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Sydney Kawadza, Harare Bureau
FIRST Lady Dr Grace Mugabe has urged President Mugabe to name a successor as he has the final say on who will take over when the time comes.

Speaking during the Women’s League National Assembly meeting at the Zanu-PF national headquarters in Harare yesterday, Dr Mugabe urged party members to shun factionalism while avoiding clandestine succession meetings.

She said President Mugabe had a role and right to choose his successor as a Zimbabwean citizen.

“There is no succession that can be done without the involvement of Cde Mugabe. No! He has got a say as a citizen of this country. I know the President says, no, no, no, I don’t want to impose any candidate but I have always argued with him that you have a role, you have the right to be part of that process of deciding who is going to be President when you leave the post because we will respect him. So his word will be final. Mark my words, his word will be final,” she said.

She called on President Mugabe to follow the late South African President Nelson Mandela who chose President Thabo Mbeki to take over when he retired.

“We know that in some countries presidents chose who the successor will be. So you President don’t be afraid, tell us who you want to be at the helm and we will follow him.

“So if you President choose me you will see what happens! Because in Zanu-PF we want things to be done openly. Cde President if you tell us your successor, we will openly follow that person.”

She said once the successor has been chosen there was no need for clandestine discussions of the succession issue.

“Why should we hide the successor? The succesor is just talked about clandestinely. Is it that he/she is not the true successor. The true successor is openly revealed to the people.” Dr Mugabe said.

]She urged members of the Women’s League to heed her call and shun factionalism.

The First Lady said President Mugabe was a quiet but wise man who knows what he is doing.

“When the time comes the President will tell us and we will do what we have been told by our leader,” she said.

“We don’t want factionalism. We don’t like it when people say the President is old. When he feels he can not carry on he will tell us,” she said.

The national secretary for women’s affairs denounced the culture of disrespect within the party especially on President Mugabe.

“We don’t want people who go about castigating the President. It’s not right. It’s not part of our culture. We don’tknow where this comes from,” she said.

Dr Mugabe said she was aware of a party member based in South Africa who was dolling out money and denigrating President Mugabe.

“He come here  dolling out money saying power has shifted, forget about Mugabe, calling me that woman. I doesn’t matter! But I know Zimbabweans will not address me as ‘that woman’.

“What happens is that he gives people money, saying my money follows power. Cde Mugabe still has the power. That’s what we know. If this person thinks he has power, it is fake power.

“We as the Women’s League we will follow actual power which President Mugabe has . . . which we gave him. Real, real power, authentic power. Power which which is clandestinely talked about is not real power which is recognisable.”

Dr Mugabe accused the party member of anointing his own First Lady.

“But it doesn’t make any sense at all. That’s stupidity. That’s ignorance because the First Lady is here.

“Let me tell you, even if you make a slogan and… if you do a slogan omitting me it’s useless because I am still your President’s wife. I am not worried if you make slogans, it doesn’t bother me.

“I am still the First Lady, it will never change the status quo. Don’t worry yourselves ladies! I am here as  President Mugabe’s wife. Period! That’s the reality,” said the First Lady

She said when President Mugabe quits she will remain the former First Lady of Zimbabwe and called for mutual respect within the party.

Dr Mugabe said she felt pity for people who lack respect.

“I have been watching people making slogans leaving me out, oh my God, sorry, I feel sorry for you. You women make slogans leaving me out yet I am the one who put you in that position.

“It’s not right for you to do that. If are not wearing the party uniform I will ask why you are not wearing one and I will tell you there and then.

“If you hate me because I have told you the truth don’t come to me when things go wrong for you. Don’t pretend to support me thinking now that you have a position in the party you don’t need.

“I can say I still need you, if you don’t like that you will like me whether you like it or not. Mark my words. I bet, you will need me in future. I am saying this because as women we must love and respect one another,” she said.

The First Lady urged the Women’s League to work hard and avoid being overshadowed by the youth who have held successful Presidential Youth Interfaces in four provinces to date.

“As women let’s not allow the youths to be better than us. As women let’s not tolerate factionalism among us. You stop it, you stop it forthwith!”

She said there was no need for Presidential Interface for the Women’s League as they led the way through People’s Tours across Zimbabwe.

“I said to Cde Chipanga, well done because it appeared as if it was Zanu-PF Women’s League only. Youth League you had to do this to be recognised,” Dr Mugabe said.

The First Lady also took time to commend the success of the Command Agriculture programme, saying this had put the party at an advantage ahead of the 2018 elections.

She also hailed Government efforts to improve the status and integrity of Zimbabwean women. “This has given the Zimbabwean woman the confidence she has today. The Zanu-PF Women’s League hails such democratic governance and gender sensitive planning that culminates in gender representation and participation in key socio-economic and political sectors,” Dr Mugabe said.

She also reiterated the Women’s League’s support in the forthcoming elections.

Dr Mugabe further called for the implementation of the resolution made at the 2015 Victoria Falls and 2016 Masvingo Annual National People’s Conference for the amendment of the party constitution and reinstatement of the provision for a female vice president.

“This Your Excellency, the women requested that it be done in time for the 2019 National People’s Congress.

“In the same spirit, the women are calling for the re-alignment of the Zanu-PF constitution to the national constitution to allow for 50:50 representation in party positions.

“The women of this great nation are passionately appealing to the Revolutionary Party to lead by example,” she said.

Dr Mugabe also hailed Government moves to legislate against early child marriages.

Enforcement is now all what is required.

“Statistics show that rape cases are on the increase. It is in this context that the 60 year mandatory jail sentence for child rapists proposed might be deterrent enough,” she said.

Dr Mugabe also urged the Women’s League to join the Youth League in reaching out to young voters for them to register as voters.

“Your people Cde Chipanga constitute 62 percent of the population. So we woman must tell our children to go and register to vote.

“What is good about the youth is that it constitutes both, male and female children.

“So we women must play our part, especially the Women’s League to tell our children to go and vote. We want to know that our children have registered to vote” she said.

The First Lady also formally introduced Cdes Thokozile Mathuthu, Caroline Mugabe and Judith Ncube who have been appointed as deputy secretary for women’s affairs, secretary for finance and secretary for information and publicity, respectively.

Cdes Mathuthu and Mugabe took over after the resignation of Cde Eunice Sandi Moyo and Cde Sarah Mahoka who left their positions after a litany of allegations from party members.

Cde Ncube takes over from Cde Mathuthu.