News / National
'War record not enough,' says Grace Mugabe
15 Oct 2015 at 06:12hrs | Views
THE First Lady and Zanu-PF Women's Affairs secretary, Grace Mugabe, yesterday warned party members fanning factionalism that the revolutionary party would not hesitate to throw them out as liberation war credentials were not a licence to cause divisions.
Mugabe trashed reports that she leads a faction in the revolutionary party and warned irresponsible private media journalists that she would not stop working for the people to fulfil the ruling party's election promises.
Addressing thousands of people at Chimhanda Secondary School here, the First Lady said those reviving factionalism in the revolutionary party should know that it was "cold outside Zanu-PF."
"If you're not in Zanu-PF it's cold out there," she said. "Have you ever seen anyone who survived after leaving Zanu-PF? Once you leave Zanu-PF you're completely finished and no one will want to be associated with you. If you're clever you quickly apologise and you'll be forgiven. Some of those punished last year are with us today. Look at the trend, everyone who has started a party goes nowhere."
Former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche and former Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs deputy minister Fortune Chasi, who were suspended from the party, attended yesterday's rally.
In apparent reference to sacked former Vice President Joice Mujuru, Mugabe said war credentials alone were not enough to save factional and wayward members from being thrown out of the revolutionary party.
The First Lady said politics in Zanu-PF was all about working for the people and her countrywide tours were driven by a desire to serve the people, adding that the private media reports were driven by malice.
"They (private media) say Mai Mugabe has a faction," she said. "Where is the faction? I'm Zanu-PF 500 percent. I sleep, eat Zanu-PF and my clothes are Zanu-PF. I don't understand these people (journalists). I think they need a psychologist to see if they're not insane. People voted us to work and I'll just work, work and work for the people of Zimbabwe."
She added: "I'll not stop working for Zanu-PF because I stay with a hero (President Mugabe) and I work with big heroes. That's where I get direction. As long as I've energy, I'll continue working and connecting with people. Come 2018 people will be asking themselves where this old woman was. It's a free Zimbabwe and you can go wherever you want to go."
Mugabe said her tours were "just what a First Lady" should do but the private media was going ballistic claiming she was "buying" the people.
She said while media diversity was needed, it should be coupled with responsible journalism not "silly articles."
"They said I'm giving people the goods as a way of buying votes," Mugabe said.
"It doesn't matter, if I buy votes and you vote for me it's okay. It's better to vote for someone who gives you something than someone who doesn't. We don't want senseless and nonsensical articles, stooping that low.
"Journalists don't stoop that low, you're educated people. Please be constructive and I'm not saying don't criticise when I go wrong but don't just write silly things. We also want to read your papers but we're fed up. We can't read them because you produce rubbish," she charged.
The First Lady went on: "If I'm away they say she's in the intensive care unit and if I don't come to meet the people they say I don't like the people. What do you want me to do?
"I can't just sit in the State House polishing my nails while people are starving. I come and take people's messages to their President. That's my duty."
Anyone with the desire to lead the party, she said, should have patience and wait to be given the mandate by the people at the right time (congress).
"You shouldn't go in front, let the people see your deeds and be satisfied before choosing you," she said.
"Don't impose yourself. For now, we've got a mandate to implement Zim-Asset and let's concentrate on that because people are waiting."
She urged Zesa not to switch off farmers, saying agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.
Instead, she said, payment plans should always be put in place and honoured.
Mugabe said peace is critical in the development of the nation as it is one of the aspects investors look at before coming into a country.
Mugabe trashed reports that she leads a faction in the revolutionary party and warned irresponsible private media journalists that she would not stop working for the people to fulfil the ruling party's election promises.
Addressing thousands of people at Chimhanda Secondary School here, the First Lady said those reviving factionalism in the revolutionary party should know that it was "cold outside Zanu-PF."
"If you're not in Zanu-PF it's cold out there," she said. "Have you ever seen anyone who survived after leaving Zanu-PF? Once you leave Zanu-PF you're completely finished and no one will want to be associated with you. If you're clever you quickly apologise and you'll be forgiven. Some of those punished last year are with us today. Look at the trend, everyone who has started a party goes nowhere."
Former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche and former Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs deputy minister Fortune Chasi, who were suspended from the party, attended yesterday's rally.
In apparent reference to sacked former Vice President Joice Mujuru, Mugabe said war credentials alone were not enough to save factional and wayward members from being thrown out of the revolutionary party.
The First Lady said politics in Zanu-PF was all about working for the people and her countrywide tours were driven by a desire to serve the people, adding that the private media reports were driven by malice.
"They (private media) say Mai Mugabe has a faction," she said. "Where is the faction? I'm Zanu-PF 500 percent. I sleep, eat Zanu-PF and my clothes are Zanu-PF. I don't understand these people (journalists). I think they need a psychologist to see if they're not insane. People voted us to work and I'll just work, work and work for the people of Zimbabwe."
She added: "I'll not stop working for Zanu-PF because I stay with a hero (President Mugabe) and I work with big heroes. That's where I get direction. As long as I've energy, I'll continue working and connecting with people. Come 2018 people will be asking themselves where this old woman was. It's a free Zimbabwe and you can go wherever you want to go."
Mugabe said her tours were "just what a First Lady" should do but the private media was going ballistic claiming she was "buying" the people.
She said while media diversity was needed, it should be coupled with responsible journalism not "silly articles."
"They said I'm giving people the goods as a way of buying votes," Mugabe said.
"It doesn't matter, if I buy votes and you vote for me it's okay. It's better to vote for someone who gives you something than someone who doesn't. We don't want senseless and nonsensical articles, stooping that low.
"Journalists don't stoop that low, you're educated people. Please be constructive and I'm not saying don't criticise when I go wrong but don't just write silly things. We also want to read your papers but we're fed up. We can't read them because you produce rubbish," she charged.
The First Lady went on: "If I'm away they say she's in the intensive care unit and if I don't come to meet the people they say I don't like the people. What do you want me to do?
"I can't just sit in the State House polishing my nails while people are starving. I come and take people's messages to their President. That's my duty."
Anyone with the desire to lead the party, she said, should have patience and wait to be given the mandate by the people at the right time (congress).
"You shouldn't go in front, let the people see your deeds and be satisfied before choosing you," she said.
"Don't impose yourself. For now, we've got a mandate to implement Zim-Asset and let's concentrate on that because people are waiting."
She urged Zesa not to switch off farmers, saying agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.
Instead, she said, payment plans should always be put in place and honoured.
Mugabe said peace is critical in the development of the nation as it is one of the aspects investors look at before coming into a country.
Source - chronicle
