(Last Updated on February 28, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Cde Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Amai Mnangagwa;
Cde Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and Amai Mphoko;
Minister of Provincial Affairs for Masvingo, Mai Mahofa, as represented by Baba Hungwe;
Members of the Politburo and Central Committee here present;
The Secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Pupurai Togarepi, and the executive members of the Youth League;
Our Service Chiefs;
Our Traditional Leaders here present;
Our members of the 21st February Movement from all the provinces;
Members of the diplomatic corps;
Invited guests;
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls;
Comrades and friends,
Ndinoda kuvamba nekutendesa zvikuru vana vedu vari muYouth League yedu yeparty, vachitungamirirwa naCde Pupurai Togarepi, nechirongwa chino chinova cherukudzo rwavari kupa kwandiri asi ruri rukudzo runopihwa kuvakuru vedu vese vechirume nemadzimai ruchibva kuYouth League yedu, ruchibva kuvanakomana nevanasikana.
Tanzwa hurukuro dzavatipa ivo VaTogarepi nevamwe vavo nekuzvipira kwavaita kuchengetedza Youth League, chimiro cheYouth League chimiro chemembers dzeYouth League yedu, vachiramba tsika dzatiri kuona mazuva ano dzisiri mugwara rerukudzo, zviito zvatsauka kubva mutsika dzedu.
Tiri pano paGreat Zimbabwe.
Ndowaive musimboti wemba yavaMunhumutapa. Pano ndopatipa hupenyu hutsva. Takarwa tichifunga hupenyu hwaive pano hwevakuru vedu kareko. Kubatana kwaivepo kuti vave vanoparadzira hutongi hwavo kunzvimbo dzaive dzakawanda varifararira kuyambuka kurwizi kuna Limpopo kwese.
Kana makaenda kumakungubwe, matombo akangovakwawo sepano, sezvakaita kumaKhami Ruins zvakavakwa nevakuru vedu.
Hazvaivakwa nevanhu vakanga vasina kubatana.
Hazvaivakwa nevanhu vakanga vasina kushinga.
Hazvaivakwa nevanhu vakanga vasina gwara.
Hazvaivakwa nevanhu vasina tsika.
Kwete.
Hazvaigona kuitika kwete vanhu vachitatsurana, vachirwisana. Kwete. Hazvaiita. Saka paive netsika dzinova ndidzo dzatakapihwa nevakuru vedu isusu dzichibva ikoko mberi kwechinyakare.
Mukaona vana vadiki, hamheno vanenge vaputa mbanje here vadhakwa, vaakutsoropodza madzibaba kusvika mukutsoropodza vakuru vemusangano.
Zvinotonyadza matsoropodzerwe ari kuitwa Amai Mugabe, mudzimai waPresident, zvichiiswa kunaana Aljazeera, zvichiiswa mumarecords zvichitoimbwa.
Kuitira ani?
Vavengi vangave vanani vasvika pakati pedu?
Nekuti mwana azvarwa chaizvo izvo izvo pana baba naamai anosungwa kuti ataura zvakadaro.
Hazvitaurike.
Saka takasvika pakuti, “Ivo veYouth League vari kuzvinzwawo izvozvo?”
Asi ndazofara ndichinzwa VaTogarepi vachiti tichakwasha vakadaro, tivarange, tivadzinge mumusangano wedu. Aiwa hazviitike kuti tive nevanhu vane gwara rakadaro.
Kana kana.
We cannot lead such misguided youths. No. The youths have to be well-disciplined, well-behaved and respectful and amongst ourselves, vamwe vedu tinenge tiri seri tichirunzira vadiki kudaro.
We have got to know, understand that as we destroy the culture of respect amongst ourselves, we are destroying the unity of our nation and the oneness that we need for our people to continue to work together.
Hatizvide.
Masimba kuda nyaya yezvigaro. Hakuwanikwe nemutowo iwoyo. Hakuwanikwe nekutukana pakati pedu.
There is only one way, just one way which is the Zanu-PF way to any position or positions in the party.
It is the way of the people.
You must be chosen by the people and the people must lead, see you and judge you (by) your works, from what you do, what you say, how you act, how you interact.
