PRESIDENT MUGABE . . . My Government is fully aware that the economy is operating under very challenging conditions
President Mugabe’s full Address on the occasion of Heroes Day, National Heroes Acre, August 8, 2016
Honourable Vice President Comrade Emmerson Mnangagwa and Amai;
Honourable Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and Amai;
Honourable President of the Senate Mai Edna Madzongwe;
Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda;
The Chief Justice Honourable Godfrey Chidyausiku;
Families of the national heroes;
Honourable Minister of Metropolitan Province of Harare Mai Mirriam Chikukwa;
Honourable Ministers here present;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Service Chiefs;
Families of heroes of the Zimbabwe national liberation struggle,
War Veterans; War Collaborators; Ex-detainees and Restrictees;
Our traditional leaders here present;
Your Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Esteemed Foreign Guests and visitors;
Ladies and gentleman;
Comrades and friends.
TODAY, as per our tradition, we are gathered here at the National Heroes’ Shrine and at various shrines throughout the country and in neighbouring countries. We continue to honour our heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle, the gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe who fought fearlessly to dislodge the racist settler colonial regime.
They sacrificed their lives and brought freedom and independence to the people of Zimbabwe.
Fellow Zimbabweans, comrades and friends, in order to consolidate the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, Government is implementing and has taken various strategies and measures to boost the economic performance and to empower our people.
In spite of the challenges we face due to the liquidity crunch, current economic performance indicates some modest milestones, with growth being driven by key sectors, such as agriculture, mining, tourism, industry and construction.
Hongu, pazuva ranhasi tinenge tichiyeuka magamba edu. Tinenge tichiyeuka zvikurukuru kuzvipira kwavakaita kuti zuva ranhasi rizovapo. Zvichireva kuti rusununguko rwatava narwo rwugovapo. Tinenge tichiyeukawo zvakare kuti mukurwira nyika iyi, kwakanga kusina nyaya yekuti ava vari kwavo ava vari kwavo, kwete! Vakanga vakabatana, vari pamwe chete, nekuti nzira yakanga iri imwe chete, chinangwa chiri chimwe chete. Mhuri inorwirwa iri imwe chete, mhuri yeZimbabwe.
Kubatana uku kuti zvese zvatataura izvi zviri kuitwa nehurumende kuda kukwidziridza hupfumi hwenyika hazvingareve chinhu kana tisina kubatana tichiti ava vari kwavo, ava vari kwavo.
Zvinorevawo kuti kunyangwe tiine mapazi emhuri dzedu muno munyika vamwe vachinzi vangave vaKaranga, vangave vaZezuru, vangave vaManyika, vangave maNdebele, vangave maKorekore, vangave vaNdau, vaVenda, vaTonga, ndihwo hwupfumi hwatinahwo hweculture yedu.
Hazvireve kuti kupasanidzwa pakuva vanhu veZimbabwe, pakuva tose pazvinangwa zvenyika yedu, pakuonana takafanana. Saka tichiti ngatirambei tiri mugwara iroro rakatarwa nevarume nemadzimai vari pano, vakazvipira vachibva kunzvimbo dzakasiyanasiyana.
Tinge tichionana zvisinei kuti unobva kuregion iyi, unobva kunzvimbo iyi. Ko, ndozvataisungirwawo kuitaka. Kuti nzvimbo dzese dzigarwe zvisinei kuti unotaura mutauro uyu wakasiyana nevamwe, zvisinei kuti unoenda kuchurch ipi kana ipi, asi dziri church dzakanangana nezwi raMwari.
Kwete dzimwe dzemazuva ano dzakanangana nemari, dzinopembedza mari kupfuura Mwari.
Tinotenda shoko ratapihwa namufundisi ranhasi. Tive vanhu vanoona kuti nyika ndeyedu tose, naizvozvo hurumende kana ichiedza zvainoedza kuita kuti tibudirire, inenge ichiedzera izvozvo, ichizama nekwayo kuzamira mhuri yose yeZimbabwe.
Kana tava nenjodzi ingatipinde, takaita njodzi yemasanctions yataramba tinayo. Kozouya njodzi yekushaya mvura zvoreva kuti zvekudya zvinenge zvoshomeka. Tova neruzivo rwokuti dambudziko renyika kana rouya rauyira tose.
Kwete kuzoti rauya, tobva toti aahh, hurumende heyo yatadza kuita basa.
Hurumende haisiriyo inonaisa mvura, kwete. Asika chionai. Zvadaro, inozama nekuzama kwainogona nako kuti mhuri irarame, kwese kwese. Hazvinei kuti uyu uyu ndewe party ipi kana ipi. Tinenge tichida kuti ararame, adye achirarama.
