The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube in Siabuwa, Binga
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe will remain a unitary State and no amount of effort from the country’s detractors or those calling for a separate State will divide the country.
Addressing multitudes of Zanu-PF supporters who attended the party’s star rally at Siabuwa Business Centre in Binga yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the Second Republic was apologising to locals as since independence, there has never been a visit by a State President to Siabuwa district.
He charmed the crowd as he spoke largely in the local Tonga language while also switching to IsiNdebele, Shona and English.
Binga has been in the hands of opposition MDC since 2000 and the ruling party now seeks to reclaim Binga North constituency which fell vacant when then MDC-T’s Prince Dubeko Sibanda was recalled by his party. Yesterday, the party introduced Cde Kudakwashe Mavula Munsaka who is the party’s Binga North candidate, and Tsholotsho South candidate Cde Musa Ncube as well as Cdes Tonderai Mutasa, Bekithemba Mlotshwa, and Bongani Ndlovu for local government seats in Victoria Falls and Bubi respectively in the by-elections set for Saturday. President Mnangagwa said as a listening President, his administration has heard the plea of Binga as presented by chiefs when they met Zanu- PF Vice-President Cde Kembo Mohadi recently.
“You have heard me saying Zimbabwe is one. The Government of Zimbabwe is one. If you ask spirit mediums in any part of the country or ask God, you will be told that Zimbabwe is ruled by Zanu-PF. We are a unitary State and those who want to divide or separate the country should be exorcised of the spirit of Legion. We want Zanu-PF leaders here to unite. If you fail or refuse to be united I will come and fix that. No-one has Zanu-PF in his pocket but Zanu-PF has everyone in its pocket. Peace, peace, harmony, harmony. We learnt from the opposition that soon after elections this country will be filled by whites. No. Each country is built and led by its people. Zanu-PF went to war and we made a promise to leave a legacy for our people.”
He said the Second Republic will attend to all issues affecting Binga.
“From today we have agreed with my team that we will regularly come here. Two weeks ago I sent my Deputy Cde Kembo Mohadi to come and speak to chiefs. We want to fix all your concerns and we will sit with you and see to it that we fix all your issues. I am happy to come here today after you invited me to meet with you people of Siabuwa. Today the Government of this country which rules Zimbabwe is here in Chief Siabuwa’s area. Zimbabwe got independent in 1980 and for many years, more than 30 years, under President Mugabe we didn’t get many times to come here.
“I want you to forgive us but from today things have changed. I want to say the truth that for the past 20 years Binga you were not voting for Zanu-PF. It’s not your fault but Zanu-PF’s fault. Henceforth, all of us, as we walk through this journey, I want us to unite and move together. In this development agenda, let’s all contribute to our development,” said President Mnangagwa in the Tonga language.
He said the Second Republic had committed itself to develop the country through devolution which was allocated $42.5 billion with Matabeleland North receiving $3.2 billion. He said Binga will get a vocational training school, a nurse training school, four Zupco buses, road infrastructure improvement, water infrastructure and solar projects. The Government through the District Development Fund is rehabilitating roads and solar powered boreholes at each of the 17 chiefs’ homesteads.
He said the Deka Pipeline Project he commissioned on Friday, 5MW solar power plant in Cross Mabale and Lake Gwayi-Shangani projects as well as the Lupane Provincial Hospital are some of the projects that are meant to uplift people’s livelihoods and improve the economy. The Lake Gwayi-Shangani project is the vital component of the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project which was initiated in 1912, but is coming to reality with the construction of the Lake set to be finished this year, after the Second Republic poured resources into the project. The project is viewed as the solution to perennial water problems in Bulawayo and the pipeline will also create a green belt from Matabeleland North province.
“These projects will bring respect to chiefs and if a Chief chooses to leave all this and go to darkness in the opposition, will that be a proper Chief? If you want schools, hospitals and roads to be made for you only Zanu-PF can do that,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa said he will order Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cde Kazembe Kazembe to deploy officers to each of the Binga chiefs’ areas to register scores of youths who do not have National Identity documents. The President warned Non Governmental Organisations that meddle in politics to stop it or leave the country. He said the Government had acceded to an appeal for a Local Board status to Binga Rural District Council and ordered Local Government and Public Works Minister, Cde July Moyo to facilitate the upgrade.
President Mnangagwa said sanctions imposed on the country by Western countries were hurting ordinary citizens but had not deterred Zimbabwe from growing its economy using local resources with mining on course to become a US$12 billion industry next year. He said Zimbabwe was enemy to none, as its foreign policy is around friendship. Zimbabwe will continue fostering bilateral agreements, he added. President Mnangagwa said the Government now awards contracts to local companies to support local industries. He said the Government will also construct a decent border facility in Binga.
“In my concluding remarks, I am pleased that the party is growing in Matabeleland North and we must continue to live in harmony and peace,” said President Mnangagwa.
In attendance were Vice-President General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga, Cde Mohadi, the party’s Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu, National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha, Government Ministers, other senior Zanu-PF party officials, traditional leaders and several other leaders drawn from a cross section of society.-@ncubeleon