Are you a well-behaved person?
Are you a hard worker?
What record have you mumusangano to deserve this position over that position?
Those things must be taken together.
So, tinoti we will give you support, all the support you need within the party for us to correct ourselves and correct our direction. Tanga tanzveyama and party yanga yaakuda kurasika.
Saka mayouth akarasika tatoenda. Madzimai akapengerekawo tatoenda.
Saka mawings iwayo anosungirwa kusimbaradzwa pave neunity. Nyaya yekutukana, zvikwata zviri kutukana takati pasi nazvo.
Tive vanhu vakabatana nokuti igwara rimwe chete. Ko, chatirwadza chii vanhu vakatiratidza 2013 kuti vari shure kwedu zvakasimba simba?
Zvimwe zviparty zvakagurunuka. Hauchambokwanisa kuisa zvigamba. Mabhaudhi anotyoka. Kana kudii hapana. Kana vakada kuti ndisu vanaani aaah hapana.
Vanosvotoka vachibva kuMDC-T hamheno vanozviti MDC-T T, MDC-T. Hamheno kuti vanozviti MDC chii. Avo vakabvawo kwedu vakamboedza kuti vangatore zita redu vakari nzvengesa.
Vakati tinoda kuti tizonzi People First. Aaaaah uchanzwa People First, People Second, People Third, People Fourth. Regera. Zvinoramba zvakaita mutorododo zvakadarowo mugwagwa.
Zanu-PF will remain Zanu-PF, very strong, no change.
Ndinotenda, ndinotenda nekurumbidza kwamandiita.
Imiwe hapana mutungamiri angamboite mbiri ari Karikoga. Aiwa, mbiri inobva mukunge wakatsigirwa nemhuri yako yekumusha, zvikuru kuru nekuti imhuri yatashandira, yatarwira.
Imhuri yedu yafirwa nemawar veterans — akafa nevapenyu — vamanga muchiona pano apa vataive navo kumarestrictions nekumadetention.
Mhuri yeZimbabwe, iyoyo kana usiri mutungamiri akanangana nezvido zvevanhu, zvido zvevanhu ndizvo zvinokukwezva. (Wakasaita) zvido zvevanhu warasa gwara.
Zvinangwa zvevanhu, zvido zvevanhu, uri kushandira vanhu here?
Takaramba takadaro tichiona zvido zvevanhu, hunhu wevanhu, tichishandira vanhu.
Simba rawakapihwa nechimurenga rekuti ivhu raarenyu, zvicherwa zvese zvava zvedu.
Maminerals edu, rwese runako, zvaa zvedu.
Hezvoka! Tauya kuno kuzunde, zunde rakakosha rinoremekedzwa. Kwaive nemadzibaba, madzitateguru edu, vanaMunhumutapa.
Kusarudza kwamakaita Baba Togarepi kuti tozova pano kwanga kusiri kusarudza, handifungi kuti kwaive kusarudza kwekuti nekuti iZimbabwe ine mbiri sakatongoendawo ikoko.
Kusaradza kwakava nekudzama kwakati kuti kuti: Tikaenda ikoko tinobva tava nemweya mutsva. We get inspiration from our ancestors.
Ancestral spirit yotiita inspire.
Tobva pano sevanhu, zvino, vane mweya mutsva wekushandira Zimbabwe.
Ko, takazviti Zimbabwe kwete Rhodesia pamusana pei?
Pamusana penzvimbo iyoyi, kuti tive nekubatana, kuti tigobatana nemadzitateguru edu.
Togova vamwe chete.
Vakaenda kareko vachiri pano nevachazouya.
Saka mweya uyo ngaukubatei.
Asi tirege kuva nepfungwa yekuti uyu anobva kwakati, uyu anobva kwakati. Aiwa. Hongu, Masvingo ndivo vachengeti vemusha uno uyu. Hapana asingazvizive izvozvo, kuti they are the hosts. Asi hazvirevi kuti iwe, Togarepi, zvauri wekuno wongofunga nezvekuMasvingo chete, vekuno kuMasvingo ndoo number one.
Aiwa, hatidi kudaro.
