The Sunday News
Nduduzo Tshuma and Stanford Chiwanga in Victoria Falls
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday castigated arrogance by some Zanu-PF members whom he said want to use their war veteran or intellectual status as a basis to justify their misplaced legitimacy above others in the party.
Speaking at the closing of the 15th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference, President Mugabe said everyone made contributions during the war of liberation and in as much as war verterans’ sacrifices were acknowledged, it doesn’t put them ahead of other members.
“This thing of saying I went to war you didn’t go to war, nonsense! We should not hear that at all from anyone. (Vice-Presidents Phelekezela) Mphoko and (Emmerson) Mnangagwa went to war, but I have never heard them saying that these ones didn’t go to war, we went to war. They know it’s a record they bear, everybody will know, but once you brag about it, we will ask did you go alone and even go further and ask what you did during the war,” said President Mugabe.
He said after the war, former freedom fighters were distributed into different sectors some of them into the party to strengthen it at different levels.
“Where they showed a kind of apartness and rudeness, the people asked what this is. In some provinces they feared to choose them as candidates for Parliament. Where they contested they lost to ordinary persons. Why? They should always recognise that they are the same as other people,” said President Mugabe.
“They have distinguished themselves, yes through their sacrifice to fight, but they are not the only ones, even the ordinary people back home made sacrifices. They were arrested, sent to prison, even in some cases killed. We don’t know where some of our relatives are today, they vanished. All those were forms of the struggle, it was not a gun that won the war. It was a combination of various fights, some political, some even economic and of course the gun being the main form. So I would want to honour the majority of people.”
President Mugabe singled out Cde Joseph Chinotimba whom he described as a practical and down to earth war veteran who had to leave his education for war but the people still voted him into Parliament.
“I know some commanders, high ranking ones who lost. In Masvingo no one won. I don’t know what they were doing, the likes of (the late Josiah) Tungamirai didn’t win and yet he was the commander of the Air Force. It’s not just some war veterans who are capable of the kind of arrogance and pride I am talking about. We also have others who have intellectual arrogance.
They say we can’t chant party slogans, no. I got my PHD, I am a lecturer and professor at the university and no I can’t. That’s our people,” said President Mugabe.
He reiterated his denunciation of factionalism, tribalism, nepotism and corruption that he did at the opening of the conference on Friday.
“We cannot succeed when the party, say in the grassroots, we are pulling in different directions, you think just of a branch, where people are at loggerheads, the chairman and vice-chairman are at cross purposes, others, the treasurer doesn’t bring money back, he squanders some and so on and you are at cross purposes with each other.
“That branch lacks harmony, lacks unity, lacks discipline, lacks direction, it can never stand. But once they give up all and do away with all those evils, they will find themselves back, chairman and vice-chairman in harmony, agreeing, working together, the chairman briefing his deputy and his deputy also recognising that he is junior to the chairman,” said President Mugabe.
“It does not hurt nor diminish your integrity to recognise that someone who is above you is senior to you and deserves your respect because tomorrow you will also be senior or even then you will also be senior to others under you, so you will expect those others to respect you, but of course if you have that expectation, you yourself must first practice it.
“Respect your seniors and have that harmony. But those at the top must not be braggers, brag and say yes ndini ndirikutonga. The chairman says I am in charge here, do you hear me? I am the one with all the power here. If I want to remove you from the party I can remove you from the party. We don’t know where such a chairman got the right to behave like that. No, we will tell you to stop it.
“No, things don’t go that way. Respect even your juniors because if you don’t do it they will also disrespect you. Respect the mandate so they can respect you and work in harmony. Don’t be unnecessarily rude and harsh, listen even to a person who would have committed an offence, just listen to them.
“But if a person has also committed an offence he should not get away with it and say I cannot be disciplined, I cannot be suspended. You can be removed, listen to what others are saying. Listen to what the others are saying, this is the people’s party, it’s not your party. And your insolence and impudence will make things worse for you. Sit down and you will naturally be able to say ah you are accusing me of doing this, no, I didn’t do it or yes, I did it but I might have made a mistake, I apologise. That is the way.”
President Mugabe added, “In the party we should be accommodating, don’t look down upon the people, on the members if you are the leader. No, they will resent it and I will help them resent you. Well, we say those things, but the majority of the people are not like that.”
President Mugabe said the conference that was running on the theme, “Consolidating People’s Power Through Zim Asset,” was one of the most successful meetings in the history of the party. He said ahead of the conference there were so many expectations with some elements pontificating that there would be fights in the party yet some thought officials would be removed from positions.
However, President Mugabe said all those elements were proven to be dreaming as delegates at the conference instead put their heads together on finding strategies on developing people’s lives through Zim Asset.
“We are all agreed that the National People’s Conference has provided us with an opportunity to renew and reinvigorate our commitment. Perhaps we were hesitant in our belief that our party will stand on both legs, but now we will go back with full commitment, full confidence and increased loyalty, I would like to believe, greater dedication to work for the party,” he said.
The President urged delegates to take back the party’s deliberations to the grassroots urging unity among membership.
“You are a product of this conference and you should be a good product, carry home, to your province the message of this conference and it’s a message that we are united, Zanu-PF is surging forward, grown in strength and in its commitment and dedication that Zim Asset must succeed,” said President Mugabe.
“Carry home the message of unity, the message of oneness, the message of harmony, the message of unknown tribal party, a national party, a oneness therefore of our people because they are all Zimbabweans, sure culturally they would want their time to continue and we urge it so but nationally, No, there is the prevalence over the tribe of the nation.”
President Mugabe said after the conference, members emerged rich in ideas, ideological zest and recommitment to the cause of the party.
“I say to you, you came on a mission, with a mission, go back and say to the people, we are back, the mission has been accomplished, the mission has been accomplished by us all and not just by one, not just by leadership but the totality of all of us,” he said.
President Mugabe said the ministers’ reports presented at the opening of the conference on Friday were an indication of an economy on the steady road to recovery.
“I think when you heard the number of companies which are back on their feet, you were surprised, I was actually surprised because I didn’t know that some of the companies especially in Bulawayo had revived or survived the hard times. We heard for example that the Cold Storage Company (CSC) is once again on its feet but now we want the Cold Storage entities in Bulawayo, Harare, Marondera Chinhoyi and Masvingo to come back to life,” he said.
President Mugabe revealed that they had discussed CSC on the need to revive it and make its better than it was before.
He said companies like Bata Company were back on their feet with 1 000 workers and United Refineries in Bulawayo is operating at 100 percent capacity utilisation.
He said the country was experiencing wonders in the small to medium scale enterprises with some locals now producing vodka.
President Mugabe paid tribute to Matabeleland North province for the successful hosting of the conference saying the structure took the task faithfully and proudly.
He made special mention to the party’s Secretary for Finance Dr Obert Mpofu whom he said worked tirelessly in securing funds for the conference even joking that he was surprised how the minister managed to maintain his weight. He said Dr Mpofu worked well with the Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo to raise funds and didn’t go back to the party asking for special funds but actually raised surplus.
