'Buried Tsvangirai should never rise again,' says Mnangagwa

Outgoing Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa said the just-ended harmonised elections had buried MDC-T leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, never to rise again. He said it was now time for Zanu-PF to continue with its development projects as the inclusive government that was constituted by three political parties had expired.

Mnangagwa said this during the commissioning of four classroom blocks at Nyakasikana satellite primary school in Beatrice that was constructed by members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

The event coincided with the commemoration of the Zimbabwe Defence Force community assistance week which is held annually on the eve of the ZDF commemoration day.

"With regards to Tsvangirai and Ncube, we have buried them, they are gone. We have indeed buried them using our votes," said Mnangagwa, who is also Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs.

He said it was critical that Zimbabweans strive to improve themselves because Western countries were never interested in the development of Africa but merely to exploit its resources.

"No one else will come here to develop our country unless we take the necessary initiatives to improve ourselves. We have no interests in going to develop London, Australia or Scotland, just as they do not have interest to develop our country. Their interest is just to come here and exploit our resources," he said.

Mnangagwa said liberation fighters sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the country, and people had to safeguard it by voting wisely.

"Your task is not as difficult as what liberation fighters went through. They suffered to have this country come in the hands of the black majority, but what you just need to do does not require energy, it is just voting wisely as what you have done," he said.

The ZDF, said Mnangagwa, was there to work for the people both in times of war and in times of peace.

"During the time of war they fight the enemy but in peaceful times, they construct schools for the betterment of the community as what they have done here," he said.
Gone are the days, saidMnangagwa, when people would run away from soldiers at the height of the liberation struggle.

"These are your soldiers. They are not like those whom you used to run away from, Ian Smith soldiers. They are there for you," he said. He said the name Nyakasikana evoked memories of the First Chimurenga waged by Mbuya Nehanda.