Isuwo tichibva kunzvimbo dzatinobva, sevatungamiriri, torega nyaya yekuti wangu muzukuru, sekuru vangu, woenda pachigaro ichi pamusana pekuti ihama yangu chete.
Kana aine ruzivo, hongu, hazvirambidzwe.
Nepotism, ndoo nepotism yatisangade.
Saka tinoramba tichidzidzisana panyaya iyoyi.
Tine urombo, vaResident Minister vedu, Amai Mahofa, vachiine urwere. Asi ndinonzwa kuti vari kuenda vachiva nani. Tinoramba tichinamata kuti Mwari avaponese, avape simba vakwanise kudzokera pabasa ravo.
Baba Hungwe moramba makabata.
Semusharukwa moramba muchipa gwara kuvaduku, varambe vachitevera gwara remusangano kwete remusango.
May I, on behalf of my family, nhasi vari pano — my lovely wife apa, Grace, and my daughter, Ouma, and her husband, Simba, then Tinotenda Robert, he is the tallest in the family, ari kuita architecture, Mr Bellarmine — vese tauya navo.
Vakwasha vauya wo, Baba naAmai Chikowore, Baba vanova Reverend veZaoga. Mhuri dzakabatana idzodzi.
Tinova nekutenda kwamuri mese nekuronga kwamakaita.
Tichine kutenda zvakare kuti imwe mhuri yangu ndeye ava vandinoshanda navo.
Takashanda navo for a long time.
Maratidzwa vamwe vataive navo mujeri, asi vamwe ndichiri navo, uyu Mnangagwa naAmai, muzukuru wangu.
Handizivi zvakaitika, handichatauri.
Cde Mphoko naAmai.
Ndo maVice-President atinoshanda nawo aya.
Nhengo dzePolitburo dziri pano, ndinoda kuti dzisimuke dzese pazuva ranhasi.
Avo vekutanga, avo vane bvudzi jena, havasi Mr Whitehead kwete, ndi vaChombo. NdiSecrectary of Administration kuparty. Munovaziva asi vari ivo Minister weHome Affairs.
Vanovatevera ndivo Secretary of Finance muparty, vari ivo vakabata Ministry yeEconomic Planning, ndiDr Mpofu avo.
Vanovatevera ndiVaKasukuwere, ndivo vamunogara muchiona.
Vanotora action.
Kana munhu akanganisa, anongonzi sendeke.
Iye anozoti “ko zvaitirwei?” tonzwa kuti aahh, kwaita bishi.
Asi kokutanga wabvunza kuna iye, Kasukuwere, kuti ko izvi Kasukuwere wakaitirei pane kutanga mademonstrator?
Pane kunyandutsa vanhu pamwe panenge pasina nyaya huru.
Pamwe nyaya yakaitika uyu akakanganisa haana kunge anzwisisa. Nyaya yeku…kundumura mhuri yose. Kanyaya kakadai koitirwa zibig demonstration.
NdiVaKasukuwere ivavo.
Kozoti Minister of Youth, ohhh ndi Zhuwao, muzukuru wangu, ndiye anoshanda nanaTogarepi, but achibatanidza neIndigenisation neEmpowerment.
VaMohadi ndeveSecurity mumusangano, muhurumende. Ndondima yavo iyoyo asi iPolitburo member. Tagara navo for a very long time, mbiri yakare, vachibva nekuZipra.
Mai Mupfumira veLabour vanongo tatsurana nevashandi, but a strong-willed woman. Havadi zvemanga-manga ivava.
Mai Mupfumira, Minister of Labour.
Mai Madzongwe vari muposition yepamusoro-soro kuParliament uko, asi chiri chinzvimbo chekuSenate. She is the President of the Senate.
Tagara navo muparty for a long time.
Kozoti Togarepi. . . taitaurirana musi uno, achindiudza marongero ezuva ranhasi, sekutaura kwaakaita achiti hapana mhere mhere ichaitika.
It’s a very good meeting, I am proud of you.
But be strong, nekuti kune mayouth ari wayward. Steer direction, principles dzeparty, discipline. . .yaah.
