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Sydney Kawadza in Kariba
Zimbabwe should bury its past, move forward and focus on creating a bright future for all, President Mnangagwa has said.
Addressing party supporters at Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba yesterday, President Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF does not live in the past.

“Isu hatirarami in the past. Zanu-PF ndiyo yoga inoparidza kuwirirana. Igotaura nyaya yekuti toenda sei mberi. Isu hatirarame in the past, the past is gone. The past is dead,” he said.

“If there is anything we can learn from the past we will but we say the past is gone. We must live for the future. We must prepare for the future. We want a better future than we lived in the past.

“This is our motto, this is the direction we will take as Zanu-PF. Ngatibatanei, ngatiwiriranei. Tirikuenda mberi kwese kwatirikuenda takaenda kuAU tikaenda ku AU summit kwese kwatirikuenda tirikutsigirwa. They wish better lives. They wish you to be united,” he said.

He said Zimbabwe was saluted by the whole of Africa for peacefully managing a transition that could have turned catastrophic.

“I thank you all. I thank our people at home, our people in the urban areas that you managed a transition that could easily have exploded into a huge disastrous conflict but it was a transition with the blessings of the Almighty, with the blessings of our ancestors,” he said.

“And we should say let us remain united. Let us love each other. Let us move forward and I plead with all political parties to commit themselves to non-violence. As a result of that I have said our elections are going to be free, transparent and credible because we are united.”

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had no reason to bar foreign election observers as the polls would be transparent.

“We know that some people come to Zimbabwe with fixed minds just because they have been spoiled by some renegade people with adverse agendas against their mother country.

“That should not bar us from being correct. We are correct in ourselves to make sure we embrace the international community. We are correct when we keep our friends like China. We are also correct when we take on board new friendships across the globe,” said the President.

“We are correct when we say we must again be part of the international community and the mantra that Zimbabwe is open for business.”

President Mnangwagwa said the country had handled foreign direct investments and commitments worth over US$7 billion from the day he was sworn in last November.

“Pagore kumashure uku taiwana $400m kana $500m foreign direct investments coming into the country. Kana tichiti foreign direct investment tinenge tichibvira mari inouya muno munyika ichikiriyeta upfumi.

“Asi iko zvino tirimumwedzi wechina tava kutonga mu new dispensation iriko ikozvino. We have now exceeded US$7 billion in terms of commitments and investments into the country,” he said.

President Mnangagwa arrived in the country yesterday morning from Cote d’Ivoire where he attended an Africa CEOs Forum of 1 600 business executives and investors from across the globe.

He immediately flew to Kariba for the commissioning of Kariba South Hydropower Station Extension project.

“I arrived this morning (yesterday) from Cote d’Ivoire where I was accompanied by various men and women from industry and commerce. We met representatives of several European and US banks and the corporate sector.

“Tarondendedzera kuti Zimbabwe yakanaka sei, nezuro madekwana tichivhara, takakwanisa kuwana vakatsidzira, who committed themselves tikawana US$1,5 billion irikuuya kuno kuZimbabwe,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said he had planned a meeting with all political leaders in Zimbabwe but there are too many.

“Taifunga kuti tine maviri kana matatu asi takandobvunza last week kune wekuZEC zvikanzi tine mabato 108 mapato muno. Ndofunga mamwe ndibaba nemudzimai nevana.

“Ndofunga ndozvazviri saka ndakapostpona kuvaona ndichiona nemarongero atichaita tichatsvaga nzvimbo yakati kurei ndichikwanisa kuonana navo. Asi izvozvo hazvikushungurudzii kuti kuna mapato akawanda. It shows that we are democratic. Zimbabwe is democratic.

“Vese vane havi yekufoma tumabato twavo fomai. Tigonyatsokurakashai. Kurakasha muna July. Muzive kuti Zanu-PF inorakasha, igorakasha ichingorakasha ichingotonga.”

He said Zimbabwe had a successful agricultural season last year and no one should starve.

“Hakuna mhuri inoti tashaya chikafu. Uye tine kuronga kwekuti kana mvura isina kunaya tine programme . . . Mai Muchinguri vane programme yekuti madhamhu arimuno munyika, we have 10 000 dams in the country ose madhamhu iwawo awane irrigation.”

He said Zimbabwe can put 350 000ha under irrigation to produce more than 2,5 million tonnes of food with a consumption need of 1,5 million tonnes while the rest would be strategic reserves.

“Mvura ikanaya patinoguta kana ikasanaya tinenge tichingoguta. Kuronga kwaZanu-PF kuona kuti mhuri yawana kurarama. Toronga kuti hupenyu hwevanhu hwungasimuka sei kumakirinika, kuzvikoro nekumabasa,” he said.