Let's unite and shame conspirators, says Mnangagwa

ZIMBABWEANS should unite and give infiltrators no chance to execute their conspiracies aimed at destabilising the country, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday.

In an interview ahead of the Heroes Day commemorations on Monday, VP Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had been infiltrated by chancers pursuing personal enrichment agendas at the expense of national development.

He said without unity of purpose, the Government's desired development goal would not see the light of the day. "The burden is on us collectively to move forward in unity as a people," VP Mnangagwa said.

"Stability, peace and tranquillity comes from us. If we are united, the enemy will not penetrate. We have some people among us being lured by money and other persuasions to destabilise not a foreign country, but your mother country. This, we must guard against."

He added: "There is no assignment, engagement which an individual is doing which should be regarded as minor. Everything that we do is important. It contributes to the universal good of the country and the progress which we would want to achieve. And this can only be done when the country is stable and peaceful.

"Once we believe in ourselves as Zimbabweans, that this is our country, we must put our shoulders to the wheel and achieve the desired development. God blessed this country with minerals. We have everything. Out of the 21 special minerals in the world, we have 19. What is needed is unity and planning together."

VP Mnangagwa said freedom did not come on a silver platter and Zimbabweans should not be swayed when it came to defending their sovereignty. "As we celebrate Heroes Day, let us remember that we are Zimbabweans because of some people who died," he said.

"All living, including the youths, should remember that without unity, the liberation struggle would not have been a success. Yes, rebels were there but overally people were united. The philosophy behind this concept (Heroes Day) is to ensure that generation after generation continues to remember that our Independence came as a result of our own people sacrificing.

"In that process, many comrades died, many were maimed but the objective was one — that we become ourselves, sovereign and independent." VP Mnangagwa went on: "We must always remind our children that we are now Zimbabweans as a result of sacrifice. That will not repeat itself, but we would want that type of patriotism to be embedded into the younger generation, patriotism that Zimbabweans come first, my life comes second. That's the spirit we would want to show.

"As we assemble at the national shrine, to our comrades, the gallant fighters who shed their lives during the struggle and after the struggle, who stood by the correct line of the revolution, we are saying to them we have not forgotten. You are heroes of the revolution, heroes of the birth of this country. That's why we put aside this day to remember, recognise and celebrate the heroic acts of those lying at the shrine."

On corruption, VP Mnangagwa said there would be no sacred cows as graft was impeding development in Government. "We have committed that we have to deal with this enemy number one, and there should be no sacred cows," he said.

"We are glad that the media is writing and exposing corrupt elements no matter the standing of the person involved. It should be laid bare. No country can grow with corruption in place. It's now everywhere, be it in public and private sectors. It is there even in the judiciary where we expect ethics to be upheld."

He said the $500 million command agriculture programme being introduced by Government beginning this forthcoming summer cropping season would ensure food security. VP Mnangagwa, who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Food Nutrition and Security, said Government was happy with the support the programme was getting from various sectors.

"President Mugabe gave us that assignment and together with my team including the Minister of Agriculture and the Office of the President and Cabinet, we are not sleeping," he said.

"We promise that in the next four seasons, which is two years, we must say goodbye to hunger whether or not there is drought. We have already been offered some funding and I will have to brief Cabinet first before going public."

The command agriculture programme, which aims to produce two million tonnes of maize on 400 000 hectares of land, will see identified farmers being given inputs, irrigation and mechanised equipment. The farmers, who will work under strict supervision, will be required to commit five tonnes per hectare to Government as repayment for the inputs and agricultural equipment.

They will retain all surplus produced for personal use.