‘Unity Accord’ struck in Harare The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe unites warring zanu-pf Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi (right) and provincial youth chairman Cde Godwin Gomwe at a rally in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)
The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe unites warring zanu-pf Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi (right) and provincial youth chairman Cde Godwin Gomwe at a rally in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)

The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe unites warring zanu-pf Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi (right) and provincial youth chairman Cde Godwin Gomwe at a rally in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)

Farirai Machivenyika and Felex Share
The First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe yesterday said a “mini Unity Accord” had been struck in Harare as she brought Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi and the province’s Youth League chairperson Godwin Gomwe together before thousands of party supporters who packed the City Sports Centre to the rafters.

She publicly forgave Harare South legislator Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe for statements he allegedly made saying the First Lady must find a political home in Mashonaland West, President Mugabe’s home province.

Cde Mashayamombe reportedly told President Mugabe’s nephew Cde Patrick Zhuwawo that there was no Central Committee position for Amai Mugabe in Harare and they had to create one for her in Mashonaland West.

Amai Mugabe, who was on the third leg of her “Meet the People Tour’’ blasted factionalism in the revolutionary party saying it was being promoted in the top echelons of the party as she urged members to work towards fulfilling promises made during last year’s harmonised elections.

Soon after taking to the podium, the First Lady told thousands of people gathered at the City Sports Centre for the rally that the day would be historic in the politics of Zanu-PF, before unexpectedly calling Cdes Midzi and Gomwe to the stage.

She said she had sought God’s guidance on how to deal with differences in the party.

“Ndakakumbira wisdom kubva kuneMusiki, ndiye anotipa wisdom,” she said. “Ndakati Mwari VaMidzi ndibaba, Mwari Gomwe mwana saka kurwisana uku kunopedzwa nani? “Ndinoda wisdom kubva kwamuri, ibato rimwe chete. Ndambotaura kuti hapana munhu asingatadze, zvamunondiona ndiri pano kudai I am not a perfect person. Ndine zvakawanda zvandinotaura zvakashata, ndine maitiro andinogona kuita akashata. Saka handidi kuzviona semunhu ari pamusoro kupfuura umwe munhu wese.

“Ndabvuma kuti I am a human being, I err sometimes, ko ivava havasi vanhu here? Kana vari vanhu chii chingaitwe kuti vanhu vabatanidzwe vashande zvakanaka? (I asked for wisdom from God. I am not perfect and I admit that I sometimes go wrong, but I asked for guidance on what can be done for people to work together)

“Ndavaisa pamwechete ndikataurirana navo ndikati I prayed about this yesterday Mwari akanditaurira kuti munofanira kubatanidza baba nemwana kuti vaenderere mberi neHarare. Ndaona hukuru hwaMwari ndikaona wisdom kubva kunavaMidzi ndikaona wisdom kubva kumwana.

“Mwana apfugama kunababa kuti ndine hurombo kana zvandakatadza zvese, zvandakataura ndichiona nemaziso angu ndanga ndisiri ndega saka ndavasimudza kuti vauye vachibatana maoko. (I brought them together and Gomwe apologised and I am now inviting them to join hands),” Amai Mugabe said.

She warned that Zanu-PF members who continued to associate themselves with factions that they risked being left behind.

“This is our own mini Unity Accord yedu tega, mai Mugabe, naMidzi naGomwe kaUnity Accord kataita foster,” she said. “We forged Unity Accord iyoyi iyi yochiuya kwamuri ikoko tipanane rudo tienderere mberi.

“If among the crowd, if there is anyone anga achiti ndinoda Gomwe, if there is anyone anga achiti ndinoda nhingi watosara wega watosara tatotanga a new leaf here in Harare. Vanhu ava pamberi pangu nevamwe vataura kuti Amai zvamaita tiri kuzvikudza tinoda kushanda tese kuitira musangano wedu weZanu-PF.(These people have agreed to work together for the party).”

First Lady also called Cde Mashayamombe and public forgave him for his alleged misdemeanors.

She said as a mother she had found it necessary to forgive Cde Mashayamombe after he had shown remorse for his actions.

“Saka ndakamira kudai ndinoda kusimudza (Shadreck) Mashayamombe, where are you? Mashayamombe ndiri mai vako, baba Mugabe ndibaba vako,” said Amai Mugabe.

“Kana paine zvinotaurika unokanganisa asi uri mwana. Ndakusimudza kuti nditi urimunhu wenyama kana zvakataurika kana zvisina, ini ndakusimudza kuti nditi ndinokuregerera, uri mwana wangu. Ndati from today on Harare the capital city of Zimbabwe will never be the same.

“Saka Mashayamombe uri mwana wangu ndinokuda, basa ngatiitei pamwe chete. Hanzi action speaks louder than words. Akanga achishingaira, achiita zvaanoita, ndikaona kuDanhiko kwauyiwa netwu sugar kuti mai vaone kuti handisi kuda kukanganisa mai.

“Ini ndikati mwana wangu zvaari kushingaira kudai ini handifanire kuramba ndakati shutu, ndinofanira kuopenner moyo wangu ndoti mwana wangu ngatienderere mberi nebasa zvakaitika tosiya kumashure (I am your mother and President Mugabe is your father and you are a human being whether or not you said anything, I have forgiven you),” Amai Mugabe said to a rapturous applause from the crowd.

Cdes Midzi, Gomwe and Mashayamombe welcomed Amai Mugabe’s unifying speech, saying they would work together for the development of the party in the province.

“I never expected this from Amai, but knowing that she is our mother I took the message with all my heart with a view to develop the party,” said Cde Midzi.

“I applaud the First Lady for taking a mature way and we expect the province to receive her message of unity. That is what we expect from the mother of the nation.”

Said Cde Gomwe: “She has tackled the issue without taking any side and I receive that message wholeheartedly. If my chairman has received the message the way I did, I tell you we will pull in one direction, developing the party.”

Cde Mashayamombe said he did not expect the First Lady to play such a “motherly role.”

“This is what is expected from the mother and she has shown that unity is the way to go and we will forever be grateful for such unifying words.” he said.

Amai Mugabe said the focus of every Zanu-PF member should be on improving the livelihoods of Zimbabweans, instead of jostling for positions.
She said there was a lot of work to be done to improve service delivery as envisaged by the Zim-Asset economic blueprint.

“Hatingangove party iri good at making promises, we must fulfil those promises,” she said. “We went to elections telling people that we will do one, two, three, let us do that. That is what will make people say here is a party that we will support. Other than that, it would be difficult in the next election.”
Amai Mugabe spoke against the demolitions of houses being carried out by MDC-T led councils in Harare and Chitungwiza.

While the First Lady warned people against allocating themselves housing stands, she said demolitions should be done when affected people have been offered alternative accommodation.

Amai Mugabe also said Government was concerned with the plight of women, especially affording them opportunities to be self-sufficient and called for the establishment of a special fund to finance their activities.

The First Lady bemoaned the decline in the standards of cleanliness in the capital, saying this was portraying a bad image of the country.

She said some diseases like Typhoid which had been eradicated a long time ago were resurfacing because of the poor hygienic standards in the city.

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