Mnangangwa's full speech at yesterday's Bulilima rally

WHEN Jesus was born the three wise men came from the East, Zanu-PF has wise men, they are the chosen ones who were instructed by Jehovah to fight this war of liberating the country.

You who are here were chosen by Jehovah to liberate the country. We are following what God wants, when we are doing good work we start from the east, and after that, we come here, Matebeleland South is number two, and Manicaland was number one.

Why have we come here, we have come here in Matebeleland South to the province that gave our country some of the luminaries of the revolution, heroes and heroines such as our founding father, Father Zimbabwe, the late national hero and former Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, George "Tagarira Government" Silundika, Sikhwili Moyo, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Simon Khaya Moyo and Mama Thenjiwe Lesabe among many other sons and daughters of the revolution who came from this province.

So, we who are their followers have to honour their leadership but most importantly tasarudza zuva iri July 1, why, nokuti Father Zimbabwe, Chibwechitedza, hurungudo ye Zimbabwe, nhasi i24th anniversary yavo. So today first and foremost we are celebrating the anniversary ya Father Zimbabwe, we are not only celebrating by this huge rally, a rally that has never, never, never happened in this country, particularly Matebeleland South.

We have never had a rally this big because the spirit of the founding father is among us today. It is hovering here looking at us saying "bantwabami you remember me", so we are here to crown the celebration. Mai vemusangano, mbuya vemusangano, tete vemusangano, tete vemusangano, vaBimha vabva vaita ma-gala maviri to celebrate the 24th anniversary yaFounding Father, Father Zimbabwe.

We applaud you Bimha, you do your work diligently. Today we have come here as the leadership of Zanu-PF not only to share our journey of the revolution but to consolidate, to deepen our comprehensive understanding of the revolution, hondo yerusununguko munyika yeZimbabwe, hondo yakarohwa neZanu-PF, Zanla ne ZPRA to liberate this country. We are the beneficiaries of that war, today we are here, liberated, we are 43 years into independence.

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.

When we were in Chipinge, there were a lot of people, there was a woman who was present at the rally and she was pregnant and very advanced, she refused to be left behind and came to the rally to hear about the history of the country, where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going. Then she sat in the crowd, because the day was important, a miracle happened and she gave birth where she was. Women had to cover her up and a boy was born and she named him Emmerson Nyika.

When I heard this, I declared that from that day until that child finishes university, he will not be allowed to purchase anything, everything will be purchased by Zanu-PF. I was yet to tell Mai (Oppah) Muchinguri that, the food that the boy eats, the clothes he wears, together with his mother and father from January to December, will be taken care of. But I do not think another child will be born here today!

Well done Matebeleland South Province for demonstrating that you support your party, this is a vivid demonstration. You in Europe come and see how  Zanu-PF people is loved by its people. We shall not be divided no, you can spend your money giving groups and groups of this country bringing about confusion and division, the people of Zimbabwe will say no, we shall remain united.

We and our lords from Zambezi to Limpopo we shall remain united building our country Zimbabwe together. Every country is built by its own people and those who think our country is going to be built by white men then, they shall go and live with the whites. You heard the Vice-President saying we used to say five million votes and Zec is saying we got six million plus votes.

You heard again Mai Musangano saying 92 seats we have already won. Those journalists who are here standing for whites go and tell your whites that Zanu-PF is stubborn. They will continue barking while we rule. We bring peace, we brought peace, and we shall maintain peace. No man can teach us democracy because we ourselves know democracy. The countries in Europe should come to Zimbabwe to learn about democracy because we realise that under imperialism and colonialism there was no democracy and the same countries thought they were democratic NO, we are democrats and we are masters of democracy so don't be cheated and misled.

We are the ones who brought liberation to this country while they 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. 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, ZPRA, ZANLA and Zapu 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.

All of us when we began this rally we sang the national anthem, the same national anthem will be sang in Chipinge and Karoi. Our flying flag was raised by Chief Mazungude and for that time Chief Mazungude was a police officer. When Prince Charles III came sent by the Queen to collect the British flag, the late President Mugabe asked Chief Mazugunde to raise the independence flag until now the flag is flying and there is no other flag but this one. It has a cock that symbolises that from that day of independence Zimbabwe was born until now we are born as independent people. Generation and generation must pass on the philosophy that we are a newborn nation that is free from colonialism and never again Zimbabwe shall become a colony.

