MUGABE SPEECH LIVE

President Mugabe takes to the podium and starts with salutations before thanking the Youth League for the sterling job they are doing.

14:39 - He narrates the journey leading to the current youth interface meetings saying the journey started with the Million Man March held last year.

14:40 -  ”Now its my turn to visit youths who travelled long distances to meet me last year.”
14:41 - This initiative ensures that we remain in touch with the masses. President Mugabe says judging by the turnout, his home province has proved that it is Mashonaland Best, not West.

14:42 – President Mugabe has applauded young people asking people to clap hands for them.
“We used to hold rallies but we never did things this way. This is pleasing,” he says.

14:43 – “I want to say, Zanu PF is the party which liberated the country. It is the party which lost its members at the battle fronts and it is the ruling party.”
President Mugabe says when the country gained independence, they never concluded that the revolution had come to an end. “Revolution is a continuous process,” he adds.

14:49 - He pays tribute to earlier revolutionaries, the likes of Mbuya nehanda and Lobengula for making efforts to reclaim the country from the whites.
His Excellency says the heroes of the First Chimurenga were overpowered because they did not have lethal weapons like guns.
“So, when we learnt of the efforts they had made, we took it upon ourselves to continue the struggle.”
14:56 - He recounts the bombing of seven gallant sons of Zimbabwe at Chinhoyi saying the incident inspired others to fight harder and endure persecution by detentions.

15:10 - President Mugabe says dating back from the days of the liberation struggle, the principle has always been that politics leads the gun adding that the same principle leads today.

 15:14 – “Government crafts policies. And those policies guide security arms. These are the Ministries of Defence, State Security and Home Affairs.
 “This is how all governments are run. We respect our defense forces, especially those who are at the top.”

15:16 - ”Of course they will retire but we are going to find them room in government so that they do not languish,” says President Mugabe.

15:18 - President Mugabe says he visited the graves of the fallen comrades who perished during the Chinhoyi battle and he would like to declare them national heroes as they lie there.
15:19 - ”Let us have a monument erected here and their names inscribed,” says President Mugabe.
“Father Riberio has written a book about them. He did some research about who they were and their background. We thank him for that”, says President Mugabe.
He says father Riberio used to be their Chaplin at Harare Central Prison adding that he took care of him together with the late Cde Tekere.
“We thank him very much,” says President Mugabe.

15:23 – “People of principle. We believe this country is ours. We are owners of this country. We should defend and protect it. So how come? How come some of you who have farms have allowed whites to come back clandestinely and farm in your pieces? Have you failed to till the land? You are returning the land back to the whites? There are so many farms like that,” he says.
He says people have been told the story of a donkey but says he wants to tell them the story of a Camel.

15:26 – “The camel was being used by a man and when it got cold, it made a special request to the master saying its cold outside. The camel ended up forcing out the owner of the tent when it got comfortable.
15:35 -  Farms were repossessed, President Mugabe says, after Britain refused to honour the Lancaster House agreement
15:37 - ”I am only giving you counsel. Counsel as someone who travelled the journey throughout the struggle. Counsel also, as your President.”
“We must never let go our freedom, ownership of our resources, our story. The legendary story of our struggle.”

15:41 - To the leaders whom we are working with in government, you must realise that what made us succeed was the aspect of unity. Yes, there are cases of discipline but what underlines all this is unity. Unity means we are together in mind, we speak with same language. We should avoid speaking and acting against each other. Gossiping, plotting and counter plotting against each other. I told Chipanga that you will be approached by some senior party members who will ask you to prop them up. Don’t listen to them,” says President Mugabe.
15:43 - ”Once you start listening to one part, you will cause divisions because it will penetrate your wing. Once your wing has been penetrated., we will have a divided party from the top to the bottom. I say to you stop them.”
He says, “There is talk that the President is going, I am not going. There is talk that the President is dying, I am not dying.”


15:46 - ”Of course, I get ailments here and there, like every one else. But I am strong. Recently, doctors were shocked that I have bones so strong. I just said its the Lord. I thank God for keeping me strong for so long,” he says.

15:49 - President Mugabe says he appreciates that there are people with ambitions to lead but he also thinks that a uniting figure is needed to take over.
14:50 -I look at the leaders at the top and the ministers. I ask myself that are they united? I see, No, they are not. They are divided along tribal lines. They are fighting. Some say we no longer want Zezurus. Its our time now. Then I conclude that as long as you have that mentality, you are not going to be a unifier. You are not going to be a good leader,” he says

16:00 - President Mugabe says government came up with programs to assist farmers. He says those with plenty water are working with government under the command agriculture scheme whereas subsistence and communal farmers are assisted under the Presidential Inputs scheme.


He says the two schemes have yielded tremendous results this season. He has called on farmers to consider the possibility of farming crops like cassava, sweet potatoes and rice among others that are found in East Africa.


President Mugabe has also called on farmers to venture into cattle ranching adding that people must shed the notion that raring cattle is an old age thing.

16:06 - Responding to the request by Cdes Hamandishe and Zhuwao, President Mugabe has ordered the reinstatement of fired youth officers.

16:07 – “The request to fire 2000 youth officers, so I am told, never came to Cabinet. Whether it is the Minister of Finance, or Labour and Social Welfare, I say stop it.”

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