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Zanu-PF stalwart throws weight behind Mnangagwa
06 Dec 2017 at 09:10hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) founding members have total confidence in the First Secretary and President elect of the Party, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
These were the sentiments of the Party's founding Women's League Secretary, Maria Chakonda as she spoke to journalists in Harare on the upcoming ZANU PF extraordinary Congress to be held in the capital from 12 to 16 December 2017.
Chakonda was elected the Party's first Secretary for Women's Affairs at the Gwelo Congress in 1964 which was ZANU's first congress after it split from the then outlawed ZAPU party.
"I had just completed my three years of house restriction (house arrest) in Mucheke, Masvingo, when I heard of the congress in Gwelo and I quickly ran there to support the revolutionary Party and it was at that congress that I was elected the first Woman's Affairs Secretary," reminisced the elderly Chakonda.
She went on to praise the departure of Mugabe as a step in the right direction as it exhibited growth and progress within the Party.
"We welcome the exiting of Mugabe as it showed that the Party is progressing and moving from one point to another. He had done all he can for the people and the party and it was time for him to move on," said Chakonda.
Chakonda threw her support behind the new President and even had some words of advice for him on how to advance and protect the gains of the revolution.
She said President Mnangagwa had to be a man of the people and be open to advice from all the various branches of the Party, from the youth, women, war vets and even from other parties outside ZANU PF as he is not just a party president but the country's president.
"We as war vets and founding members of the Party welcome the incoming President as we have full confidence in him and his ability to continue and progress with the legacy of the liberation.
"However, the President must be able to listen to contributions from all sides of the Party and even from other parties as he is a national President not just a Party President," said Chakonda.
These were the sentiments of the Party's founding Women's League Secretary, Maria Chakonda as she spoke to journalists in Harare on the upcoming ZANU PF extraordinary Congress to be held in the capital from 12 to 16 December 2017.
Chakonda was elected the Party's first Secretary for Women's Affairs at the Gwelo Congress in 1964 which was ZANU's first congress after it split from the then outlawed ZAPU party.
"I had just completed my three years of house restriction (house arrest) in Mucheke, Masvingo, when I heard of the congress in Gwelo and I quickly ran there to support the revolutionary Party and it was at that congress that I was elected the first Woman's Affairs Secretary," reminisced the elderly Chakonda.
She went on to praise the departure of Mugabe as a step in the right direction as it exhibited growth and progress within the Party.
Chakonda threw her support behind the new President and even had some words of advice for him on how to advance and protect the gains of the revolution.
She said President Mnangagwa had to be a man of the people and be open to advice from all the various branches of the Party, from the youth, women, war vets and even from other parties outside ZANU PF as he is not just a party president but the country's president.
"We as war vets and founding members of the Party welcome the incoming President as we have full confidence in him and his ability to continue and progress with the legacy of the liberation.
"However, the President must be able to listen to contributions from all sides of the Party and even from other parties as he is a national President not just a Party President," said Chakonda.
Source - Charles Motsi
