Maravi

(HERALD) Shun factionalism: President

Shun factionalism: President
Herald Reporter

President Mugabe has decried reports of factionalism in Zanu-PF, saying the divisions were not only a threat to the party’s survival as a political entity, but had the potential to reverse the gains of the country’s hard-won independence.

Addressing the Fifth Zanu-PF National Women’s League Conference in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe, who is also the party’s President and First Secretary, commended the women for not taking part in the ruinous divisions.

"Handisati ndambonzwa kuti pane madzimai anotungamira mafactions, akawanda acho anotungamirwa nevarume. MuHarare tinonzwa kuti kune mafactions ana (Cde Amos) Midzi, imwe inonzi ndeya (Cde Hubert) Nyanhongo.

"Taimbonzwa kuti kuMasvingo kwaiva nefaction yava (the late Cde Eddison) Zvobgo, imwe yavaimbova yaGovernor va (Cde Josiah) Hungwe, kuMashonaland West ndizvozvo.

"Asi madzimai anongonzi atevere. You may have senior people in your provinces, you must respect them, but the senior members should never have their preferences when you choose your leaders.

"Leaders should be magnanimous, they should have loads of magnanimity within the leadership.

"You condemn this (factionalism) then you would have done well for the party. The party belongs to you, you belong to the party.

"Let us rid the party of these practices. Asi dzimwe nguva haisi mhosva yenyu, dzimwe nguva vatungamiriri venyu some of these problems come from the men," he said.

He said Zanu-PF should remain in Government to safeguard the gains of the country’s hard-won independence and there should be unity for it to win future elections.

He blasted "rogue" members who were claiming to have pulled PF Zapu from the Unity Accord, saying there could never be any other such party besides the one that was formed by the late veteran nationalist and national hero, Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.

He singled out Harare and Bulawayo for special mention in this regard.

"There are provinces that are giving us unnecessary problems — Harare and Bulawayo.

"There is a leadership contest in Harare, there is no provincial executive, but we are looking at finding a solution to that problem.

"But there is a new phenomenon coming out of Bulawayo. Avo vakamboenda kuMavambo, u(Dumiso) Dabengwa, he says he wants to revive PF Zapu, but we do not know where they are getting the idea from. There is only one PF-Zapu we know, the one that went into a Unity Accord in 1987 to form Zanu-PF and that was the one led by the late Vice President Cde Joshua Nkomo.

"There is no way one person can say PF-Zapu is

withdrawing from the Unity Accord.

"All I can say is that it is sad, sad, sad for the people who will choose to join this direction.

"Cde Nkomo wanted unity. We are looking at where we are coming from and where we are today.

"What purpose would it serve for one of us to say I want to form another party from the revolutionary party — hapana zvazvinobatsira."

He added: "We have one revolutionary party, a party that can say we brought independence to this country, hence the need for us to talk the language of unity, not of divisions."

President Mugabe added: "Act deeds that speak of unity, not divisions; dream unity as you act about it.

"Speak it. Remain united especially now that we have a real threat within us and from outside.

"Let’s work towards victory in the elections that can come after the constitutional process."

He said no other party besides Zanu-PF could be trusted with protecting the gains Zimbabwe attained through independence, adding that there was need to ensure it continued to lead the country.

"We should never believe that others can do it for us. The British were here for many years, plundering our natural resources and what we got in 1980 on April 18, that independence, that right to claim our sovereignty, do we still have it?

"Can we say we have the power to defend it? Only if we are united and able to win elections, then we can say we have it.

"Kwete zvekungoti pamberi neZanu-PF toenda kumaelections and we lose. It means giving back to the British through their representatives among us that sovereignty," he said.

President Mugabe, who is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, urged members of the Women’s League to continue strengthening the party.

"Without women in the party, we men are weak. You are better organised and when you want to do things, you do it. The Women’s League is the backbone of the party.

"Yes, I have said the youths have the vigour, but the real prop of the party is you," said President Mugabe to thunderous applause from the delegates.

League leaders, he said, should remain vigilant and push for empowerment projects.

"There is need to organise, not by word of mouth. Slogans can stick when women have programmes that can empower them through clubs, co-operatives, SMEs and others.

"Madzimai akangogara kudzimba panenge pasina zvimwe asikungonyeyana. We want the women to be trained in various programmes. Start bakeries and other projects," he said.

President Mugabe urged members to accept their leadership as there could only be one structure at a time.

He described the imposition of candidates and leaders as a "disease".

"Hatidi kunzwa kuti varume vapindira munyaya dzekusarudzwa kwamadzimai anotungamira. Ichi chirwere chakabva kupi?

"Hatidi kupa vanhu their freedom of choice? We must know that impositions are improper. Let the women make their own choices."

He urged women to continue leading the party to the future.

"Continue to lead, to have a tradition of strengthening the party, invigorating the party and give direction to the party.

"The thunder that comes from you combined with the thunder from the youth should show the British that their regime change agenda will fail when we have the most thunderous congress in December this year."

President Mugabe chronicled the drive to empower women through gender equality at the workplace, education, property rights, inheritance laws and other relevant legislation.

Labels: MUGABE, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 5:52 PM