Saturday, May 01, 2010

Zimbabwe President Mugabe Urges ZANU-PF Party Members to Uphold Founding Principles

President urges party members to uphold founding principles

Herald Reporter

President Mugabe yesterday urged Zanu-PF members to respect the party’s founding principles and ensure ordinary people continue to play a leading role in its affairs.

The President said this when he officially relaunched the party’s website at Zanu-PF’s headquarters in Harare yesterday.

"We are a people-oriented and revolutionary party and that aspect must continue to ring loud and clear from the party.

"The spokesmen of the party should proudly blow their trumpets; they are allowed to do so," he said.

President Mugabe said the indigenisation programme was meant to replicate the situation with land reforms though in a different manner. "What has happened to land must apply to other socio-economic sectors — that is the principle, that is why we came up with the Indigenisation (Act).

"We say to ourselves, our approach should not exactly be the same that we applied to land, that we apply a system which is statutory-based," President Mugabe said.

Government in February gazetted the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Regulations that operationalise the Indigenisation Act and outline procedures to be followed during the process.

President Mugabe has said the regulations would not be reversed despite opposition from some sectors of society opposed to the empowerment of the formerly disadvantaged black majority.

Speaking after the relaunch, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo encouraged people to visit the site and learn about the party and Zimbabwe’s history.

"This is an encouraging development and those people inside and outside the country should visit the site and see what the party has done and intends to do and what it stands for," he said.China to help build 2 electricity plants


China to Assist in Construction of Two Electricity Plants

Herald Reporter

THE Chinese government will assist Zimbabwe construct two electricity plants and a biogas facility in the next three years among various other developmental initiatives, Beijing’s Ambassador in Harare, Mr Xin Shunkang, has said.

He said this at a special performance by Shanghai Acrobat and Dance Group for President Mugabe at the Harare International Conference Centre yesterday.

The ambassador said China would install giant televisions in Harare to ensure as many people as possible get to watch the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup in South Africa.

"In the next three years, China will help Zimbabwe to build one more primary school and one secondary school; build one solar generating station and one hydropower station; establish a biogas project, build a new hospital and some boreholes," he said.

Ambassador Xin said China will also second more agricultural experts and reassured Zimbabwe of Beijing’s continued support.

"We will send more agricultural experts to Zimbabwe and provide more financial support. I reassure you that China will stand with Zimbabwe and is ready to further strengthen the existing China-Zimbabwe friendship," he said.

The Chinese ambassador said Zimbabwean businesspeople should take advantage of the World Expo that opened yesterday in Shanghai to seek investment.

"It is another historical moment for China to attract more than 200 countries and at least 700 million visitors including our Zimbabwean friends."

President Mugabe thanked the Chinese group for its performance saying it demonstrated the cordial relations between the two countries.

"Your coming to Zimbabwe demonstrates the very warm relationship, very intimate relationship, that is there between the people of China and Zimbabwe.

"I want to assure you that it is not just the performance by some people but people who are close to our hearts; our true friends.

"You are here among the closest of your friends, you are here — therefore — in your second home," he said.

President Mugabe had the audience, which included various Cabinet ministers and other dignitaries, in stitches when he jokingly warned the acrobats not to break themselves.

"Continue your good work, but don’t break yourselves," he said.

While the audience was still drying its tears, President Mugabe added that Zimbabweans could not replicate such agile performances because they were "too fat", eliciting more laughter.

He described the performance as a sign of intensive training and discipline.

"It is a demonstration of real discipline and intensive training and a high element of dance and rhythm very, very rare to see in our own society and I would want to congratulate the acrobats and dancers for this very impressive show they have provided," said President Mugabe.

No comments: