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Patrick Chitumba/Munyaradzi Musiiwa
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday strongly castigated some elements who pretend to be Zanu-PF when at heart they are not, saying they were free to leave the revolutionary party.

Addressing multitudes of Zanu-PF supporters at Muchakata Business Centre in Chiwundura ahead of the by-election , VP Mnangagwa described such people as “possessed” with the demon of the “biblical legion”.

He urged Zanu-PF supporters to be wary of people bent on sabotaging and destabilising the revolutionary party.

“Our people should respect each other,” said VP Mnangagwa. “However, kune vamwe vanopindwa nemweya wa Legion we muBible. Vanhu vakadero vanofanirwa kubuda muZanu-PF (Such people must leave Zanu PF).

“Not all who call Jesus’ name are Christians. Same applies to Zanu-PF, not all who say we are Zanu-PF are Zanu-PF. Some of them are not Zanu-PF. Pane vanoti isai bhora musango, muvachenjerere ivavo nekuti vane mweya yakaipa, mweya yaLegion.”

VP Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF was not a violent party and those who perpetrate violence should do so at their own peril.

He said Zimbabwe was a peaceful country and those that wanted to either incite or perpetrate violence should be rebuked with the contempt they deserve.

VP Mnangagwa urged all member of the party to remain united and uphold the ideology and values of Zanu-PF as a revolutionary party.

“I would want to urge all the candidates who were not successful in the primary elections to join hands with our candidate Cde Brown Ndlovu so that we ensure that we retain this parliamentary seat. We are all fighting for the same cause, therefore, we should be united.

“Do not vote for these fly-by-night political parties vanoita sana chura.”

VP Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF had remained committed to transforming the lives of the people, as evidenced by developmental projects the party had enmbarked on.

He said the country recently witnessed a surge in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) following successful agricultural programmes and infrastructural development projects.

VP Mnangagwa said the country was slowly becoming self reliant owing to such programmes as Command Agriculture and the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme.

“According to statistics released by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank last month, our GDP has risen by 2,6 percent this year,” he said.

“Our Finance Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa projected that our GDP would grow by 3,7 percent. This is because of our agricultural programmes, the mining sector and infrastructural development in general. This has all been achieved without borrowing money from outside.”

VP Mnangagwa said Government was in the process of identifying farmers to embark on a massive cattle fattening programme that would see the country’s beef industry rising from 280 000 cattle to 600 000 slaughtered per year.

He said this would be part of the $300 million which was secured by Government to fund the Command Livestock project launched last month.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), I had a meeting with livestock farmers to discuss the required amount of money for the Command Livestock programme,” said VP Mnangagwa.

“This project includes fishery, piggery, poultry, goat and sheep farming as well as cattle farming. As a country we were slaughtering around 280 000 cattle every year. We want to increase the number to 600 000. We are looking for farmers who would embark on a cattle fattening programme so that we would be able to meet the target.”

Cde Mnangagwa said Government will build on the success of the 2016/17 agricultural season which guarantees food security for the country.

He said what was encouraging was that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have given thumbs up to the country’s agriculture and mining sectors.

“We are moving in the right direction as we work towards food security. IMF and World Bank have given thumbs up to our agricultural and mining sector. These two sectors have been successful,” he said.

VP Mnangagwa said Government was committed to supporting the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme and Command Agriculture as evidenced by the sourcing of about $600 million for both programmes for the 2017/18 agricultural season.

“We are busy buying irrigation equipment from Brazil and Belarus so that our country can produce surplus food. President Mugabe said we have the land, the rains and the people to till the land and therefore there is a need to finance the people through programmes such as Presidential Inputs Support Scheme and the Command Agriculture programme,” he said.

Cde Mnangagwa urged the party supporters to retain the seat left vacant following the passing away of Cde Kizito Chivamba.

Zanu-PF Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said Zanu-PF should retain the seat since opposition parties had nothing to offer.

He said: “Nkosana Moyo, MDC, (Arthur) Mutambara, (Tendai) Biti, mai (Joice) Mujuru all have nothing to offer the electorate. Only Zanu-PF has pro development programmes. Vice President Mnangagwa here is part of the Zanu-PF story.”

Cde Ndlovu was declared the party’s candidate after the primary polls winner, former Zvishavane legislator, Cde Pearson Meeting Mbalekwa, withdrew his candidature citing personal reasons.