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Minister Abednico Ncube

Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
Matabeleland South is ready to host the 21st February Movement Celebrations on February 25 to celebrate President Mugabe’s birthday, Provincial Affairs Minister Abednico Ncube has said.

In an interview on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting at Rhodes Estate Preparatory School (Reps) in Matobo on Saturday, Minister Ncube who is also Minister of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage said all preparations had been done to ensure that the event is a success.

“We’re ready to host the party and we would like to extend our invitation to everyone to come and celebrate this special day with us,” said Minister Ncube.

“We’re here to support our President; we’re certain that the celebrations that recognise his birthday will be a success and wish him a long life.”

Minister Ncube said Zanu-PF has so much confidence in President Mugabe that they would rally behind him as he leads the party in the 2018 elections.

“Come 2018, we don’t have another candidate for President but President Mugabe, we’ll all rally behind him as our presidential candidate in those polls,” he said.

Minister Ncube said the Government was working on a number of initiatives to capture the legacy of President Mugabe and many other heroes of the nation.

“We’re looking at institutions like Reps to change because Rhodes is not our hero. He was an oppressor so I think there was an oversight on the aspect of institutions like this school which should be changed,” said Minister Ncube.

“We’ll advise them to correct this.  A school must actually be named after our heroes; we have many heroes in Zimbabwe like President Mugabe, the late Dr Joshua Nkomo and many other heroes of this country.”

Earlier in the meeting, Zanu-PF Youth League Secretary for the Commissariat, Cde Innocent Hamandishe bemoaned the retention of colonial names in the district.

“I think it’s important that the 21st February Movement celebrations are held here because we’ve realised that this district still holds on to many colonial names and it’s our hope that the celebrations will inspire a change in that,” he said.

Cde Hamandishe who oversees the preparations by the youth league said by tomorrow, the venue of the celebrations would be ready to host delegates coming to celebrate the President’s birthday.