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Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor—
ZANU-PF does not expect negative energy at President Robert Mugabe’s 92nd birthday celebration tomorrow following his call for an immediate end to squabbling by party members, youth league deputy secretary Cde Kudzai Chipanga said yesterday. President Mugabe addressed the nation last week and called for an end to intra-party fighting and denounced factionalism and tribalism in Zanu-PF. After his address calm returned to the party.

Cde Chipanga scoffed at mischievous suggestions by the private media that the squabbles among senior party members were an indication that President Mugabe was no longer in control of the party and country.

“The President is in full control. He has been in control since we attained Independence in 1980 and has never wavered. He was in control even as some few mischievous elements were causing chaos and that is why when the President put his foot down, there was immediate peace and quiet,” said Cde Chipanga.

“President Mugabe is our leader. He leads and we follow. When he indicates left, we turn left and when he indicates right, we turn right. Our President is a strong and iconic leader not only for Zimbabwe but the entire continent as exhibited by his astute leadership of the African Union.

“We’re not worried about the subversive reports from the private media, we know their sponsor and we know where they get their instructions from so we won’t waste our time on them.”

Cde Chipanga said youths from the country’s ten provinces had started arriving in Masvingo ahead of the celebrations being held under the theme, “Youth Celebrating an Icon through Enhanced Productivity.”

“I can safely say all is set for the big day. The tents have been pitched, the stage is ready and all logistics are in place to ensure that the celebrations are not only a success but memorable,” said Cde Chipanga.

President Mugabe in his televised address last Friday paid tribute to the youth for choosing Masvingo as the venue of this year’s celebrations saying the province was rich with historical heritage.

“We want the road to be clear,” he said. “We want to go there without divisions, without the insults from any quarter, with the unity of purpose, with the oneness I talked about of being Zimbabweans and going to the Great Zimbabwe is going to our birth place for we are now the Republic of Zimbabwe and the children of that Republic are Zimbabweans and that is why we are going there and I am glad our youths have chosen that venue.”