Under our watch with my generals who are here, it will never happen. We want you all to learn that it is important, every five years elections will come and go but we shall remain united as one nation from Zambezi to Limpopo we are one people, we are all Zimbabweans from generation to generation. As for our economy, we said the nation is built by its own people.

One nationality from Zambezi to Limpopo to Beitbridge we are one people we are all Zimbabweans from generation to generation. On our economy I want you to know that we said ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo, Japanese built their country, when Japan was being built those who were there raise your hands, no one. When Germany was being built who was there, no one. When America and Britain were being built those who were there raise your hands, asi imi munoda kuti pamunovaka nyika yedu munodakuti maBritish, Americans, Japanese, French to be there. Anomweya iwoyu pasi naye.

Us 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 ichotorwa nevavuyi, varungu. Tikati kwete kwete so the war came and we removed the whites. Now our land is with us and land now connected to us varungu havana kufara.

I always say how unfoolish is it isu maZimbabweans that we never get angry when people in Germany share their land. We do not get angry when the people in Australia are sharing land, we don't get angry when the British are sharing their Scotland, Wales and England ndezvekwavo. Asi these foolish people get angry when we are sharing our land here in Zimbabwe, kupusa kwakadaro. We did not share their land, we are sharing our own land they get angry and give us sanctions pasi navo. However, when they have given us those sanctions the objective is for our economy to collapse, the objective was that Zimbabweans should rise against their Government, rise up against Zanu-PF so that their puppets can rule so that they come back.

When they come back vomora vachimora zvavo our wealth. Right here in Matebeleland South Province its very rich in minerals they will be mining minerals giving us fish. Munoziva kuti kana muchidya patafura kunezvimwe zvinowira pasi huku dzo manya dzichinonga kana kiti. Ndozvavanoda isu kuti vanenge vachidya patafura isusu vanhu vatema tichinonga zvadonhera pasi pasi navo.Isu tisu kudya patafura kana vauya kuno hameno kuti vanodyira papi.

So the first thing we did was to make sure that we are food secure in the country.We don't need to import kuti tinosvaka chikafu kunedzimwe nyika. Zimbabwe has five regions the first, second and third region receives good rains, however, the fourth and fifth regions receive less rainfall but there are good livestock in these two regions.

Under the Second Republic, we sat down and discussed that we must have food security in our country.

Firstly, we introduced Pfumvudza/Intwasa. This Intwasa/Pfumvudza model of agriculture makes sure that there is food at  household level. Fifty two holes by 19 and 52 holes is one year. One year has 52 weeks so 52 holes and 19 holes this side.19 holes ukakowa chibage pa19 holes unozadza bucket rehupfu, bucket rehupfu rinodyiwa per week. Uwone kuchenjera kwe Second Republic very clever.So every household ikatevedzera ikangoita 52 holes by 9 holes vatowana 52 buckets dzehupfu dzokudya per week nepagore.

Then most of our people vanoita maplazi akati kurei ava vose ava we give them free inputs paIntwasa/Pfumvudza. Munopiwa mbewu, fertilisers and chemicals, next level ma small-scale farmers get soft loans dzekurimisa vachiyenda mberi. The bigger farmers also will acquire facilities we want to have mechanisation we agreed with Belarus ishamwari yedu. Takawana matractor nemacombine harvesters zvakawandisa zvokuti anenge achida anotora ikoko three years to pay takuenda mu fourth year.

Gore rechina tine food security muZimbabwe. Tirikuvaka madhamu tine ma irrigation schemes throughout the country. Infact our first village horticulture scheme tine 35 000 villages in Zimbabwe.

Tikati tinoda 35 000 schemes which we are now converting into companies.

So, we have started to form 35 000 village companies. We started in Mangwe somewhere there ndokune first one yatato tanga nayo it is doing well there are now in every province ye horticulture where we put solar boreholes so that women can get muriwo and keep the chicken that we will give them. We will give them goats, youths heifers right across the country. Nhasi uno tichataura kuti tauya neyi kuzopa madzimambo maheadman vana mese hapana anobva asina chaakabata pano. Every mother every lady every woman muchapiwa kuti munoita magarden munopihwa free. Tine programme yokuita polls on every village 35 000 we bought 80 modern rigs zvema boreholes patauya pano vakomana vangu veku Agriculture patinoita rally pese pese tinoda kuti 40 boreholes dziyite drilled around me saka dzakapera last week pano muBulilima.

