Mnangagwa says, 'Let's vote to stay our own masters'

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to rally behind Zanu-PF in next month's harmonised elections for accelerated development and in defence of the country's independence and freedom.

He said this on Saturday while addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at Nyele Primary School in Bulilima, Matebeleland South.

"We are the ones who brought liberation to this country while they (colonisers) did not want to and we took the land after defeating them and we became independent. So, we must vote for Zanu-PF to defend our independence, our freedom, and make sure we defeat the pretenders, the detractors," said President Mnangagwa.

"It is a vote for accelerated development, a vote to remain masters of our own destiny. A vote for peace, a vote for unity and a vote for harmony. We will never have another party that will tell you that you are the reason for the liberation of the country.

"They came with us Zanu-PF, Zanla, Zapu and ZPRA; we are together united as one people. Throughout our campaign, whether at ward level, district level, or provincial level; I want to tell our candidates to preach peace, unity, harmony and love."

President Mnangagwa said it was important for Zimbabweans to remember where they came from and the reason they took up arms to free themselves from the yoke of colonialism.

"We have to remember where we came from, the legacy we fought for, a legacy where we as black people rule over our own land.

"You have the responsibility of building this country, you have the burden of carrying forward the vision of our founding fathers, the vision of unity, the vision of love, the vision of unity among us, there is no Manyika, no Mukorekore, no Ndebele, all of us are Zimbabweans sonke, siyezwana," said President Mnangagwa.

The President called for unity among Zimbabweans, in the same way they were united in the fight against colonialism.

He reiterated that it was the responsibility of the country's citizens to work towards the development they want under the mantra, "Nyika ino vakwa ne vene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo".

"As Zimbabweans we must build our own country at our own pace with our own resources. Every country is built on the basis of science and technology and this is why all our universities have a bias towards science and technology and this is why we are building secondary schools. This is why when your chairman, Mangaliso Ndlovu, came to me and said mdara ‘sifuna i-technical college hanti isikhona khonapha?'

"We are building a polytech because polytechs teach people skills, how to build a house, how to do metal fabrication, carpentry, electro engineering, ICT; these are skills that are needed for our country.

"Under the Second Republic, we shall make sure every single province shall have universities, shall have technical colleges. Primary and Secondary schools all of them shall have a bias towards science and technology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, kuvaka nyika yekwedu.

"When we went to war, our major grievance was land, our land. Our land had been taken from us, the people of Zimbabwe, ichitorwa nevavuyi, varungu. Tikati kwete kwete. So the war came and we removed the whites. Now that our land is with us and land now connected to us, varungu havana kufara," he said.

President Mnangagwa said the Second Republic had initiated various developments and infrastructure projects to benefit citizens.

Such projects, he said, include dam and roads construction and borehole drilling, among others.

To improve food security, Government has initiated the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and is also setting up irrigation schemes across the country.

"Rave gore rechina tine food security muZimbabwe. Tirikuvaka madhamu tine mairrigation schemes throughout the country," the President said.