Kana chakawanda, ngaadye achiita dumbu, hazvirambidzwe. Asi kana chakashomeka, aah, tininge tichiti hachitikwanire. Saka chisina kukukwanira iwe kana uri weMDC kana uri People First kana People Second, usashore. Usati aiwa, aahh, chikafu chakupiwa veZanu-PF chete. Handizvo. Handi chokwadi. Endai mumamana, handizvo zvatiri kuita. Handizvo zviri patsika yedu, maitiro edu, pamabatiro edu enyika. Handizvowo zvakare zviripo. Kana tichitevera shoko raMwari raparidzwa pano nhasi, tose tiri vana venyika.
Economic activity in the agriculture-related sectors remains subdued owing to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which was characterised by low and erratic rainfall.
This resulted in reduced agriculture production thereby negatively affecting the food and nutrition security situation in the country. In view of this Government is committed to pursuing strategies that guarantee food security in rural and urban households.
Government will continue to import grain enough to feed our people. Our people, all our people and I am sure no Zimbabwean citizen will starve.
With regard to cropping beginning with the 2016/ 2017 agricultural season, Government will pursue command agriculture in order to ensure food security and maize supply self-sufficiency.
The programme targets producing a minimum of two million metric tonnes of maize from 400 000 hectares of irrigated land. Prompt payments for grain delivered by farmers to the Grain Marketing Board will continue so as to assist farmers to prepare for the oncoming season.
My Government is fully aware that the economy is operating under very challenging conditions. As such, we recently gazetted Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 which seeks to manage the importation of certain products as a way of supporting and resuscitating the local industry.
The manufacturing sector’s capacity utilisation is expected to remain generally stable on the back of these measures which will be reviewed from time to time.
Already, some notable investments have been made in edible oils, milk powder, drinks and beverages and clothing and footwear. Ehee, takaita yandati Statutory Instrument 64, murawo wakaitwa unokwaniswa kuitwa neHurumende asi uchibvumirwa uripasi pemumwe murawo mukuru unenge wapasiswa neParliament.
Uyu wakaitwa kuti tibatsire nyika yedu, tibatsire vanhu vedu vanorima angave madomasi nezvimwe zvakadaro zvinotengeswa muno munyika.
Zvanga zvaakuora pamusana pekuti kwanga kuine vamwe vakaona kuti zvekuSouth Africa zvakachipa kupfuura zvedu. Zvingachipeka nekuti ivo rand ravo rakadzika pasi saka rino demwa nedollar. Dollar rimwe chete kuSouth Africa ukaenda naro unopiwa maRand anopfuura 10 kana kuti kusvika 15.
Naizvozvo nedollar rimwe chete, unokwanisa kutenga zvimwe zvinhu zvakachipa kuSouth Africa.
Zvingachipe hongu, zvinosvikawo zvichiuya muno munyika zvakachipa kudaro. Ko, vedu vanga vachirima muno zvimwe zvinotengwa nemadollar votokanda pasika mapadza? Kuvabatsira ikoko? Zvino yakava nyaya.
Hoo, hapana zvakabva zvapindirirwawo, ndonyaya yanga ichirambwa namufundisi vativerengera Bible apa navanonzi VaMawarire. Hameno kwavakabva nako, ndangovanzwawo zvonzi ahh, ndivo vabva vauya vachisvetukira nyaya idzi.
Kuti haa, vanhu havanganzarwo, ngakuregerwe vachitenga zvavanoda ikoko. Zvino zvakadaro hapana nyika pasi pano isingazvidzivirire. Hapana, hapana! Nyika dzose pasi pano hadzibvume kuti zvinhu zvakachipa zvingouya munyika yadzo.
Ah ah, ndiyo yavanoti dumping iyoyo. Hatidi isisu kuti dumping-wo iitwe muno umu. Zvimwe chetezvo nezvimbatya zvinongouya, zvesecond hand. Zvimwe munozviti chii? Mazitye, zvimwe zvinobva nekuChina zvakachipa. Maizviti chii?
Zvose izvozvo. Zvino kana muine mbatya, muchiita mafactory anoita mbatya, mungave nesecond hand, hamungade kuti mazitye apinde anotadzisaka ava vane mbatya dzakanaka ava.
Ndozvazviri izvo. Zvino moti ahh, nekuti vanhu vedu vanga vakuchemawo kuti taakunorasa zvirimwa zvedu nekuti zveSouth Africa zviri kupinda zvakawandisa. Asi kana tisingarime muno, ahh, tingagoti tiri kuitei tichirambidza kuti kana zviri zvokudya zvichiuya muno umu?
Huku dzinobva kuBrazil dzine jekiseni yemvura mukati kuti dzifute dzohodhwa kuSouth Africa, dzonzi dzakachipa dzouya kuno?
Zvino vanhu vari mumabasa vanongoti zvakatichipira kugocha, ehe but isu tinenge tichiti kwete, tinadzo huku dzakawanda, mazai azere tinawo muno akawanda, nyama yenguruve izere yakawanda.
