The Sunday News
Online Editor Stanford Chiwanga
Updates Zimpapers Elections Team
Thanks for joining us. We are done for today.
14:26 –“As a student of socialism and communism I have never felt so good in a revolution…at one point I wanted to quit politics but with your exemplary leadership I will continue serving you. Let’s give President Mnangagwa his vote to take us through the next five years giving him a full term because with this one he just finishing off a term,”
14:20 – VP Mohadi now giving the closing remarks…
“Your Excellency all the time you take to the podium I learn a lot of issues. Main of this is the clarity of mind. This is usually housed in somebody who wants to meticulously deliver a certain message to the people. President you are a wonder I will always cherish hence I am very proud to be part of this New Dispensation.”
13:56 – The President concludes his speech.
13:55 – “Immediately after elections, the cash issue will be the challenge we should resolve. We want ethics. We need to entrench a culture of respect, the young respecting the elders. Families are the first port of call were that culture must develop. Children must respect their parents and students must respect their teachers,”
13:52 –“On cash availability, when the ZimDollar collapsed in 2008 and we adopted a basket of currencies both the USD and Rand were at 40 percent each in terms of usage but USD became more dominant and we have no control over the USD so we now have to find a way to create our own currency.”
13:50 – “There are land barons feeding off our people, we have instituted an inquiry for this in urban and rural areas and Harare is terrible. The report I got showed me their addresses, cellphone numbers and how much they have stolen. So the day of Armageddon is coming. It’s not Harare only but all over. We now have a modern, well-planned programme that will show how we will build as some areas need high rise buildings,”
13:40 – “I am disappointed by urban councils. Roads are poor, service delivery is poor. I hear the Bulawayo City Council has cut water supply to this place (White City Stadium). What nonsense is that? The power of the council comes from the people. You are the people who voted for them but they deny you water. I say take them out! Take them out!”
13:38 – “In education I have set down with institutions of higher learning to say we must now start producing products that fit into the industrialisation projects of this country. We have many inventions that are going to waste. We need to invest in them. Students also need accommodation. We have found investors to construct hostels for our students, these are not plans, we are already doing it.”
13:35 – “With regard to Health this morning we have Ekusileni which has been standing still for over 15 years. I promise you today that on the 15 of July it will become functioning, the investors will be on site to fit in all the equipment that is required.”
13:30 – “I now want to address Bulawayo. I know there is an issue of devolution of power that has to be looked at. We must be able to distinguish between decentralisation and devolution of power. Devolution of power is contained in the Constitution. We have an organ which is called the provincial councils which devolves power to the provinces. Currently our provincial ministers were political but now it has changed. Provincial ministers are now focusing on the economy. The Provincial minister should now ensure that the GDP of that province grows.
“Then again we have CSC. We have secured a foreign investor who is channeling US$100 million to revive CSC. To support the CSC yesterday we handed over 1660 livestock to livestock farmers in Matabeleland South Province. That is empowering our youths and women. We also have Command Fisheries, those with ponds you can talk to Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri to give you fish to breed.”
13:20 – “In terms of infrastructure we are working on dualisation of Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road. With regard to NRZ, we have begun the process of refurbishing and modernising our railway line and have secured $400 million for this project. It takes time to manufacture these wagons but we have already made the necessary orders. On Thursday we conclude the modernisation of the Beitbridge border post.
“We are also working on implementing the one stop border post with Zambia and Botswana at Kazungula Border Post. As we intend to industrialise we must have energy so that in that regard we concluded Kariba South rehabilitation which added 300 megawatts to the national grid. We need more electricity. We are also developing Batoka Gorge.”
13:12 – “We must create wealth and ensure that in 12 years we will be a middle income country. To do so we need to have enablers. What must we do to achieve this goal? We can divide our economy in to agriculture, mining, tourism, ICT and manufacturing.
“We have social services, education and health. We need service delivery to our people in rural and urban areas. For all our challenges we must have specific programs to deal with them. We were given US$100 million by China to fund small scale mining projects. We must no longer call them amakorokoza but small scale miners.
“We need decent jobs, empowerment and free ourselves from poverty and fight corruption. We must create wealth and make sure that we become a middle income population.”
13:05 – “This gathering is Zanu-PF gathering so I say let us go win the elections so we continue to lead because we are leaders. We need to win the election. For the first time in history we have invited worldwide observers. We have opened the gates. Zimbabweans show your maturity and warmth to the visitors that are coming.
“This party is bigger than any individual. We don’t need any violence at all; we need an untainted thunderous victory. We have invited over 46 countries to observe our elections. Let’s show them that we are politically mature and peaceful.”
13:02 – “I then met war vets who were responsible for liberating this country. They all agreed that we need peace and unity for stability. Recently I met all the children in Harare under the umbrella of the child parliament. The last group is our students across the board. I also visited our peers in the SADC to tell them that there is change in Zimbabwe.
