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Farirai Machivenyika Harare Bureau
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday said Bulawayo was chosen to host the forthcoming 6th edition of the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games as part of plans to revive the industrial capacity of the country’s second largest city.
The President said this when he lit the torch for the Games at State House in Harare.

“I wanted it done for Bulawayo. Bulawayo, of all our cities, is the one which has suffered the most from sanctions, because in the olden days it was established as the industrial city before the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

“It was the centre and is still the centre, the capital of our railway systems and of course for some of us who have lived around there and whose parents also worked that side, have that much sentiment within us, an undying sentiment for Bulawayo.

“So there it is now, this is it now along with other activities, socio-economic activities are also taking place, reviving the city, reviving the industries gradually, the railways system, the transport systems,” he said.

President Mugabe said even former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, had attempted to have the Games moved from Bulawayo to Harare citing shortages of funds.

The President said during Cabinet meetings then, it appeared most ministers shared the same view with Coltart.

“It appeared the view in Cabinet was becoming acquiescent and I said are you becoming spineless Mr Coltart, come on, strengthen your spine, Games will be held in Bulawayo. It jolted him a bit and he said well, we will try and he went on coming to Cabinet time, reporting progress here, the lack of it elsewhere, especially in regard to the funding of the programme and right up to the day we had our elections, July 31,” he said.

President Mugabe said he was surprised to hear that the secretary general of AUSC, Mvuzo Mbebe, had also tried to have the Games moved from Bulawayo by approaching Vice President Joice Mujuru.

“But I am glad that there has been success, but I didn’t know there was another attempt and why should they have gone to the Vice- President?

“So if the VP can say yes, she will be the right person to go the President with the strong view, what’s that? Tinoenda kunambuya kuti shoko risvike kunanamai nanababa (We go through an intermediary for a message to be relayed to the elders), you see. I would never have accepted it and I am glad she rebuffed him and said no.

“Well, these are some of those things. It is when the challenge is there that we say do we do it or just drop it? And you say no, we just have to do it and you have timed the issue. You have funds, lack of them and it appears that no, the impediments overweigh the positive and you say no, impediments yes but we can do it and there you are, we are doing it.”

President Mugabe said government wanted to stem the migration of people from Bulawayo to Harare or South Africa, saying that was why government was committed to reviving the industrial capacity of Bulawayo.

Meanwhile, Mbebe has commended the Zim-Asset economic blueprint, saying improvements in infrastructure in Bulawayo was testimony to its success.

“I have already seen Zim-Asset at work in Bulawayo and I want to thank you for that. We have seen infrastructure development both economic and otherwise.

“During the Games we are going to see Zim-Asset at work, we are going to see tourism like you have never seen before in Bulawayo. I hope the Honourable Minister of Tourism (Walter Mzembi) is ready,” Mbebe said.

“Bulawayo will not be the same again with tourism once we are done with the Games. During the Games, Zim-Asset will make sure that we deliver economic development by promoting small and medium enterprises.”

Mbebe added that more than 1,000 jobs had been created in rehabilitating infrastructure in Bulawayo while at least 150 residual jobs would be created after the Games.

He said by opting to host the Games in Bulawayo, the Zimbabwean government had not chosen the easy path and had shown the resilience that had become synonymous with its people.

Government has invested $14 million in improving infrastructure in Bulawayo.