GOVERNMENT is ready to deal with any form of violence and will not hesitate to throw into prison elements that preach hate and are, after losing elections, instigating violence, President Mnangagwa has said.
Yesterday, in his first public engagement after sailing to victory in the recently concluded harmonised elections at Mukwasi Primary School in Buhera, President Mnangagwa said violent machinations of the country’s enemies and their local lackeys will come to nought as the ruling party Zanu-PF is marching ahead with its development agenda notwithstanding the usual noises from opposition losing candidates.
“We are going forward with our development plans and programmes, we will not stop because of noises from some little boys, they will continue making that noise but we shall continue to move on,” President Mnangagwa said.
“I warn anybody who wants to be nonsensical and bring chaos in this country, we are ready to deal with any chaos, anyone who preaches hate speech shall be responsible for their hate speech, our prisons are not full. We want peace, we want unity, we want development and those who disagree with Zanu- PF should do so quietly and peacefully, tinofamba tese zvakanaka, asi ukaita mhesvamukono, tinokuveza.”
Earlier during the day, President Mnangagwa had commissioned the Sabi Star Lithium Flotation Plant.
President Mnangagwa, who hinted on forming a new Cabinet next week after the inauguration, praised Zimbabweans for maintaining peace before, during and after elections saying this had shamed the country’s detractors who expected violent polls.
“No outsider will rule this country through puppets, as Zimbabwe we say no, if the West want their puppets to rule they should first take them to rule in their countries,” President Mnangagwa added.
“We will never forget our history, where we came from, our people know who brought this democracy. We had our elections in peace, we voted in peace and won in peace, they were some who wanted violence, let’s shame them by maintaining peace.”
He said Zimbabweans in their numbers voted for Zanu- PF and when the results were announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), some losing candidates started claiming victory despite lack of evidence to back their claims.
President Mnangagwa added that people overwhelmingly voted for the revolutionary party Zanu-PF because the party has the people’s interests at heart and will continue to initiate development that leaves no one and no place behind, including in areas where people voted for the opposition.
The President said ZANU PF has a record of delivering unlike opposition parties that lack ideological grounding and have nothing to offer the electorate except fake promises.
“During the elections we had observers from different countries, they all said they had never witnessed such peaceful elections, however, they were few individuals who had their preconceived ideas and now they are desperate because what they thought would happen did not happen,” President Mnangagwa added.
“They thought there was going to be violence during the elections and we voted in peace. ZEC stood fast and resolute, they were some who came and bribed our journalists and others but still Zanu- PF won the elections. If you stand for the people, the people will stand with you.”
President Mnangagwa said Government will continue to develop the rural areas as the country seeks to attain its vision of becoming an upper middle class economy by 2030.
“The next five years under Zanu- PF Government, we want to develop our rural areas. We want food security and at the moment we have enough food in our reserves,” he said.
Zimbabwe held its elections on August 23 and President Mnangagwa invited observers from across the world with 169 observers being accredited.
So far the Commonwealth observer mission, South Africa, Nambia and Botswana have hailed the recently ended elections
Government implemented a number of life- changing projects during President Mnangagwa’s first term which included construction of roads, dams, bridges and the country has made siginificant progress in its modernisation and industrialisation programme.
President Mnangagwa said Govenment will continue building on this momentum and will therefore not be detracted by noises from losers.
The President was accompanied by his deputy Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Cde Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, Zanu PF Politburo members and the incoming legislators mostly from Manicaland province.
— Chronicle
