President Robert Mugabe has claimed that he has used his time in office to fend off attempts by Western countries to destroy Zanu PF and the ideals the party stands for, and if he is to retire he will do so “properly”.
The 92-year-old Zanu PF leader was speaking at a meeting with war collaborators, ex-detainees, ex-restrictees, widows of fallen heroes, non-combatant cadres and war victims affiliated to Zanu-PF in Harare yesterday.
“Kana ndichikanganisa mondiudza (kuti) ndakanganisa, I will go,” he said. “We are in a critical time yeregime change.
“Kuti tikuturwe nemabhunu vachiti we want to change the Government of Zimbabwe, yatakarwira kudaro tese tikaita ziya, dikita, tikayambuka manzizi? Haaaa, ndakati aiwa.
“The British, Americans vakabatana . . . but I think we have defeated them. Saka change inouyaka zvakanaka. If I have to retire, let me retire properly; vanhu vogarawo pasi zvakanaka, kwete zvekuenderana kun’anga zvanga zvichiita mai ava (Joice Mujuru) vatisiya ava vachiita Zimbabwe (People) First. Ah, zvinenge zvisina kunaka.”
Mugabe said he was aware of the G40 and Lacoste factions that were angling to succeed him within his deeply divided Zanu PF party.
“Ngatiumbeyi musangano wedu zvakanaka . . . Zvino zvirikuitwa nevakuru hapana asingazvizive. Ko, makazvipa mazita ekuti G40, vana locust, Lacoste? Ah, ruzhinji rwevanhu havambozvibata izvozvo. ngatitererei gwara, gwara, gwara.
“Corruption iriko, nekuparty. Kuparty hameno vanhu varikufana varonga succession, hanzi kamudhara ikaka kachafa rinhiko? Kari kuramba kufa. Kakachera kupiko? Ko ndinofirei? Ndinofireyi kana Mwari asati ada kuti chiuya. Ko ndiri kutadza here nhai vakomana?”
Mugabe took a swipe Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa and his executives at the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association for allegedly misleading war vets, and reminded former freedom fighters that “politics leads the gun”.
He said Ambassador Mutsvangwa, who was expelled from Cabinet and Zanu-PF, deserved his punishment for being an unremorseful rogue.
“Tese ngative negwara rimwe chete. Hatidi vanozotsautsa … sezvakaita hama dzedu dzeku ma war veterans; tinoranga ka,” said the President.
“Kana wakambopihwa warning, wozoramba uchirova dundundu uchiti party ngaitoiti zvandinoda; ndozvinoita izvozvo mu war veteran? Wakabva kupi iwe? Hauna kubva muchizvara che Zanu ne Zapu.
“Mainzi politics leads the gun; unotevera here vatungamiriri vemusungano? Ah, no. Oda kumira uchiti tsvanyara, tafungaidzwa, even being insulted. Mati mazvinzwa zvinobva kumoromo wemunhu akafundiswa muZanu-PF izvozvo? Uri kurunyiwa nani? Nana Blair? Ah tinongoti hameno zvapinda matiri. Isusu tinongoramba takabatana, vanonzwisisa.”
President Mugabe said he would continue to reach out to war veterans and other non-military cadres who contributed to the liberation struggle.
“We are men of the people. I am a man of the people, mainterests enyu ndiwaya. Ava vakomana ava, you see nokuti ndovandaive navo kuhondo ndinongoramba ndakati navo. Vamwe vachiti have ritaye here?
“Tinoziva kwatiri kuendaka vakomana. Tinosungirwa kuona kuti musangano wedu wakamira kuti twii nokuti shure uku hakuna mawar veterans akawanda akubva nekudefence, kana ari kubva nekupolice, kana ari kubva nekucivil service. Ava mashoma.”
President Mugabe said Government was committed to improving the welfare of war veterans and others who contributed to the Second Chimurenga, with authorities working on a cocktail of measures to cater for their needs.
“Asi zvichemo zvenyu zvikuru tichati tobatsirana. Tichada kuti tione nevatungamiriri kuti hapana here zvatingaite,” he said. “Tinokwanisa, definitely, to get a mine, even two mines dzatinoita kuita set aside … gold is quicker and also highly valued. Tinokwanisa definitely to get a mine or even two mines.
“VekuSouth Africa vanoda kuti pamusoro apa vazoita joint venture partnership kuplatinum.
‘‘That is also good, party to party. Ndoozve zvimwe zvatingaite. Imi pachenyuwo takanga tichida kuona kuti chii chamuri kuita.”
Mugabe pledged to meet the Widows of Fallen Heroes this week to discuss their welfare and other issues.
“Mawidows, vazhinji havasati vakurisa, but all the same vari entitled kuti vachengeterwe mari and ivo pachavo vapihwewo maallowances,” he said.
“Shirikadzi dzandareva idzi tichasangana nadzo ipo pasvondo riri kuuya iri, but toronga nekuona kuti chii chavakapihwa, chii chavasina kupihwa; ndevapi vane maprofessions, vakanyanyo funda maningi; ndezvipi zvavangakwanisa kuita.”
President Mugabe said as an ex-detainee himself, he sympathised with Zilwaco members, and called on the Finance Ministry to ensure their children’s school fees were paid.
The meeting was attended by Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, and Cabinet Ministers Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, Dr Ignatius Chombo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Miriam Chikukwa.
Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga; Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant-Gen Phillip Valerio Sibanda; Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri; Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner-General Rtd Major-Gen Paradzai Zimondi; Police Deputy Comm-Gen Levi Sibanda, CIO director general Happyton Bonyongwe and senior Government officials also attended the meeting.
