The Sunday Mail
President Mnangagwa was yesterday declared winner of the 2023 presidential election, coming first in a field that included 10 other candidates. Here we look back at some of the memorable soundbites from some of his speeches delivered during his nationwide star rallies that captured the imagination of millions of Zimbabweans.
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On economic modernisation in Magunje, Mashonaland West province
“Modernising in terms of infrastructure development, what has been done by ZANU PF in the last five years?
“We have modernised infrastructure in all provinces and no place will be left behind.
“Yesterday, I was at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, which is now complete.
“We have modernised the Beitbridge Border Post. We have the most modern border post in our region and possibly on the entire continent.
“We have been busy building roads from the Beitbridge Border Post to Harare and now from Harare to Chirundu.
“We used to think roads are constructed through international tenders and we lost out.
“We have our own engineers, our young talented boys and girls who are engineers.
“We gathered them around and created a group of five companies which we sponsor.
“They are constructing modern highways in our country and we shall continue to empower them; we will empower them to construct infrastructure, be it dams, roads or houses, electricity generation; we are now doing it on our own.”
On National Unity in Mutawatawa, Mashonaland East province
“Even if those from the West continue loathing us, we remain united in loving our motherland.
“Our revolutionary mass party, ZANU PF, is the most popular party in Zimbabwe.
“It is the only party that has a history of the liberation of this country.
“It is the only party that has brought democracy, independence and respect to the people of our motherland, Zimbabwe.
“This is a testimony before anybody who has eyes to see: we are democratic and we are united.
“We will continue moving forward – and backwards never – as a united people of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“Under ZANU PF, we shall continue to rule in perpetuity.
“Your coming here is testimony that Mbuya Nehanda died for a worthy cause.
“Let’s continue to build our country together.
“Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, igotongwa nevene vayo, ichinamatirwa nevene vayo. Let’s pray for our country.”
On national heritage in Chipinge, Manicaland province
“My friends, Zimbabwe precedes all of us.
“There is no one among us who can claim to be founder of this country.
“This is Munhumutapa’s land.
“Even when Munhumutapa looks back and sees us taking good care of the inheritance he bestowed upon us, he will be a happy man.
“We are gathered here to assign each of us duties as sons and daughters of Zimbabwe.
“And the duty is to safeguard our inheritance; and the revolutionary party, ZANU PF, is the sole custodian of that inheritance.”
On peace in Mutawatawa, Mashonaland East province
“We are now going for elections, you should go and vote in your numbers.
“Be wary of those that come here with the intention of causing violence.
“They will come with the gospel of violence and not the gospel of Christ.
“Do not engage in violence with them.
“Give them water, instead, and let them continue on their way.
“Do not give them somewhere to sleep; let them continue with their journey.
“The Second Republic, first and foremost, requires peace in the country.
“Zimbabwe is one of the most peaceful countries in our region and also on the continent of Africa.
“There are many countries that do not want us to be peaceful.
“They want us to be violent and divided.
“I say shame on them.
“We are united as a people and as a united nation.”
On rural development in Centenary, Mashonaland Central
“We have procured about 40 drilling rigs to date. These boreholes are being installed at each chief’s homestead in every village.
“Inside two to three years, every village should have a solar-powered borehole where we create a horticulture garden, and that programme is ongoing.
“As a result of that model of agriculture, between 2017 and 2018, our agriculture sector was valued at only US$3,8 billion, now our agriculture is above US$8 billion.”
On electricity and fuel in Magunje, Mashonaland West province
“We had electricity challenges and we went to our Chinese friends, who gave us US$1,4 billion.
“We managed to build Hwange Units 7 and 8, which are now generating over 600MW.
“For the past two to three weeks, there has been no load shedding.
“We are building and refurbishing other units. That is what we mean when we say nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
On mining sector development in Shurugwi, Midlands province
“Yes, there are illegal sanctions, but we have said we will build this country with the resources that we have.
“In 2018, when we came in as the Second Republic, our mining sector was only US$3,7 billion.
“We are now above US$12 billion and it will continue growing because we are now focusing on what we have.
“No one is coming to build our country for us.
“I always say, Germans built their own country, the Americans built their own country, the Japanese built Japan, the British people built their country.”
On engagement and re-engagement in Zaka, Masvingo province
“When the Second Republic came in, given that we are under economic sanctions imposed on us by the Western countries, we said our policy would be that of engagement and re-engagement.
“We are a friend to all and enemy to none.
“That is the basic principle of our policy.”
On food security in Mutawatawa, Mashonaland East province
“As the Second Republic, we have said that our number one priority is food security. Zimbabwe used to have food insecurity, but the Second Republic has built dams in provinces across the country, even in this province.
“We have introduced a model of agriculture that addresses food security at the household level.
“We made sure each and every household is food-secure through Pfumvudza/Intwasa.
“We are now in the third year as a food-secure nation.
“All irrigation schemes introduced by the Second Republic are meant to ensure we have enough food whether there is drought or there is no drought.
“We have harnessed water bodies throughout the country through dams and we use that water for irrigation. We now know how much food we want per year.
“Through all these interventions, we are determined to increase our food output.
“So, for the past three years, we have been planting and harvesting and having surplus food in our country.
“We have enough food for each and everyone.”
