Let’s keep together, says President

Source: Let’s keep together, says President | The Herald July 28, 2016

Tendai Mugabe and Felex Share—
President Mugabe says Zanu-PF will not change its top leadership based on unsubstantiated allegations, most of them sponsored by external forces seeking to cause divisions in the revolutionary party. He was addressing a solidarity meeting of war veterans at Zanu-PF Headquarters in Harare yesterday. He called for unity and dialogue wherever there were differences and contradictions.

The President’s remarks followed a suggestion by acting chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Cde Mandiitawepi Chimene that the Head of State and Government should replace one of his deputies, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The solidarity meeting came in the wake of a treasonous communiqué clandestinely issued to the media by a clique of war veterans denouncing President Mugabe’s leadership last week.

Cde Chimene alleged that Vice President Mnangagwa was fanning factionalism in the party by allegedly leading a faction in Zanu-PF called Team Lacoste. Instead, President Mugabe urged war veterans and party supporters not to rush to conclusions before gathering concrete evidence.

He said the freedom fighters should know that the enemy was tirelessly working through covert avenues to divide Zanu-PF.

“We shall keep together at the top,” said President Mugabe.

“We shall remain united. We know that accusations will continue to be made, allegations naturally, some true, some false but Zanu-PF knows how to settle its contradictions. Mukuona kwedu uku kumacomrades mese kwazvo kwazvo kuma war veterans tongorega kuti tisati taona chokwadi kuti haa uyu ndiye mukuru wazvo.

“Uyu ndiye ari kuita zvakati. Nguva iripo. Wonai zvinhu. Mova nekuchenjera kuti vavengi vanoda kuti divider pakati pedu vachisevenzesa mazita edu nenzira dzisiri idzo. Chokwadi chinobuda pachena asi toita maziso dwanana, nzeve dzinoteerera muchiona chokwadi chacho.”

Added President Mugabe: “During the liberation struggle we learnt a lot from China during Mao’s time on how they would solve internal differences. The Chinese sit down and discuss with squabbling parties, giving their ideas. Those ideas that conform to the party ideology will be taken on board. That is how contradictions were settled in China. That is how we were settling them also in our camps outside the country. Let us not fight each other. We do not want war. We don’t want violence.”

President Mugabe said it was the duty of the party leadership to denounce those fomenting divisions. “If accused, it is also up to us to tell the people that the accusations are false,” he said.

“You give them the correct position and keep them informed nekuti unongoramba uchingonzi nevanhu ndiwe, ndiwe. Zvino tinenge tisingade kuitwa divided. That is what we don’t want. I don’t like it. We want to keep together but it is our duty to denounce this together, to denounce these developments together outrightly and not to hesitate so the people continue to have total confidence in us.”

As the party started preparations for 2018 elections, President Mugabe said unity at all levels of the party was crucial. “So let’s keep together and help us also with your unity at the base,” he said. “The unity of Zanu-PF in the provinces and I want to thank the provincial chairpersons who are here. Your unity is crucial because that is the basis of the whole party.

“We can’t talk of a united party when the provinces are not united. We can’t talk also of a united party when the wings of the party – the Youth League, the Women’s League – when these are not united. So the unity of the party is crucial and I am glad that so far, we have maintained that unity and I hope that we shall maintain it until 2018.”

Commenting on the treasonous communiqué, President Mugabe said those behind it would be punished ruthlessly.

“Isuwo takasarudza vakuru muparty kuti vaongorere kuti chitsamba ichochi chakambobva nekupi. Vatipe ruzivo rwevakanyora tsamba yacho nevakazoipembedza vachiendesa kunzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana, kuti tavaziva, musangano uchazovaranga and marangiro emusangano anenge akaoma,” said President Mugabe.

“Tichiri kuhondo takaita vapanduki. Vakange vakawanda pamastages akasiyna siyana. Vairangwa zvakaoma. Vamwe taivacherera pasi pedzimba dzataicherera pasi kuti vagare vari pasi tichivapa sadza vari pasi vada ivo kuti vapidigure musangano.

“Takange tisingavauraye kwete. Vaigara pasi ipapo. Takange tatochera kuita dzimba dzepasi. Sadza taivapa hongu, kuti vararame. Vakazobuda hurumende nemaBritish tabvumirana kuti rusununguko rwochiuya kuZimbabwe 1980. Ndopatakazobvisa mapango acho tichiti chibudai zvino. Saka vange vari pasi sembeva apa.”

President Mugabe said Zanu-PF was a strong party with a long history that could not be destroyed through a piece of paper christened as a communiqué by rogue elements. He reminded detractors that his power derived from the people.

He thanked war veterans and other members of the party for showing him their unconditional support.