Tinoda kuzviona izvozvo.
Ko, avo vatoro avo. . .mufunge ndakavaita Minister kudhara wePsychomotor and ndoyandakavapa from psychology, zvemabasa emaoko.
Kuti tione kuti vana vatinodzidzisa vanobuda vachiziva masubjects vana Mathematics, vana Geography, Science nemamwe masubjects and so on, but kuti vanokwanisa kuita vana gardening, sewing and knitting.
Zvechinyakare zvanga zvakandwa pasi, vana vachingobuda pasina zvemaoko zvavanoziva.
Zvinotakati tinoda kuzvidzosera muchikoro zvese izvozvo.
Zvino, for a long time, vanga vasina kuitwa swear in, vachingofambawo zvavo. Ndakaona kuti vari kutoita enjoy adventure yekuvhakacha.
Zvino takavasungirira musi uno ndikati, “Huyai imi.”
Zvino marimwezuro ayo, vakatora mhiko yavo yekuti vapindewo muCabinet tovakiira imomo.
Asi havakiirwe nekuti vanodashura nemusoro, nehurefu hwavo.
But munoziva havadaro, vagara for a long time in education.
Chipanga is deputy to Cde Togarepi. Quite dynamic, haasi wekutamba naye. Ndiye akamboita mhere mhere zvichinzi atyisidzira mawar veterans.
Takati zvatiri mawar veterans nesu, tese tatyisidzirwa here naChipanga?
Anga asina kudaro. Angagotyisidzira sei?
I am sure they would want to work together with the war veterans and find one direction.
Chete we want to be agreed on the principles and the need for discipline on both sides — the war veterans and the youths. Hapana kuti vamwe vati, “Ndisu chete.”
Ayehwa.
Zvenyu zvekuti “ndisu chete” nekuti makarwa hondo hatidi.
Yakarwirwa kuti tizova nemagariro matsva tese.
So, together now we must find our way (out of) the problems that we face together. We have a lot to learn from the war veterans because they are more experienced, vaava vakuru.
Vakarwa hondo sei?
But I don’t want them to be bullied.
Izvo kwete!
So, I want to thank mhuri yatinoshanda nayo kumadzimai . . . kuna number two waMai Mugabe. She is Sandi Moyo. She is in the Politburo and comes from Bulawayo.
I thank you for the support, blessings and gifts that you have brought to us as we came together, and have come from all corners of Zimbabwe and all walks of life so we could celebrate the 21st February Movement in joy and happiness as we are doing.
This year also coincides with my having turned 92.
So, it’s my 92nd birthday.
This year’s celebrations — organised under the theme “Celebrating an African icon through enhanced productivity” — dovetail well with our development thrust as a nation which recognises the youth that constitutes not only the majority of our economically active population, but also forms a critical productive force in our country.
The venue selected for the celebrations, our majestic Great Zimbabwe Monument whose African origins the imperialists wished so much to denigrate, is itself iconic for the African people as a whole.
The Great Zimbabwe Monument from which derives the name of our great country is rock solid as you can see, and unshakable, typifying the ideals of pan-Africanism upon which our finding fathers have inexorably anchored our shared conception of African identity and heritage.
I’m glad to share with you that I treat this event with a seriousness it rightly deserves and as a patron of the Movement, I remain highly committed to ensuring that it maintains its importance and aims and objectives for which it was founded.
The Movement is dedicated towards the development of peace-loving young people in all aspects of life.
We, as adults, are called upon to tutor, mould and provide guidance to our youths who are our future leaders.
One such foundation has been provided.
We expect to produce patriotic citizens who are prepared to work hard and sacrifice for the common good of all Zimbabweans.
The foundations of a greater and brighter future is being built today.
This 30th edition of the 21st February Movement is being held after the hosting of a successful 15th Zanu-PF National People’s Conference. The conference, which some in the media had predicted to become chaotic and bloody, proceeded peacefully without even a single instance of violence.
Our people prepared enough food and accommodation for everyone.
The organising team performed miracles.
They turned water in the River Zambezi into a variety of drinks.
They say it was like what our Lord Jesus did at the wedding at Canna.
