News / National
'Forthcoming elections crucial,' says Mugabe
18 Apr 2013 at 04:17hrs | Views
THE forthcoming harmonised elections are crucial in determining sovereignty over the country and its natural resources, President Mugabe has said.
He said this while addressing thousands of children from the country's 10 provinces during the traditional Children's Independence Party at the City Sports Centre in Harare.
"We will be going to elections soon and those elections are our own and those elections are very crucial to us . . . my party.
"We must decide once and for all that the policies that come out . . . the policies that have to deal with the right of our people to have full sovereignty, to exercise that sovereignty, to interpret that sovereignty as giving them ownership of their resources that those decisions will be made by us and our successors for generations to come," he said.
Harmonised elections are expected to be held by June 29 when the life of the Seventh Parliament expires.
"So the children that are being taught today, we hope they will be moving in our footsteps that they may derive the correct ideas of the elders in society.
"That they will also learn that this country is theirs and they are sovereign over it that they derive ownership of the natural resources of their country and therefore have the right to decide on policies to regulate the ownership or otherwise of those natural resources," President Mugabe said.
Mugabe told the children they had to fight to reclaim the country's independence.
"There are always those bullies, life is like that. Even as countries you will always have one country wanting to bully others.
"We also emerged from a British bully, but we taught them a lesson that we cannot be bullied forever.
"They bullied us from 1890 to 1980 then we said enough is enough, even a bully has his day just like a bad dog has his day, so we managed to recover our country, we managed to say to the British enough is enough and your flag must come down and you must get out of our country as a colonial power, we are giving ourselves power," he said.
"Now as our own masters we can determine our own destiny, we can determine what is good for us and what is bad for us, but we must always guard against being colonised again."
The President commended teachers for their efforts in moulding the characters of children, saying they also acted as their parents when they were at school.
"When I look at our teachers I must say they have given their best that is why they have managed to beat the other countries in achieving literacy rates that Unesco admires so much so I say to our teachers makorokoto . . . . amhlophe . . . . congratulations.
"We are proud of you, continue to do the good work," he said.
President Mugabe urged the children to take advantage of the opportunities that have been availed to them.
"To you kids I want to say you are in good hands and do not then abuse or misuse the opportunities that you have.
"Take advantage of them to do your best now," the President said.
He urged elder members of society to be exemplary in their behaviour as young children learn from them.
"According to our custom all elders are parents to children, in other words our custom views all leaders in society as exemplary leaders, leaders in good conduct, leaders of good experience, leaders of wisdom and leaders from which children can learn.
"Therefore, all of us must not forget that children in our environment are looking at us and we have a duty, an obligation to impart to them, sometimes silently through our conduct and at times when we talk to them, but ensuring at all times that they learn from us."
The President was accompanied by his daughter Bona, Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo; Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora.
The party is hosted annually by the President and First Lady.
Bona issued tokens of appreciation to 10 child representatives from the country's provinces while Jah Prayzah provided entertainment.
He said this while addressing thousands of children from the country's 10 provinces during the traditional Children's Independence Party at the City Sports Centre in Harare.
"We will be going to elections soon and those elections are our own and those elections are very crucial to us . . . my party.
"We must decide once and for all that the policies that come out . . . the policies that have to deal with the right of our people to have full sovereignty, to exercise that sovereignty, to interpret that sovereignty as giving them ownership of their resources that those decisions will be made by us and our successors for generations to come," he said.
Harmonised elections are expected to be held by June 29 when the life of the Seventh Parliament expires.
"So the children that are being taught today, we hope they will be moving in our footsteps that they may derive the correct ideas of the elders in society.
"That they will also learn that this country is theirs and they are sovereign over it that they derive ownership of the natural resources of their country and therefore have the right to decide on policies to regulate the ownership or otherwise of those natural resources," President Mugabe said.
Mugabe told the children they had to fight to reclaim the country's independence.
"There are always those bullies, life is like that. Even as countries you will always have one country wanting to bully others.
"We also emerged from a British bully, but we taught them a lesson that we cannot be bullied forever.
"They bullied us from 1890 to 1980 then we said enough is enough, even a bully has his day just like a bad dog has his day, so we managed to recover our country, we managed to say to the British enough is enough and your flag must come down and you must get out of our country as a colonial power, we are giving ourselves power," he said.
"Now as our own masters we can determine our own destiny, we can determine what is good for us and what is bad for us, but we must always guard against being colonised again."
"When I look at our teachers I must say they have given their best that is why they have managed to beat the other countries in achieving literacy rates that Unesco admires so much so I say to our teachers makorokoto . . . . amhlophe . . . . congratulations.
"We are proud of you, continue to do the good work," he said.
President Mugabe urged the children to take advantage of the opportunities that have been availed to them.
"To you kids I want to say you are in good hands and do not then abuse or misuse the opportunities that you have.
"Take advantage of them to do your best now," the President said.
He urged elder members of society to be exemplary in their behaviour as young children learn from them.
"According to our custom all elders are parents to children, in other words our custom views all leaders in society as exemplary leaders, leaders in good conduct, leaders of good experience, leaders of wisdom and leaders from which children can learn.
"Therefore, all of us must not forget that children in our environment are looking at us and we have a duty, an obligation to impart to them, sometimes silently through our conduct and at times when we talk to them, but ensuring at all times that they learn from us."
The President was accompanied by his daughter Bona, Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo; Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora.
The party is hosted annually by the President and First Lady.
Bona issued tokens of appreciation to 10 child representatives from the country's provinces while Jah Prayzah provided entertainment.
Source - TH
