwe,” he says in apparent reference to reports that MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa wants to change the name of the country if elected into office.

1534: Turning to opposition parties, His Excellency says small political parties making noise in the press will have their judgment day on July 30. He says when opposition parties provoke Zanu-PF, supporters should prepare a meal for them and let them proceed with their journey.

1533: “We also launched Empower Bank for the youths. Gone are the days when youths go to school and look for employment. They must be enterprising and start their own projects,”

1531: “We want to ensure that no segment of society is left behind and recently we opened the Women’s Empowerment Bank. History shows that women are honest and repay their loans.”

1530: “We are determined that in three years we should have excess electricity. This should see even rural areas without getting power,”

1524: Enthusiastic cheers as the President explains Command Livestock terms and prospects.

1518: “China set aside our debt and gave us money for Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion. We are already distributing inputs before the rains come to make sure we are on time to support our people,”

1515: “We now see more mines reopening and global capital is flowing to Zimbabwe because they know their investment is safe. Let us be receptive to our investors. We also want domestic investment but it is very limited so we open our hands to outside capital,”

1512: “For us to prosper we should leverage on what every province has for development in that region. Mashonaland West has everything in place for development. We are talking about devolution so that provinces fail on their own,” says President Mnangagwa to wild cheers from the crowd.

1508: “We need to support the farmers to make sure that under the Command Agriculture Programme the country is food self-sufficient with support from the private sector. We need to leapfrog and catch up with countries in the region and the rest of the developing world. We need to engage and re-engage. We are talking about mutual relationships. Zimbabwe is open for business with old and new friends. We are happy that Zimbabwe is being accepted across the board,”

1505: “MaG40 achaita sembeu yakakandwa muminzwa, vacharamba vachingobaiwa isu veZanu-PF tichingotonga. We are saying more economics and less politics,”

1459: “For us to prosper, we need peace. We asked the captains of industry to understand what they need to be done to ensure that they operate to their capacity. We then met institutions of higher learning,”

He alludes to the 1966 Chinhoyi Battle where Seven gallant fighters fired the first shots of the 2nd Chimurenga. He said Mash West is the cradle of the revolution and the people should be proud

1457: “I say to the people of Zimbabwe, God loves you. The Voice of the People is the Voice of God. That saw us meeting the clergy,”

1454: “From November, after the G40 Cabal was deposed, the Zanu-PF Central Committee and the people demanded the return of the ‘Border Jumper'(President Mnangagwa). Our first port of call was to meet traditional leaders to apprise them on developments that saw me leading the party,”

1450: “Let’s unite to create a Zimbabwe we want. Where everyone will live in peace. This is a new dawn. Some have eyes but they do not see, others have ears but cannot hear that we are in a new Zimbabwe,”

1448: “Anopa masimba nemupiwa mukuru ndiani? To members of Zanu-PF, you should know that Zanu-PF is a mass party. Leaders should know that they should respect the members. Doing so guarantees your prolonged stay in leadership,”

1447: “We cannot have people who want to take Zanu-PF as their personal property like Delilah in times past. The huge crowd here is the power behind Zanu-PF,”

1446: “That is behind us. We are for peace and respect not for the denigration of anyone. We are going to build a new Zimbabwe brick by brick,”

1443: “It’s my first time coming after the debacle of vitriol at the last meeting at the same grounds,”

1442: President Mnangagwa expresses his happiness with the people of Mashonaland West for coming in their large numbers.

1438: The President takes to the podium and dances to Jah Prayzah’s “Kutonga Kwaro” amid wild cheers from the crowd. He proceeds to chant that party slogan and salutes those gathered at the event.

1430: He announces that Cde Ryan Cheney, who lost in the primary elections for Chinhoyi Constituency House of Assembly, has decided to withdraw and support the winning candidate Engineer Last Sauramba. Cde Cheney had filed nomination papers as an independent candidate.

1426: VP Chiwenga calls all winning and losing candidates in the party’s primaries to the front to formally present them to the President

1423: “We will not forget what happened in November 2017 but we have put it behind us,”

1417: “In 1977 he became special assistant to the then President. He was also an advisor to the party as a lawyer with the assistance of the late Cde Edson Zvobgo. President Mnangagwa helped in the integration of the Rhodesian and liberation forces as the chairman of the High Command,”

1415: He explains that Crocodile (Ngwena) is not President Mnangagwa’s totem but was derived from his involvement in the Crocodile Gang which carried out acts of sabotage but his actual totem is Shumba Murambwi.

1412: “His Excellency was arrested at Michael Mawema’s house for blowing up a train in then Fort Victoria now Masvingo. He went for military training when he was less than 21 years of age. In jail, he was taken to Salisbury prison where he met former President Mugabe,”

1404: “President Mnangagwa became secretary for the youth league of Zambia’s UNIP in 1961. The late Willie Dzawanda Musarurwa invited him to join ZAPU in 1962,”

1359: VP Chiwenga recounts the President’s history leading to his ascendency to the current position.

“The President grew up herding cattle and goats like any other child of his time,”

1356: National commissar, Cde Rugeje, has asked VP Chiwenga to take to the podium and introduce the President.

1348: “We promise to ensure the President and the party win resoundingly in the forthcoming elections,”

1344: Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi takes to the stage to welcome the President.

“Zimbabweans are happy that as President, you are preaching peace. Thanks to the President for ensuring that the Presidential Inputs Scheme has come earlier than before,”

1337: The National Anthem is now being played.

1331: In attendance are Politburo members Cdes Prisca Mupfumira, Cde Christopher Mutsvagwa, Douglas Mombeshora, Engelbert Rugeje, Edna Madzongwe, Omega Hungwe, Josiah Hungwe and Munyaradzi Machacha.

1329: Other senior party officials have arrived and have taken their position in the main VIP tent.

1318: President Mnangagwa has arrived to wild cheers. He is accompanied by VP Chiwenga and provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi.

1230: The Zanu-PF provincial leadership is expecting at least 40 000 supporters here. Provincial political commissar Cde Simon Mambo Solomon says they are expecting supporters from all the seven districts in Mashonaland West. The leadership has also arranged transport for the supporters. They are actually worried that the venue is small for the people expected.

1225: We are at Chinhoyi University of Technology where President Mnangagwa is set to address Zanu-PF supporters this afternoon.