“Fortunately there was also Davos, where all leaders of the first world converge to discuss nothing but wealth. So I said the voice of Zimbabwe must be heard in this forum where the biggest voices of wealth gathered and the voice of Zimbabwe dominated.
“We then went to AU in Ethiopia where we told them that there is change in Zimbabwe. In our foreign policy we are seeing what is key is to engage and reengage. In domestic issues let’s focus in the Zimbabwe we want.”
12:55 – “Upon my inauguration I made a promise that my job is to put economic issues ahead of political issues. We agreed that Zimbabwe is open for business. But before I explain what we mean by this mantra it is important to accept a few facts of life. This region has produced icons and revolutionaries. I will mention just a few of them, Father Zimbabwe, former VP Joshua Nkomo, JZ Moyo, General Alfred Nikita Mangena, General Lookout Masuku and many others. So we must continue to remember that many people sacrificed their lives for this country.
“When we said Zimbabwe is open for business we sat and thought where we start. The first we did was to meet all the traditional chiefs in our country. This is so because the chiefs own the land where they govern and each one of us can trace who our chief is. The second step is we met the churches noting that there is a God above.
“And these two groups agreed that peace and unity is necessary in the country. Having done this it was now necessary to address wealth matters. That is why I then called all captains of commerce and industry. We told them that we need to create wealth.”
12:42 – “When I called Mugabe he said is this Emmerson I said yes, he then asked where I was and I was like old man you forgot that you fired me. I am in South Africa. He said no no I didn’t fire you, he even offered me residence in his house but I told him that the people surrounding him wanted me dead.”
12:38 – “Before I address you today, I want to remind you what happened on 4 November last year. You all remember what happened. I had no hand in the booing of the former First Lady however I was accused of sponsoring the booing. Those events created subsequent events that brought in the New Dispensation.
“After being insulted I thanked the former First Lady for insulting me. The former President then told me that I will be fired the following day and it happened like that. You all know what happened till 18 November. When I escaped to South Africa I called the former President in the middle of the nation’s protests.
“It touched my heart that everyone participated in the demonstrations including political parties, religious bodies and civic organisations.”
12:33 – President Mnangagwa now addressing…
“I want to thank the man of God who prayed today. It was the most fascinating and peculiar prayer I have ever heard.”
12:30 – As the President takes to the podium he leads the high table and the stadium in dancing to what has become his trademark song from Jah Prayzah, Kutonga kwaro.
12:20 – VP Chiwenga calls the winners and losers of primary elections to the stand to meet the presidium.
12:18 – “After independence President Mnangagwa was appointed to be chairman of the Joint High Command to lead the integration of the three armies. He did this successfully, which is historical as it has never happened anywhere else in the world. He is a very patriotic and disciplined cadre. He was insulted during interface rallies but he did not react. Over the years he has held various portfolios in government since independence up to becoming the Vice President. In all this he proved to be a trusted and obedient cadre who listened to his superior.
“People chose President Mnangagwa to lead after Mr Mugabe resigned. He is here to tell you where we are going and how we will go there. It all started here in Bulawayo where people then reacted, taking to the streets which eventually culminated in him becoming the President. He is the man who is our Joshua who has been chosen to lead his children to Canaan. This is the man I am proud to be introducing today.”
12:10 – “His family relocated to Zambia in 1955. President Mnangagwa continued with his education, but he did not complete due to the Nationalist movement which was being experienced in Africa. He joined the then Dr Kenneth Kaunda led UNIP. He was incarcerated at Gray prison and Khami. People did not know if he was coloured or black when he was released because he was not exposed to sunlight.
“He did his first border jumping in 1964 when he crossed from Zambia to Zimbabwe to be part of the Zanu congress where Ndabaningi Sithole was elected as president of the party. Due to his political activities in the liberation struggle he was sentenced to death after he bombed a train but due to his age this was commuted. During his incarceration he was tortured until his ear was damaged up to this day.”
11:58 – VP Chiwenga takes to the podium…
I am here to introduce a visitor who will be driving the Zanu-PF train in the upcoming elections. He is our President and First Secretary. I introduce to you a man who will surely be still the President after 30 July. He was born in Midlands in 1942. His family was already politically active, which is where he had his first encounter on the Nationalist movement.
11:45 – The President and his two deputies, Cde Kembo Mohadi and Cde Constantino Chiwenga have arrived at the stadium to a resounding welcome from the multitudes gathered here.
Preamble
We are at White City Stadium in Bulawayo where President Emmerson Mnangagwa will address a Zanu-PF Star Rally that has attracted thousands of people from the city and beyond.
The President first toured the specialist hospital, Ekusileni, which has been a white elephant for years. The health institution, the brainchild of the late Father Zimbabwe, Dr Joshua Nkomo, was closed a few months after opening in 2001 because its equipment was obsolete.
