'I won't let you down' says Mugabe

President Mugabe has declared that he will not let Zimbabweans down following the renewed leadership mandate that he and Zanu-PF received from the electorate in the July 31 harmonised elections.

He said the massive vote was testimony to the electorate's support, which also made him fearsome among his political opponents.

The Zanu-PF President and First Secretary said this while closing the party's 14th Annual National People's Conference here last night.

"Zimbabweans should focus on technological advancement while exploiting the God-given resources in their environs," he added.

"Thank you for 31st July and your vote, vote, vote. Thank you for the support that you gave to the leadership, the support you gave to me and your confidence in me, your confidence in us. We won't let you down. I won't let you down," said President Mugabe amid cheers and ululations from delegates.

"We are together. Sisonke. Simunye. Tiritose, tiripamwechete, takabatana semunhu mumwe chete . And it is you, you, your support which has really made me, which has made those in Britain, those in America fearful, ndakangomira zvangu sekamudhara kudai pamusangano, international organisation… ndikasvika ana (Tony)Blair votiza, ana (George)Bush votiza."

President Mugabe said Zanu-PF was "born again" on July 31.

The President garnered 2 110 434 (61,09 percent) of the vote, beating MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, who polled 1 1 72 349 (33,94 percent), Welshman Ncube 92 637 (2,68 percent), Dumiso Dabengwa 25 416 (0,74 percent) and Kisinoti Mukwazhe 9 931 (0,29 percent).

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in- Chief of the imbabwe Defence Forces called upon the delegates of the conference to strengthen the party in their respective provinces.

He said it was the duty of Zanu-PF members to organise and establish structures that identify the party with the membership.

President Mugabe said there was need to improve the living conditions of rural folk.
"We must improve the rural environment and start with the areas that are the most backward, kwatisina migwagwa yakanaka.

Zvikoro zviri kwese asi kune dzimwe nzvimbo the distance that the children walk (is long) and the schools themselves need improving and so we have to look at that," he said.

The President said there was need to look into the welfare of workers by giving them a decent income.

He also said the country could not afford to freeze recruiting nurses when most rural areas were in need of their services.

"Our girls, boys who take nursing, spend three years doing nursing and we are retiring them before they are really old enough to be retired.

Now there are people suffering in the rural areas, asi isu tinoti manurses akwana vazhinji vagere zvavo kumba vakaitwa retired.

We can't have that luxury.

So, we will be looking at the systems and see what systems can work."

President Mugabe said the two days that delegates had convened had allowed the party to tell its membership more on the new economic plan– the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).

He said in a bid to boost the economy, the Government would give a new lease of life to closed industries in Bulawayo and other smaller towns.

"Some worked in factories but they had collapsed.
We will raise them up so that life comes to Bulawayo.

New life should come to Bulawayo, new life should come to Gweru, new life to Harare, new life to all towns - Kwekwe, Chinhoyi etcetera.

We, the owners of the country, can give a new life to our cities." said President Mugabe.

He called on Finance and Economic Development Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa to source money for the country's national budget adding that there was need to account for revenue from diamonds, platinum and gold.

The conference was held under the theme, Zim Asset: Growing the Economy for Empowerment and Employment