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President Mugabe

Lloyd Gumbo, Harare Bureau
Zanu-PF organs have hailed party First Secretary and President, Cde Robert Mugabe for encouraging unity within the revolutionary party when he addressed tens of thousands who attended the 21st February Movement celebrations at Matopos in Matabeleland South province on Saturday.

President Mugabe called for unity in the party and castigated factionalism.

In separate interviews yesterday, Zanu-PF main wing, the Women’s League and the Youth League said it was important for party functionaries to heed the President’s call.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Ignatius Chombo said President Mugabe’s continuous calls for unity should be respected by everyone.

“It is not the first time that he is calling for unity in the party, as he always calls on party officials to unite and avoid divisions so that we are on the same page when we contest against the opposition parties next year,” said Cde Chombo.

“We have an advantage as Zanu-PF because we are the ruling party and we have a candidate who has name recognition as President. But when we are united, we will be able to win resoundingly to the extent that our enemies who are fond of claiming that the playing field is not even will be embarrassed to challenge the poll outcome.

“As a party, we should be united so that we can fight the common enemy instead of fighting amongst ourselves. I hope everyone heard what the President said because if we do not unite, we will be doing harm to ourselves, yet we should be the same team with the same objectives.”

Zanu-PF Women’s League Secretary for the Commissariat Cde Mabel Chinomona said they wanted unity in the party.

“All what is being said about factionalism is unhealthy for the party,” she said. “Genuine party members would not want to hear any divisions in the party, especially when we are going towards the 2018 elections because united we stand, but divided we fall.

“This is the time we need each other more than ever before. Everybody has to take the President’ speech seriously. Just like in a home set-up, no mother would want to see fights in the family. As Women’s League, we should be seen uniting people.”

Zanu-PF secretary for Youth Affairs Cde Kudzanai Chipanga said it was incumbent upon every party member to respect what the President said.

He said a united Zanu-PF was bound to win the forthcoming harmonised elections against the mooted coalition of opposition parties.

“We are glad that our President has been consistent with the issue of unity, peace and development,” said Cde Chipanga. “We also want to make sure that we will preach unity in the party and safeguard the party from external infiltration and Western-sponsored machinations.

“The so-called coalition being planned by opposition parties in their various formations is a non-event. The real coalition is about Zanu-PF getting together as a united front and as proved by previous elections, no organisation can defeat a united Zanu-PF structure.

“The President is spot-on. We just need unity in the party for us to win these elections and even any future elections. We do not need foreign donors, we do not need foreign funding. We just need unity in Zanu-PF and we will be home and dry.

“But we are much worried about the said divisions in the party, which are being perpetrated by some unguided rogue elements, the likes of Energy Mutodi. They are trying to cause some disunity in the party.”