Ndiyo protection yatakaita pamurau iwoyu Statutory Instrument 64. Kana veSouth Africa vakachemawo vachiti, aah, zvino makuitasei. Asi isuwo tine mishonga yatai producer kuno veSouth Africa uko vachiti aah, hatidi iuye by road. Ngaiuye nendege kuti isvikeko yaakudhura. Mazviona?
Saka vekuno vakabva vati ko zvino hukama hwedu huripapi, kana muchida kudzivirirawo zvatinoita? Saka izvi ndezvekutaurirana izvi nehama dzedu dzekuSouth Africa.
While the mining sector is critical to the economic development of Zimbabwe, it remained subdued during the first half of the year. This is mainly due to the declining international prices, inadequate capital and the high cost of power. The situation is expected to improve especially given the growth of gold whose output is expected to improve from 20,2 tonnes produced last year to 25,5 tonnes expected to be produced this year.
Government will also implement mining reforms, which are targeted at plugging leakages of our mineral resources.
Makorokoza edu vanokorokoza hupfumi hwenyika hwakawanda, goridhe. Asi veSouth Africa vanogarira ikoko kuti tengesai, huyai naro mutengese kuno. Zvinenge zvichiitwa nemabhunu aikoko, kwete vatema. Mabhunu aikoko ndiwo ane maarrangements iwaya. Zvimwe zvinoitwa husiku tundege tuchiuya musango, mumafarm umu.
Kututa goridhe rinenge racherwa nevanhu vedu nekuti vanenge vachiti tinopihwa mari yakawanda ikoko, zvino izvozvo kubirana, hatizvidi.
In order to promote both domestic and foreign direct investment, Government is implementing various measures such as the Ease of Doing Business Reforms and establishment of a fully operational One-Stop-Shop Investment Centre.
Government has also actively sought to enhance the involvement of the Zimbabwean Diaspora in the national development process by the establishment of the National Diaspora Policy which has now been approved.
Comrades and Friends in the tourism sector, Government is working on a number of programmes, which are aimed at attracting foreign tourism, as well as improving Domestic Tourism.
This should see an increase in the level of local visitorship to our own tourist’s attractions, and also ensure that tourism contributes significantly to poverty reduction and development in different communities.
The health sector continues to receive attention from Government and development partners. To this end, 35 new clinics were completed this year with the support of the communities, Community Ownership Share Trust Funds, Rural District councils and donors.
The education sector, on the other hand, is moving forward with the implementation of the new curriculum which will come into effect in January 2017. The new curriculum responds to the values, knowledge and skills needs of learners and the socio-economic requirements of the nation.
In higher education, I am pleased to note that Zimbabwe now boasts 10 State universities and six non-State universities. It is the intention of Government that every province in Zimbabwe should have a State university, a polytechnic and a teacher’s college.
It is also pleasing to note that parliamentary Bills for new universities namely the Bill covering Manicaland University of Applied Sciences and that of Gwanda State University are at various stages of approval.
Comrades and friends, Government has active plans to implement various training and empowerment programmes aimed at providing meaningful opportunities for the youths and women across the country. Plans are at an advanced stage to establish a women’s micro-finance bank.
This will enable women in various sectors such as agriculture, trade, mining, health and tourism to participate actively in economic activities. Further, Government strengthens and supports Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operatives.
Ladies and gentlemen, the energy and power situation in Zimbabwe has improved significantly in 2016. This mainly due to various measures Government has recently implemented. Government has embarked on the Kariba South Power Station Extension Project, which is on target for completion by 2018 and the Hwange Power Station which is set to commence by year end.
These two projects alone when completed, should add 900 Megawatts to the national grid.
Meanwhile, the Rural Electrification Programme has so far connected 8 579 Government institutions, but 3 580 institutions, mainly primary schools, are yet to be electrified countrywide.
Fellow Zimbabweans, comrades and friends; in terms of road infrastructure, I am pleased to note and inform you that meaningful strides have been made to improve national highways and rural gravel roads.
In this regard, I note with satisfaction, the dualisation, the completion of the rehabilitation and widening of the 823km between Plumtree and Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare Road and the recent opening of the Harare-Goromonzi road dualisation.
Further, Government is committed to recapitalise the National Railways of Zimbabwe in order to improve the transportation of bulk goods by rail.
Ladies and gentlemen, in Information Communication Technology sector, Government is accelerating the establishment of Community Information Centres throughout the country. To date, there are functional such centres in Murombedzi, Mapisa, Mutoko, Rusape, Mupandawana and Muzarabani, Sadza and Mubaira.
Community Information Centres are very important as you know for purposes of giving information about the local areas.
Comrade and friends; Government values the contribution of civil servants in the public sector, and as such, will implement programmes to improve their welfare and conditions of service. Measures to avoid delays in payment of salaries for civil servants are being developed.
