The Sunday Mail
First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe has ushered in a new era in intra-party relations in Zanu-PF’s Harare province by forgiving members of the local executive accused of trying to elbow her out of the running for the Women’s League top post, and getting feuding leaders to shake hands.
Dr Mugabe, at the heavily subscribed rally at City Sports Centre today, said unity was crucial for Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe.
Her sentiments elicited cheers and thunderous applause from thousands of Zanu-PF supporters who thronged the sports arena for the Harare leg of her nationwide “Meet the People Tour”.
Dr Mugabe has been nominated to head the ruling party’s Women’s League and is going around Zimbabwe thanking the nation for its support.
There were reports that Zanu-PF Harare had opposed Dr Mugabe’s elevation – which will be confirmed at the party’s Congress in December – but today that chapter was closed.
In a gesture that had the bumper crowd ululating and clapping, the First Lady, Harare province chair Ambassador Amos Midzi, political commissar Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe and youth leader Cde Godfrey Gomwe shook hands on stage as Dr Mugabe declared that the warring was over.
Cde Mashayamombe allegedly led the anti-Dr Mugabe attempts, while Cde Midzi and Cde Gomwe have been at loggerheads with the provincial chairman allegedly angry that youths had endorsed the First Lady’s nomination in August.
“Today is the beginning of a new chapter for Harare province… factionalism chaiyo yapera nhasi. We are human beings, we make mistakes and only God is infallible so the spirit of forgiveness should be among us.
“This is our own mini Unity Accord involving Amai Mugabe, Cde Midzi and Gomwe. To Mashayamombe, I say uri munhu wenyama, I forgive you because you are my son. Ndodakuti pamberi pevanhu nhasi ndakuregerera and from today onwards, the capital will never be the same…zvakaitika tosiya kumashure,” said Dr Mugabe, shaking hands with Cde Mashayamombe.
“Hatidi kushungurudza VaMidzi vagotadza kuita basa, we chose him to lead Harare so VaMidzi ndibaba. I prayed about this yesterday, kuti Mwari batanidzai baba nemwana wavo.
“If there is anyone who will say ndiri waMidzi or waGomwe wasara wega. Ndirikufunga kuti kurwisana kwapera. Let us forget about factionalism and do what the people mandated us to do; that is to prop up the City of Harare.
“We should be a party that delivers. People of Harare are not happy, vakatsamwa, vangafare sei ivo vasina masocial services, vachinwa mvura yakasangana nesewage. Let us do works that will persuade people to desert the opposition parties.
“The root of factionalism is the belief among some within who think they are wiser than others… they are getting money from foreigners to disrupt the party. Factionalism is being brewed from the top, but we are saying there is no more factionalism,” declared Dr Mugabe.
Cde Midzi formally received Dr Mugabe into the Harare province party structures.
“I want to receive you in the province Amai. We know you are party member from Robert Gabriel District of Highfield. Pane zvinoitika vana vachikwikwidzana kuda kusvika kuna amai. Harare is a province which brews both the good and the bad, we have our own challenges,” he said.
Incumbent Secretary for Women’s Affairs Cde Oppah Muchinguri praised Dr Mugabe for her motherly love and her ability to unify the nation.
“Rudo rwakazara pana mai ava. She is a unifier, vanoda kuyananisa as a God fearing personality. You know she is already looking after orphans in Mazowe, the disabled at Danhiko so she is the mother of all.
“We held the conference to endorse Dr Mugabe saka hapana chekumirira, we can’t wait for the Congress to get the appointment letters, party work should start now in all provinces,” said Cde Muchinguri who also castigated those fanning factionalism in Zanu-PF.
“Pasi ne factionalism, waiti ukada kumira naMidzi wonzi uri wanhingi… I failed to hold some women’s meetings because of factional resistance. Zvino kana paana amai Mugabe muchaita here twuma side meetings twenyu, zvabinder, zvapresser. We do not need backbiting and gossiping around in the party…ndozvirikuuraya musangano weZanu-PF.”