We bought 80 modern rigs for boreholes when we came here with my men from agriculture. Where we do rally everywhere I want 40 boreholes to be drilled around me. They are now there, they finished being drilled last week here in Bulilima. In the five Chiefs of Bulilima, four now have borehole solar, on the fifth one we did two with lack of water but we said rigs won't go back before we do for the Chiefs. We were told that harvest and change that to money, wealth is in the soil. This is what we were taught by our Father Zimbabwe. We are now moving on to the mining sector, Matebeleland Province is rich in minerals, under Zanu- PF we will continue to benefit our communities and economy as a whole.

There are young men from Gwanda who came to Harare and gave me 30 000 litres of diesel as an appreciation to me. I am very proud of Mat South they are very proud of their party. Right now, there are companies that are fixing the roads some are roads from Beitbridge to Harare, we must give them a plan from Plumtree to Tsholotsho so we will make sure we do just that.

From Gwayi-Shangani to Bulawayo we shall create 10 000 hectares of irrigation. There will be places we shall divert water from the main pipe to the villagers. According to tourism, we have many places in Mat South that are historic. We have Matopos.

That is our history. They took the remains of our heroes into their museums in England. We want those back home in Zimbabwe. We have a system of devolution. In the past everything was done in Harare, we made decisions in Harare in Cabinet for every district, province, ward. Then we realised that we in Harare cannot know the pressing needs of the community. So, we decided to introduce devolution funds which are then sent to the communities. Since 2020 we have sent ZWL16 billion to Matebeleland South for you to deal with small community needs.

We shall continue to increase devolution funds. We are being attacked currently with rising prices, why just when we announced that we are going for general elections our enemies decided that they must cause problems among our people.

Prices are rising starting from Innscor. I have been told that some Indians in Harare are stocking basic goods in warehouses, buying sugar yakawanda kunana Chiredzi so all the basic things they are stocking in warehouses and increase prices. Let me warn them, I am having people investigating the warehouses and if it is true, we will confiscate not only the warehouse but the things inside and give it to you and distribute them. If they want to hoard, they should do it in their country not in Zimbabwe.

Our Government will never tolerate such activities in independent Zimbabwe. I am asking the people of Matebeleland South are we are happy myself and my team. We have never expected such a huge gathering. You have surprised us and so beautiful. We are united, I want to show you that we keep our history. I want to show you Mugabe Junior who is here and E.D Junior who is here Mangaliso is also here, we continue to respect the past.

That tall guy is Mugabe Junior, the one with a beard is ED Junior. We are keeping intact, people think that we are not united, we are totally united. We shall move together. This is the spirit, when we are gone those who come after us must respect the leaders of the revolution. I mentioned here when I began that the majority of revolutionaries who began the struggle for independence came from Matebeleland South. From ANC, NDP, Zapu then Zanu later they came from here. I have mentioned the name Father Nkomo, JZ Moyo, George "Tagarira" Silundika they are all gone but we must remember them, they sacrificed for this day that's why we are here, Chitepo, Muzenda, Tongogara, Mangena, they are all gone.

So we must defend what they died for by us voting. When they were in the armed struggle people died, people were wounded, people were killed by snakes and wild animals. In the bush, people died from hunger but I am aware we must also praise our mothers and fathers who looked after us, who gave us shelter, food, and independence to survive.

But today to survive we must vote  for that party that gave us independence which is Zanu-PF. When we vote I see here it is written vote team Zanu-PF which means, the President, Councillor, and Member of Parliament. It goes in threes just like The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Women I beg you, don't give your husbands tea before they vote, when they come back and you see red (ink) then you can give them tea. If they don't have red pour the tea away. I would like to thank you for coming to the Zanu-PF gathering. I would like to thank you for the discipline you have. Let me assure you, through your own structures, iziphala zezinduna, labomlisa, they discover what you need then through the structures of Local Government will get to know kuti munodeyi. We will do everything possible to support you, to build institutions, and to make sure that you have clean water in the village, the programme is already on. I will ask one of our officers to come and tell you what we have got for you.