'I'm going nowhere,' says Mugabe

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday said he would not be forced out of his position by the Western backed opposition and their handlers because he derives his mandate from the people and not foreign elements.

Speaking at the over-subscribed One Million Man March in Harare, President Mugabe said there were elements who wanted to pre-empt the successful event by suggesting that party members should ask him to resign.

He said outside their Mugabe must go mantra, the opposition have no ideas on reviving the economy, developing it or even defending the nation from foreign threats.

"They only say they want to remove Zanu-PF as if it's the country's enemy. We haven't heard what they would do in agriculture, education and industry but all they say is that Mugabe must go. They wanted to pre-empt this meeting saying the people must ask Mugabe to go, going where?

"I belong to my people. My people say stay here. I'm not a Briton. I don't like to be an American, I'm not Yankee. I told Blair to keep his England so I keep my Zimbabwe so I belong to Zimbabwe. They say I must go, the outsiders, why do they want the President of Zimbabwe to stand down, to resign, to retire," said President Mugabe.

"Only my people can tell me to retire. Is the MDC pitiful that Mugabe is tired or they're scared of Mugabe? They're scared of Mugabe so tell the papers that Mugabe says no, you go hang, hang yourselves.

"Anyways, we're together. I'm at the service of the people. If the people feel I should go, I will go but as long as I feel I could serve the people and I can do my best as I have done in the past, I'm doing my best and when time comes, fine, I'll go."

Meanwhile, President Mugabe said the One Million Man March was not only revolutionary but historic as it has never been done by the youth league in the history of the party.

The march, organised by the youth league assisted by the women's league, was in solidarity with President Mugabe and his leadership of the Sadc and the African Union that he chaired recently.

"Let the message go that on the 25th of May in the year 2016, the youth of Zanu-PF organised on that day, a Million Man March which was a tremendous success that should be recorded in the history of Zanu-PF and in the history of our country Zimbabwe, you've performed well," said President Mugabe.

"On behalf of the party, my family, my own behalf and indeed on behalf of the people of Zimbabwe and especially on behalf of the people of Zanu-PF, I say well done, thank you, may God bless you the youth league."

President Mugabe said the youths were determined that they would succeed despite the fact that along the way, they met some discouraging words even from within and among the party ranks but the structure never wavered.

He said some initially criticised the youth saying they can't organise only to join them later upon realisation that they were determined.

"It's the glory that you've given the President that the President shares, in a reciprocal way that is our glory together. It's a glory for the party, a glorious day for the party, a glorious day or us all. Let us again and again thank the youth for it," said President Mugabe.

He called for discipline among the youths, urging them to uphold peace and desist from violence.

"One thing I insisted on as this event was being organised was that it must be organised without violence, be undertaken without violence and at the end of the day today, let's hear the good story that it was well performed, that there were no fights, no faults, the people came peacefully and left peacefully, that's what we want to hear, then our glory will be enhanced," said President Mugabe.

"The youth performed well, it was very organised. It roused the enthusiasm of other youths, even those who were outside the party admired it. It attracted some other youths who were not in the party to join the party. We simply want to hear this story."

President Mugabe called on the youths to communicate with the party leadership, giving advice and warning the leadership of negative elements in a way that shows humility.

"Tell us that things are going wrong, we will listen. Tell us who is doing wrong and not gossip and rumour mongering. We can't be a party of gossip. Rumour mongering all the time, we say down with that," he said.