The conference marked a victory for our youths, who, being the vanguard of our revolution, proved that they are self-sufficient through intelligence, and vehemently shunned the enemies of the revolution by refusing bribes and calls to cause violence and mayhem.
The situation in our country economically, social and politically has not been favourable to our youths.
This is mainly due to the illegally imposed sanctions and the external meddling in our affairs by the enemies of our revolution. This has resulted in unemployment exacerbated by the closure of companies and also lack of resources to finance youth programmes.
The British and Americans, in their cunning ways, have also utilised the opportunity to offer huge sums of money to individuals both within and outside the party so as to cause factionalism which has greatly affected the youth, especially of the recent past. Factionalism, factionalism and, I repeat, factionalism has no space.
It has no place at all in our party, Zanu-PF.
It should never be allowed to exist because we have a platform for discussion, a platform for pitting one idea against another and for entertaining even views which are negative.
We examine them and throw them out if we don’t see any merit in them.
So, let us use that principle and take advantage of that principle, sitting down to discuss our differences.
They call it the principle of dialogue.
We should remain united and use proper channels to solve our differences.
The genesis of factionalism seems to be coming from the senior party members, the so-called political gurus who are using the youths in pursuit of their own evil interests, taking advantage of the challenges facing the youths today.
Ladies and gentleman, comrades and friends, let it be known that the country greatly appreciates the commitment and sacrifice that our young people render to the development of our country.
The dedication of the youths in our party has been noted, especially their mobilisation and effective engagements with youths within Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe.
That was clearly demonstrated during the harmonised election of 2013 and subsequent winning of all the by-elections in 2015.
Unemployment is the biggest challenge we are facing as a nation and as the youth.
Being the working age group, the youth are the most affected.
Our first commitment is to empower the youth so that they become creators of employment so that we can accommodate them in various sectors of the economy.
This will be done by allocating given percentages of operations in the economic sectors, including the land.
In line with Zim-Asset, our vast natural resources will be effectively exploited as we add value to them with effective participation of the youth, thus creating more employment for them.
Discipline shall always be a fundamental requirement in the youth movement if we are to achieve an effective and well co-ordinated youth movement.
The Youth League is our vanguard of the revolution, and in the event of divisionists coming to confuse you, the youth, please, blow the whistle.
The youths must have the knowledge of our party’s ideology, values, constitution and objectives.
Therefore, I encourage the Youth League to carry with them a national vision.
This entails our youths having national service training apart from the party ideology and other cultural and historical forms of instruction.
The youth should always embrace the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in various facets of our development.
It is undisputed that the 21st Century has provided a platform for the use of ICT in our daily lives.
However, the use of social media platforms must be used in influencing the national development spectrums of education, research and innovation, communication and information dissemination, mobilisation to further the development agenda and certainly not for anti-social and divisive purposes.
May I encourage the Youth League to carry with them a national vision with this in mind.
The youths must continue protecting our moral dignity as African people despite the pressures that are coming as a result of globalisation.
Let our youths champion high moral standards in their conduct of various responsibilities at all levels.
Never ever accept that our society can condone marriages of man-to-man or woman-to-woman, the so-called gays.
No.
They have no place in our society and they should not worry us about our own ideas on this matter.
If aid, as I understand, is to be given on the basis that we accept the principle of gay marriages, then let that aid stay where it is.
We don’t want it. It’s rotten aid, filthy aid and we won’t have anything to do with it and it should not come to our country anyway.
I thank you, Zanu-PF Youth League, for successfully organising such an event as we are witnessing today.
They have proven to me beyond any reasonable doubt that they have the capacity to manage national programmes.
To everyone here celebrating with me my 92nd birthday, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I thank God for having recognised this day as well. The rain has fallen and continues to fall, let’s pray for more of it.
So, to everyone here, everyone celebrating with me my 92nd birthday, I wish to thank you, to thank you all from the bottom of my heart and say you are friends indeed.
I need you, I shall always need you as friends. I shall always need you as supporters. I shall always need you as comrades and I shall always need you as co-fighters in the battle for the right of self-determination for us to remain as we are, independent, free to decide how we shall run our country, how we shall run our economy, how we shall organise our society.
