News / National
Mugabe speaks on succession
29 Jul 2017 at 15:40hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe says he appreciates that there are people in Zanu-PF ambitious to lead the country but says he is not prepared to leave the people divided.
Speaking during the fifth Presidential Youth Interface Rally at the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) sports grounds in Mashonaland West's provincial capital this afternoon, Mugabe said when time comes, he will be happy to see his successor with the support of a united people.
"I understand that there are some people who want to become presidents also. I am still here and I want to see people united and see if the situation is ripe [before I leave]. I know some say we no longer want a Zezuru leader, others say we want others from Matabeleland, Midlands, Manicaland and so on. But this is a sign that you are divided," said Mugabe.
"There are some saying the President is dying, I am not dying. Of course, I get ailments here and there, like everyone else, but I am strong. Recently, doctors were shocked that I have bones so strong. I just said it's the Lord. I thank God for keeping me strong for so long," he added.
President Mugabe reiterated calls for unity saying, "To leaders whom we are working with in government, you must realise that what made us succeed was the aspect of unity. Unity means we are together in mind, we are together in the way we operate, it means we should speak in one language, avoid speaking bad about each other, gossiping, plotting and counter plotting against each other," he said.
Still on unity, President Mugabe recalled how ZANU and ZAPU went to the Lancaster House talks united under the banner of PF (Patriotic Front) in 1979 and how the liberation struggle against a well equipped colonialists was won.
After complaints that several youths had been laid off by the government, Mugabe tasked the Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa to look into the issue and reinstate them.
On farmers subletting their farms to whites, the President also said "We believe that this country belongs to us, we are sovereign now but how come that some of us in the farms have allowed whites to come back and plunder our resources? Ko matadza kurima? What are you doing, is that being clever?"
He said the black farmers would not do this only if they could recall how the land distribution and compensation stalled the Lancaster House talks in 1979 and how Britain reneged on its pledge to compensate white farmers whose farms would be taken for redistribution by the Zimbabwean government later on.
After the bumper harvest credited to the Command Agriculture Programme, the President highlighted the need for the government to build more silos in the future as the current ones are getting full.
He also challenged Zimbabwe to consider farming rice and other crops produced in North and East Africa such as cassava, and confirmed that the Presidential Input Scheme will continue especially to benefit communal farmers in the rural areas.
Earlier on, President Robert commissioned a state of the art community information centre in Chinhoyi, and called on the public against using technology to abuse others but to enhance their level of knowledge.
"Community information centres being established across the country should facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by individuals and to help communities interact among themselves and with the global village. Information communication technologies (ICTs) are not meant for selfish motives bordering on abusing others," he said.
He said the government will continue to roll out more community information centres using locally mobilised resources, and called on relevant ministries to be innovative and ensure rural schools have solar power so that they also benefit through connectivity to the internet.
He urged the Chinhoyi community to protect the newly commissioned information centre against vandalism and theft of computers and other gadgets.
The information centre has 28 work stations and has software that allows the visually impaired to surf through the internet.
The centre also has a training facility that accommodates 16 people at any given time.
The Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Supa Mandiwanzira said the country is expected to have about 160 information centres by this December, adding that some 1300 schools are set to be connected to the internet following the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, TelOne and ZARNET.
He also revealed that a US$250 million package has been approved by cabinet to facilitate the establishment of more mobile telecommunication base stations.
The Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs, Faber Chidarikire had earlier indicated that the technology gap between rural and urban schools is widening as electricity coverage in rural areas is still low.
He also advocated for the establishment of a fund to bankroll construction of laboratories in rural schools to ensure such institutions benefit through the stem programme.
At the commissioning event, President Mugabe handed over a 120 laptops to five schools drawn from various districts in the province.
Speaking during the fifth Presidential Youth Interface Rally at the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) sports grounds in Mashonaland West's provincial capital this afternoon, Mugabe said when time comes, he will be happy to see his successor with the support of a united people.
"I understand that there are some people who want to become presidents also. I am still here and I want to see people united and see if the situation is ripe [before I leave]. I know some say we no longer want a Zezuru leader, others say we want others from Matabeleland, Midlands, Manicaland and so on. But this is a sign that you are divided," said Mugabe.
"There are some saying the President is dying, I am not dying. Of course, I get ailments here and there, like everyone else, but I am strong. Recently, doctors were shocked that I have bones so strong. I just said it's the Lord. I thank God for keeping me strong for so long," he added.
President Mugabe reiterated calls for unity saying, "To leaders whom we are working with in government, you must realise that what made us succeed was the aspect of unity. Unity means we are together in mind, we are together in the way we operate, it means we should speak in one language, avoid speaking bad about each other, gossiping, plotting and counter plotting against each other," he said.
Still on unity, President Mugabe recalled how ZANU and ZAPU went to the Lancaster House talks united under the banner of PF (Patriotic Front) in 1979 and how the liberation struggle against a well equipped colonialists was won.
After complaints that several youths had been laid off by the government, Mugabe tasked the Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa to look into the issue and reinstate them.
On farmers subletting their farms to whites, the President also said "We believe that this country belongs to us, we are sovereign now but how come that some of us in the farms have allowed whites to come back and plunder our resources? Ko matadza kurima? What are you doing, is that being clever?"
He said the black farmers would not do this only if they could recall how the land distribution and compensation stalled the Lancaster House talks in 1979 and how Britain reneged on its pledge to compensate white farmers whose farms would be taken for redistribution by the Zimbabwean government later on.
After the bumper harvest credited to the Command Agriculture Programme, the President highlighted the need for the government to build more silos in the future as the current ones are getting full.
He also challenged Zimbabwe to consider farming rice and other crops produced in North and East Africa such as cassava, and confirmed that the Presidential Input Scheme will continue especially to benefit communal farmers in the rural areas.
"Community information centres being established across the country should facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by individuals and to help communities interact among themselves and with the global village. Information communication technologies (ICTs) are not meant for selfish motives bordering on abusing others," he said.
He said the government will continue to roll out more community information centres using locally mobilised resources, and called on relevant ministries to be innovative and ensure rural schools have solar power so that they also benefit through connectivity to the internet.
He urged the Chinhoyi community to protect the newly commissioned information centre against vandalism and theft of computers and other gadgets.
The information centre has 28 work stations and has software that allows the visually impaired to surf through the internet.
The centre also has a training facility that accommodates 16 people at any given time.
The Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Supa Mandiwanzira said the country is expected to have about 160 information centres by this December, adding that some 1300 schools are set to be connected to the internet following the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, TelOne and ZARNET.
He also revealed that a US$250 million package has been approved by cabinet to facilitate the establishment of more mobile telecommunication base stations.
The Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs, Faber Chidarikire had earlier indicated that the technology gap between rural and urban schools is widening as electricity coverage in rural areas is still low.
He also advocated for the establishment of a fund to bankroll construction of laboratories in rural schools to ensure such institutions benefit through the stem programme.
At the commissioning event, President Mugabe handed over a 120 laptops to five schools drawn from various districts in the province.
Source - zbc
