President says no to tribalism, regionalism
GOVERNMENT will intensify direct support to farmers through various programmes during the 2022/2023 summer cropping season to stimulate enhanced grain production and guarantee national food self-sufficiency, President Mnangagwa has said.
In his closing address at the inaugural Zanu-PF War Veterans League Conference in Harare yesterday, the President said this year’s record winter wheat production was testament to the effectiveness of Government’s support initiatives aimed at boosting production. He urged farmers to gird their loins for a historic summer cropping season and work hard to deliver a bumper harvest.
“I commend our farmers and various stakeholders for the successful 2022 Winter Wheat programme which has seen us surpass set targets. This hard work has resulted in our country realising self-sufficiency in wheat. As we enter into the 2022/2023 summer cropping season, I challenge you to mobilise all our communities to participate in the Pfumvudza/ Intwasa Programme, among other schemes. Together in unity and through hard, honest work, let us register yet another bumper harvest this coming 2022/2023 summer cropping season. Our ZANU PF Government will continue to support our farmers.”
President Mnangagwa, who is also ZANU PF First Secretary, said the country can only realise prosperity and sustainable development when its citizens are united, peaceful and live in harmony. Peaceful coexistence ahead of next year’s harmonised elections, said the President, was key to reinforcing the country’s embryonic development trajectory ushered in by the Second Republic. He rallied the party and the nation to continue jealously safeguarding “the enduring peace, unity and stability within our country”. He added: “As we move closer to the holding of the harmonised general elections, let us all ensure that our people say no to violence; no to hate speech; and no to the denigration of our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe.
“Let us also reject regionalism and tribalism, among other social ills that divide us. First and foremost, we are Zimbabweans, we are a diverse but one people.”
Zimbabwe remains a unitary state and an indivisible sovereign nation, he said.
“From Zambezi to Limpopo, from Plumtree to Mutare, we all sing one national anthem and fly one national flag.
“No person, organisation or amount of challenges should ever be allowed to divide us.”
President Mnangagwa described the newly constituted War Veterans League as the missing and final piece in the party. I congratulate the party, ZANU PF, and the structures from across all the provinces and districts that facilitated the realisation of this remarkable milestone. As the war veterans, you were the missing piece in our party architecture. Now that the League has been properly constituted, we are complete with the Main Wing, Women’s League and the Youth League.”
He said with the party’s affiliate organisations, ex-political prisoners and detainees as well as war collaborators, “the political web of our colossal revolutionary party is closely knit and impenetrable.’ As the War Veterans League, you have now been immersed within the party that you have always belonged to, as a fundamental part of the whole party.”
The two-day conference witnessed the War Veterans League elect its inaugural national executive.
The League elected Cde Headman Moyo as its Deputy Secretary for the wing’s first national executive. Previously the war vets were an affiliate of the party but are now a fully-fledged wing of Zanu-PF, following the conference. Cde Richard Chirongwe (Secretary for Administration), Cde Tsitsi Nyirenda (Secretary for Finance), Cde Ntombiyakhe Ndlovu (Secretary for Commissariat) and Cde Niya Mtombeni (Secretary for External Relations) are among the other candidates who were elected into the War Veterans League’s first national executive.
Harare’s Cde Timothy Njekete is now Secretary for Information and Publicity, while Cde Japhet Phuti was elected Secretary for Security. Cde Winnie Sihlahla is Secretary for Transport and Social Welfare. Cde Jairo Mapungwana was elected Secretary for Legal and Women’s Rights and Cde Lazarus Takawira is the Secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
Other elected members are Secretary for Production and Labour Cde Adwell Bonde while Cde Ellen Chinamatira is Secretary for Health and Child Care and the Elderly. Cde Bruce Mateta was elected Secretary for Economic Affairs, with Cde Edith Kagoro taking up the post of Secretary for Education. The Secretary for Gender and Culture is Cde Virginia Mupasu, whereas Cde Sehlule Jele is the Secretary for Welfare of the Disabled and Disadvantaged Persons, while Cde Majaha Ncube is Secretary for Land Reform and Resettlement.
The remaining members of the executive are Cde Langton Nyemba (Secretary for Science and Technology), Cde Everisto Pfumvuti (Secretary for Business Development and Liaison), Cde Zenzo Ncube (Secretary for Environment and Tourism) and Cde Happiness Sibanda (Committee Member).
The apex post of secretary for War Veterans’ Affairs currently held by Cde Douglas Mahiya is appointed by the party’s First Secretary, President Mnangagwa. The President urged the new leaders to exercise servant leadership.
“I want to congratulate you for successfully conducting your elections for heads of departments and their deputies. The comrades, as announced, will go down in history as the inaugural members of the national executive of the War Veterans League. However, as you assume your positions, I call upon you to be mindful that we are all servant leaders.”
A leaders’ power, he added, was derived from the party’s general membership. A decorated freedom fighter himself, President Mnangagwa implored war veterans to be disciplined and toe the correct revolutionary line.
“The depth and all-encompassing nature of your conference resolutions reflect your love for the party. The current and future generations must be inspired by your legacy to play their part and make the necessary sacrifices towards ensuring that Zimbabwe attains the vision of a modern, industrialised, prosperous and empowered upper middle-income economy. I call upon you all to stay true to the cause of our liberation struggle, its ideals and aims, as well as the objectives of our mass party, ZANU PF.”
He called on veterans of the liberation struggle to contribute to the empirical and factual analysis of the state of the party. The League, he said, must help craft strategies for the strengthening of the party.
“We must be a constantly learning and improving party. Going forward, the party should now speedily consolidate its gains, dominance and popularity as a result of this new League of revolutionaries, tried and tested comrades.”
President Mnangagwa said war veterans were the pioneers of the country’s democracy and independence, and must inspire the nation towards sustained economic growth.
“We brought about democracy and independence, against all the odds. As war veterans, we should equally help inspire our society towards the realisation of a modern society characterised by broad-based empowerment and prosperity for all. Our voices must be heard and actions seen towards driving our national development agenda. Being on the terraces is not in our nature. It is, therefore, incumbent on all fellow comrades and the entire War Veterans League to take an active role in the various programmes and projects being championed by the Second Republic.”