via Zimbabwe Vice President: Govt Economic Blueprint Flawed by Thomas Chiripasi 09.01.2014 VOAZimbabwe
Acting President Joice Mujuru says the country’s new economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET), is flawed.
Officiating at the burial of national hero Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Harold Chirenda at the national shrine on Thursday, Vice President Mujuru became the first senior government official to admit that the country’s new economic blueprint is not up to standard.
Mujuru said the nation’s five-year strategic document doesn’t incorporate several key issues that affect the lives of some Zimbabweans, especially the youth.
The Zanu PF administration launched ZIMASSET late last year saying it was in line with its 2013 election manifesto. The party went on to win the July 31 national elections despite allegations of massive vote-rigging by the Movement for Democratic Change led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Despite her criticism of the economic blueprint, Vice President Mujuru said the new administration will work flat out to ensure that Zanu PF’s election promises are fulfilled within the next five years.
Turning to the deceased, she said Retired Lieutenant Chirenda, who died on the first of January in Bulawayo, was a committed cadre who worked tirelessly for the liberation of Zimbabwe and ensured majority Zimbabweans received pieces of land under the country’s fast track agrarian reforms.
Chirinda died after an undisclosed long illness.
Family representative Jokoniah Chirenda told mourners that his brother was a family unifier, adding the void he has left would be difficult to fill.
Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Chirenda was born on August 1, 1944, and became politically active in 1964 when he crossed the border to Zambia where he joined ZAPU and was recruited into the special affairs section of the party’s military wing.
In his pre-independence life, he was involved in several military operations and survived a landline blast that took the life of veteran nationalist and military commander Nikita Mangena in 1978.
After independence in 1980, Chirenda held several military portfolios before he was posted to the Zimbabwe High Commission in Botswana as a military attaché between 1990 and 1994. He then resigned from the army in 1995.
Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Chirenda is survived by his wife Florence, nine children and 18 grandchildren.
COMMENTS
And what other battles did he fight is the question?
Non Phibion. He was given the hero’s status just to show Dumiso Dabengwa that it is loyalty to Mugabe that matters and not what one did to liberate Zimbabwe. Even the story about him being with Nikita Mangena could be false. We are told by the Zanupf press today that so and so was in the Zipra High Command while the person was never in that structure. The youth of the country are the ones to shape the destiny of this country by rejecting lies and primitive politics of patronage that culminate in a dictatorship.
@Phibion and Bazur, stupid comments what other battles for what , the main battle was the chimurenga war which was well achieved and that was enough , was there any battle in Zimbabwe after the chimurenga war which war apart from the stupid guguraundu act so you wanted him to part of that stupid act , you wanted him to go to Mozambique and fight against Reinamo , answer me you lost two boys , what other battles were you expecting , he played a party to liberate Zimbabwe thats alland he is a hero , go to hell boys or keep your dirty pipes closed , don’t polute the good atmosphere .
Mujuru our honest and brave president to be , has speeled the beans , this is the truth that we need from our leaders , if things are not going well let the public know and have their say as a way forward , Govmt economic blueprint is not up to the standard , i respect this from Mujuru she can lead Zimbabwe by telling the truth , viva Mujuru viva , did she say anything about my party MDC T , a big no , so what else do the Zimbabweans want , Mujuru have got the signs of quality leadership , Mujuru is always right Mugabe is always wrong .
To Khaya…so you mean everyone who fought the Chimurenga should be laid on the National shrine..
I wont partake in this exchange of which war blaaaa…. blaaa. But just to say the words BATTLE and WAR mean completely different things. One is usually a part of the other.
in this article its clear the battle is all about the chimurenga war , file your degree and go fishing , trying to be clever , are you in England ???, stay there we are fine this side without your contribution
Anti – UK? Good luck then, with the Chinese & the US $ …
Pathetic how some poor fellow in Zimbabwe boast to someone staying in England!