In international relations, Government has been vigorously strengthening bilateral relations within Sadc, the AU and the Brics countries. Zimbabwe also stands ready to renew economic and political relations with the International Finance Institutions and other bilateral relations.
Ladies and gentlemen, when all is said and done, what is important is, in our circumstances, we have peace, law and order. And we praise our security forces for that. We praise them for the calm there has been, the peace there has been. But we praise them also for fulfilling international obligations by subscribing members to both regional and international peace support operations.
Tine vanhu vanobva muchiuto, vanobva muchipurisa vanenge vachidiwa kunyika dzirikubatsirwa neUnited Nations kune maforces eUnited Nations. Kunojoina ikoko, saka tinopa International peace operations support under Sadc, the African Union and the United Nations also.
And in this way they continue to raise the Flag of Zimbabwe very high, makorokoto.
Fellow Zimbabweans, comrades and friends; as we commemorate our Heroes’ Day, it is incumbent upon us all, to remain steadfast in our efforts to promote the image of our country in the region and beyond. So, we call for peace.
I call for peace and unity among Zimbabweans. Let us remain united in defence of our sovereignty, in defence of what our national heroes fought for. We should remain united, remain cognisant of the fact that without unity we cannot make much progress. There will be divisions, quarrelling, fighting, violence and that is why things like protests don’t pay. Because usually they end up being violent protests.
Zvinobatsirei kuti muende mumugwagwa mune chinangwa chekuti muratidze kuti munogona kukanda matombo? Kupotsera matombo? Munogona kurova mapurisa nematombo? Tinenge tisingade izvozvo. Kunorova mashops evanhu, mabusiness edu atinawo? Kazhinji ndizvo zvinoitika izvozvo.
Mota dzinorohwa nematombo sekunge vanhu vasati vasanduka, tinodarirei? Kana iri demonstration yabvumirwa nemapurisa, ngaiitwe nemutowo kwawo, vanhu vakanyarara. Kwete senge sezvana Mawarire, zvekuti aah, vanhu mukai muende mumugwagwa muchiita violence. Hatizvide.
But kana zvadaro, iri party iri kudaro tinenge tisina nemhosva neparty kana ichidawo kuorganiser kuti aah, ionekwe kuti iriko, “musakanganwe kuti tiripowo”. Asi zvekuzoti vatore matombo hatizvide. Hatidi violence iyoyo. Zvekuti vabatane vachikokana kuti huyai tiite hovhiyo sezvirikuitwa kunyika dzekumaArab. Zvichinzi ndozvinoita kuti tikwanise kuputsa hurumende.
Ko, vote yaenda kupi yakaisvonaka? Hamuchada vote? Ko ndiyo democracy ka. Makanganwa nhasi democracy? Ndakanzwa vaTsvangirai vachiti ngatibatanei tiite coalition, tigoita maprotests. Ndiyo nzira chete yatingaputse nayo hurumende. Kureva kuti matadza pamaelection kukurira hurumende, kukurira Zanu-PF ka?
Ehe, chiri chokwadiwo, ipartyka yevanhu Zanu-PF, iparty ine midzi. Iyi midzi iyi, ndoiri pano midzi yacho iyi. Neropa rakadeuka riri pano iri. Makuva haasi ekutamba nawo aya. Aah, ane nyaya, ane hurukuro yakakosha.
Nhoroondo yemberi, yekutambudzika, yekurwira vazhinji, yekuti nyika ibve mumaoko evavengi, iuye nhasi uno mumaoko edu.
Kuti bhunhu riye raisimbovhaira richiti murume oga oga “boy, boy”, mai voga voga vainzi “nanny nanny”, radhamba. Rakadhambiswa! Ivhu rauya mumaoko evanhu, vanhu vatora nyika yavo yechizvarwa. Haichabva mumaoko avo zvakare and Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.
Ndooshoko ravari kutaura varume nemadzimai vari pano apa. Kuti nhoroondo iyi chengetedzai. Mugare muchiyeuka. Tiri kuvayeuka nhasi uno, tichizvipira kuti aewa hatitsauke, hatikurasei, tinemi, tinemi nyangwe muri pasi apa.
Asi tsoka dzenyu dzamakasiya, tinoramba tichidzitevedza. So,let us remain united in defence of our sovereignty and hard won independence and say once again, to our heroes, I will no longer say it’s a day of mourning.
It’s indeed a celebration of our heroes and we say to them you did well and today is a happy Heroes’ Day for us. True, we will remember you in all solemnity, when we say our prayers. But we are happy that you left us a legacy, a huge, huge legacy and with that we can proudly say, as I say:
Long live Zimbabwe!
Long live our freedom!
Long live our sovereignty!
Makorokoto!
Amhlope!
Congratulations!
I thank you.