Ministers told not to boast about their positions

Zanu-PF has the final say over Government policy as the ruling party and people seconded to be ministers should not boast about their positions becuse they are subordinate to the party, Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired), has said.

VP Chiwenga, who is also Zanu-PF Second Secretary, said this while addressing the ruling party's Mashonaland East Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting yesterday.

"We should know that the party is supreme. Whatever the Government does it would have come from the party, the Government does not tell the party what to do.

"The party tells the Government what to do and that is why we have party manifestos so that we give direction to those who will be appointed to Government.

"The party is supreme so no one should boast that they are a minister because you only become a minister when the party is elected. So, if we all keep that in our minds we will all work towards strengthening the party. If we build our party then we can be able to develop the country," VP Chiwenga said.

He warned party cadres against infighting saying the new dispensation required unity to ensure the development of the country.

"We will soon be going for elections and we do not need people to be plotting against each other.

"Whoever is elected in the primary elections should be supported by everyone in the constituency but I hope you will elect capable leaders who will able to lead development programmes in your areas.

"The dates for primary elections have not been announced so we should work with those who are there at the moment," he said.

VP Chiwenga said party members should also choose people that understood the ethos and ideology of the revolutionary party not those who wanted to use it for personal gains.

VP Chiwenga said he was a national leader and did not represent Mashonaland East only.

"I might have been born here but I am not for Mashonaland East only but for all Zimbabweans.

"Even Central Committee and Politburo members are national leaders they should be known by the whole country.

"They should not concentrate on their areas of origin because that was where divisions and gossiping start," he said.

The Vice President urged Mashonaland East to be united saying it had been tainted by past events after its former leaders were at the forefront of the Bhora Musango phenomena, the Gamatox and G40 cabals.

He also narrated events that led the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to launch Operation Restore Legacy last November.

"What happened in November last year was the reason why the Defence Forces, the party and Parliament and all Zimbabweans including war veterans came out being led by God because things were getting out of hand.

"Young people were disparaging war veterans and our icon the former President who is the only surviving elder statesman had been surrounded by people who wanted to bring the party down.

"The party would have died and future generations would not have had a reference point," he said.

VP Chiwenga said Zanu-PF was at the risk of sinking into oblivion like what happened to United National Independence Party of Zambia.

He, however, reiterated that Government would continue looking after the welfare of former President Robert Mugabe.

Meanwhile, the VP Chiwenga said the Politburo at its sitting on Thursday agreed that all cadres that were part of the General Staff or High Command in the Zanla and Zipra forces would automatically become members of the National Consultative Assembly.