Zimpapers Logo

Online Editor Stanford Chiwanga

Updates: Zimpapers Online Team

15:27 – That’s it from us. Thank you for being with us. Join us next time.

15:23 – “President Mnangagwa is action oriented” – Dr Mpofu.

15:21 – Zanu-PF secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu gives a vote of thanks.

He says Matabeleland North is grateful for everything President Mnangagwa has done for this country since his inauguration.

15:17 – President ends his address. He signs off by Chanting the Zanu-PF slogan.

15:15 – A drone flies over Somhlolo Stadium where President Mnangagwa addressed a rally.

15:14 – Voting is done by one person after the other and not through demonstrations.

15:13 – We are a mass party; we are going to win peacefully, so treat them well. Don’t bother yourself with these small political parties. We Zimbabweans are nice people, hospitable people.

15:12 – We welcome foreign observers and make them feel at home.

15:11 – President Mnangagwa encourages hard work.

15:10 – We have created two banks to empower our women and the youths. There is no question of security; you just go as long as you have a clear plan on how you want to implement your projects.

15:08 – We want to leapfrog to catch up with the rest of the developing countries by attracting global investment into Zimbabwe. That can be achieved if the investors feel safe.

15:07 – President Mnangagwa says he wants to donate computers to a school built for the San Community in Tsholotsho. He directs Minister Cain Mathema to make sure that the school is connected with electricity.

15:05 – We are also dualising the road from Kazungula to Victoria Falls. I hear that some parts of Binga don’t have TV and radio signals but that will be attended to I have given Charamba a task to fix that by the end of the year.

15:03 – He says the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road will benefit youths from Matabeleland South, North and Bulawayo. We are rebuilding the Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane Road so that when you are going to Harare you don’t have to pass through Bulawayo.

15:02 – He says the province also has the largest deposits of coal bed methane in Southern Africa.

“The gas will be exploited to produce fuel among under products.”

15:o1 – President Mnangagwa says Mat North is rich in minerals.

15:00 – The Gwayi Shangani project that has been outstanding for years, we are resuming it. In Hwange, we commissioned the Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project that will create 3 000 jobs. On Wednesday we were officiating at the ground breaking for the expansion of the Beitbridge Border Post that will also create jobs.

We are a party with the people at heart.

14:55 – Now, each province must grow its economy. We do that by devolution of Central Power. There is no province without resources. All we want is for power to devolve from Harare to the provinces.

We were in Mat South and gave 1 660 head of cattle to people in Matabeleland South. Today we distributed more than a thousand cattle for the people in Matabeleland North. Beneficiaries included women men and youths. We want to empower the masses.

14:52 – We had 20 years of isolation and the new dispensation said we are going to engage those countries which had disengaged from us to build relations with mutual respect.

14:50 – We are past the days of the interfaces that were used to insult others. We are going to win the July 30 elections peacefully. We want to develop our country and create many Jobs.

We must plan sector by sector and say this is how we are going to move in each sector. We want decent jobs, new factories are being established while old ones are being refurbished across the country.

14:45 – President Mnangagwa says Zanu-PF is against hate speech.

14:42 – President Mnangagwa said the former President had scheduled a Congress on the second week of December and it was at that gathering that he was (President Mnangagwa) was made Zanu-PF First Secretary.

14:40 – This is now a clean revolutionary Zanu-PF with committed people. Then i was recalled and became Vice President again. Meanwhile a revolutionary son (Cde Jacob Mudenda) from Matabeleland North chaired Parliament and said Mugabe had abandoned his executive powers and we will impeach him.

We as a revolutionary party, we shall respect all our icons that led the revolution. Our founding fathers such as Joshua Nkomo, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Josiah Tongogara, we will not forget them as they led the revolution.

14:35 – The voice of the people is the voice of God. We also said Zimbabwe is now open for business.

14:32 – The Central Committee chucked out G40 members that had ruined the party. One Jonathan Moyo was expelled together with, Kasukwere, Grace Mugabe, Mphoko, Zhuwawo and Chombo.

14:30 – Zanu-PF sat down and Obert Mpofu was the one who chaired the meeting that led to this new dawn.

14:28 – How did it come about? Chiwenga explained. When I became a border jumper you at home refused the situation.

14:25 – President Mnangagwa takes to the podium.

“This is a new Zimbabwe, a new era, a new dawn.”

14:18 – Zanu-PF candidates in the forthcoming harmonised elections have been invited to the main stage to meet President Mnangagwa.

14:20 – He had attained his Law Degree. The war was then fought leading to the Lancaster House Conference.

After independence he was assigned to various posts in government.

He then became Vice President. Then the country became a mess.  You the people then came through and marched and the party decided that he becomes President.  Zimbabwe has now opened its doors to rebuild the country in a peaceful manner. Secondly, President Mnangagwa said elections must take place according to the Constitution.

13:57 – VP Chiwenga narrates the history of President Mnangagwa.

“The settlers banished President Mnangagwa’s father and family to northern Rhodesia where he carried on with his studies briefly as the war was intensifying,”

“He joined UNIP when he was at school and that eventually caused his expulsion from school. He became the youth Secretary-General for UNIP. He met Willy Musarurwa who told him to join ZAPU in 1962.”

13:52 – VP Chiwenga says he has stood up to introduce President Mnangagwa.

“His Excellency will be President again after 30 July. He has traveled a long journey to be where he is.

13:48 – Political Commissar Engelbert Rugeje now giving his remarks and introduces dignitaries that have accompanied President Mnangagwa.

He calls VP Chiwenga to the podium.

 

13:46 – Cde Richard Moyo, Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial chairman giving his welcome remarks.

He says President Mnangagwa has come to preach the gospel of development.

13:45 – President Mnangagwa has arrived at the stadium.

PREAMBLE

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is set to address a Zanu-PF rally in Matabeleland North at Somhlolo Stadium in Lupane this afternoon.

Stay with us for live updates.

Earlier in the day he distributed cattle under the Command Livestock Programme in Jotsholo.

Lupane is an area blessed with coal-bed methane gas. Coal gas is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent years, it has become an important source of energy, predominantly used in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Methane gas is mostly used in power generation and fertilizer production.

It is also home to indigenous hardwood forests such as teak (Baikiaea Plurijuga), mahogany (Guibortia coleosperma), mukwa (Pterocaspus angolensis) and other indigenous hardwoods such as wooden banana, Leadwood and white seringa (Kirkia Acuminata).

The Matabeleland North provincial capital is also home to Lupane State University.