But you and me always (need) to work for the peace of our nation, that we shall always strive to achieve peace, to maintain peace rather than strife, fighting and conflicts.
Let us recognise that although we may differ, although we may have different affinities — religious, tribal or even economic — there is room in our country for all of us and that must be recognised.
That is the right of self-determination.
We work together.
We allow democracy to have its play, to have its role in our society and accept the rule of law and the fact that we have a Constitution.
And compliance with that Constitution is a must, that’s the start of our obedience to the rule of law.
Elections must be held as and when they are due.
They cannot be postponed for any reason at all.
When they are due and the Constitution and our laws say they must be held, we must hold them.
But they should be free and fair as the 2013 election was free and fair.
Let’s recognise also that there are vulnerable groups in our society, those that we all must attend to . . . the children.
Take care of our children, not abuse them as some people are doing.
Men, some men . . . every week, we receive cases of men abusing children. A man has abused a child of three years, four years, five, six, seven years. . .
What a sex impulse is that, that gets you to seize a little child?
I have failed, really, to understand what it is that gets these people to commit these abuses on children.
If it was just one or two isolated cases, well, we would say possibly it’s out of madness, some degree of insanity.
But it’s so widespread now and a suggestion has been made that the punishment given by the courts is not enough.
I wonder what is enough punishment.
Can you, the men, suggest to us how these brutal creatures amongst us who abuse young babies, really, should be punished?
Give them 10 years, it’s not enough, with many more continuing to commit the abuses.
Burdizzo, burdizzo. I wanted you, the journalists to say yes, hamudi?
I think we should make them oxen. Some people must be made oxen, huh?
Shariah Law, the Arab (Law) says if you steal, you use your hand to steal (and) that hand must be cut off.
Now if you use (what) to abuse the child, I think it should be cut off.
You will go and get an artificial one, I don’t know.
Well, well, the day is done.
I would want to end by saying it has been a bad year for us from the point of view of the climate and our season.
The agricultural season has not gone that well.
So, we are having to ask for help as we seek for maize and other forms of grain.
We will do our best while kune vamboti kudya kwakauya asi hakukwane.
I think it’s a question of transport.
Mai Mupfumira vari pano, I am sure you can talk to her.
She is very sensitive about that, kuti muone kuti if it’s transport that’s required, then we give transport so more maize can be catered to the areas and we don’t want to hear of people dying.
Chembere and the sick, the disabled and, of course, the kids; they must have the priority.
They are the ones we consider first in feeding our population so they can survive because they haven’t got the means and ability to fend for themselves.
But we are doing our best to feed our nation and for now, there is maize available and yes, we need funding to buy more, but with the help that we are able to get, no matter how little, maybe we shall be able to manage to go through this bad patch in our lives.
These bad patches do come from time to time.
1992 was equally bad.
So, once again, I want to reiterate that I’m thankful that you came.
I’m thankful that you gave us this support and let’s continue to give as much support to the Youth League as we can.
And to the Youth League, through you, Cde Togarepi, may I say well done.
Well done, we are happy.
I’m sure we shall be well-fed, but the going here has been very good, and I wish to emphasise the point you said that we work for this day to become a public holiday.
But that is now a matter for first, the party to accept, and then take it to Parliament so it can be called the day of the youth or a youth day.
We need that day, when we think of our youth, that we dedicate ourselves to help the youths to develop in various ways, intellectually, physically and morally. That is now a project that we must work on together with our Ministry of Justice. I’m sure they will be planning the best way on how to have this day become a public holiday for the youth.
So, I say once again, well done and let’s continue to regard this day as the day of the youth and may there always be a 21st February Movement day.
And may our future see this day come year in, year out after celebrating our youth.
Indeed, it’s a celebration of the leader, but we transfer what you might regard as the qualities of the leader as the qualities that must be emulated by the youths.
So, I say, long live the Youth League.
Pamberi neYouth League!
Pambili lokubambana!
Long live Zimbabwe!
Long live the 21st February Movement!
Pasi nevasingade kubatana nevamwe!
Ngiyabonga!
Ndatenda!