'I will not quit,' says Kasukuwere

Zanu-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere says he will not resign as he was appointed by President Mugabe, the party's First Secretary.

There have recently been calls from sections of the war veterans for Kasukuwere to resign his post because he is not a war veteran. The war veterans said Kasukuwere's post in Zanu-PF should be occupied by a war veteran.

Addressing scores of Zanu-PF supporters in Guruve yesterday where he was drumming up support for the party's candidate, Patrick Dutiro, in the by-election slated for tomorrow, Kasukuwere said he was not going anywhere.

The Guruve South seat fell vacant following the expulsion of Mr Chriswell Mutematsaka from Zanu-PF for his links to sacked former Vice President Joice Mujuru and her cabal who sought to unseat President Mugabe unconstitutionally.

"No room for madness. If you are indisciplined, tough luck. Some thought that they could be indisciplined in Zanu-PF and were expelled," said Kasukuwere. "Vozoti hanzi pamwe ndiKasukuwere. I will not resign," he said. "Hapana kwandinoenda. Ndinotofira ipo pano. Political commissar weZanu-PF, political commissar waVaMugabe. Ungandiudza iwewe kuti imbobva ndiende kupi?

"Ndakapiwa basa naPresident." He said Zanu-PF was a disciplined party and those who violated its constitution should not cry foul when the National Disciplinary Committee descended on them. Kasukuwere said party members should remain united in following the party's ideology.

He, however, said no one should claim ownership of the party's ideology and that it should not be twisted to suit the ambitions of individuals. "Ideology can't be about going against revolutionary principles. Ideology cannot be about the removal of our leader," he said.

"Ideology is about standing firm and defending our party leadership. Don't invent ideology in your own way to suit your own circumstances. Don't tell us about ideologies as if you defined them. Ideology is ideology. Baba varipo (President Mugabe)," he said.

"We will not be moved; we are Zimbabweans. I am a Zimbabwean. We must defend what is right and not what is wrong." "Vamwe vanozochema vachiti hanzi disciplinary committee yatitsika. Wange uchiitei pawazotsikwa? Don't tell us that you are innocent wabatwa pane zvawange uchiita."

Kasukuwere said the party kicked out former VP Mujuru for going against the party despite being a war veteran. He said Zanu-PF was solidly behind its First Secretary President Mugabe ahead of the 2018 watershed harmonised elections.

He said President Mugabe was the founder of Zimbabwe's nationhood and a towering African statesman fighting for black emancipation. Kasukuwere said personal differences between party members should not be viewed as instability in a big organisation such as Zanu-PF.

Said Kasukuwere: "Come 2018, President Mugabe is our candidate. "President Mugabe is the founder of our nation. He has elevated us as black people through the land reform programme and several other empowerment programmes.

"We don't look at his age, but what he stands for. There are some who are younger and mad — real idiots, complete idiots. In President Mugabe we see a leader, we see a father, we see our country, we see the blood and sweat of our people. That is what we call loyalty."

Kasukuwere said Dutiro was going to win resoundingly. Dutiro pledged to work for the people once elected in tomorrow's elections. He said roads in his constituency were in a bad state while schools needed to be renovated. He said the Zimbabwe People First fronted by Dr Mujuru had no room in Guruve South.

"We are solidly behind the President and PF has no room here," he said. "We have a number of challenges here that need to be addressed."