PM hails President Mugabe

Tsvangirai has saluted President Mugabe for declaring during Independence Day celebration

on Thursday that violence will not be tolerated before, during and after the forthcoming harmonised elections. Mr Tsvangirai said this on Saturday at Chinhoyi Stadium in Mashonaland West province while addressing church members during a peace prayer meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship — an association of churches in Zimbabwe.

“I want to start with what President Mugabe said at Independence Day celebration in Harare. President Mugabe made a very strong message of peace to Zimbabweans . . . Peace message has never been said like this in the country. I support that. It’s a message that builds the country. Even if we have different parties, the issue is Zimbabweans should not beat each other up again,” he said.

President Mugabe urged the police to decisively deal with anyone fanning political violence irregardless of political affiliation ahead of harmonised elections due this year.
The President urged rival political party leaders to tell their supporters at grassroots level to co-exist and shun violence.

He said he receives briefings of the socio-political environment from Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri every Monday and he instructed the police to decisively deal with perpetrators of violence.

There have been isolated cases of inter and intra-party political violence. The President said he receives reports that people were even fighting over issues of one’s party’s regalia.

Said PM Tsvangirai; “As the spokesperson of the principals of the Government of National Unity GNU), if President Mugabe, (Deputy Prime Minister Arthur) Mutambara and myself sit down and discuss matters, I am the one who will tell the nation what we will have discussed. Today I am bringing you the message of peace from the principals.

When I go back, I will tell them that Chinhoyi has received the message.”  
MDC-T organising secretary Mr Nelson Chamisa spoke on behalf of the MDC-T, Chinhoyi constituency aspiring candidate Cde Phillip Chiyangwa stood in for Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde John Mafa, while the other MDC formation was not represented.

PM Tsvangirai said the principals were unanimous that the country should never adopt a culture of violence.
“I have worked with President Mugabe for four years and at times we wonder why the people beat up each other. When President Mugabe says let’s have peace in the country,

I am surprised why other leaders in Government want to continue fanning violence. That is not congruent with the statement being given by President Mugabe,” he said.
Mr Tsvangirai thanked the people for voting peacefully during the referendum, where the “Yes” vote triumphed over “No” vote.

Cde Chiyangwa told the PM that no peace could be addressed when the people were starving, adding that it was the duty of the Government to make sure that there was enough food for the people. Food shortages have been used by some non-governmental organisations to cause unrest among hungry people to sway votes in favour of their party, the MDC-T.

“If everyone has enough food and jobs, there will be no violence to talk about. The people must have money…PM, please take this to Government, there must be jobs and food. Here in Chinhoyi there is hunger and the clinics also do not have medicine. If people fall sick, they will die. That must be addressed,” said Cde Chiyangwa.

Cde Chiyangwa donated a stand to the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship and another one to be sold to raise money to finance the operations of the church.
Mr Chamisa also said his party wanted peace to prevail during the forth coming elections and called on everyone to shun peace.

“The people should emulate the way the inclusive Government is operating. If there is peace in the country, there will be jobs, there will be enough food. Those who win, we should congratulate them like what my bother (Chiyangwa) said,” said Mr Chamisa.

The president of the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship Reverend Watson Furayi said the organisation was holding such meetings countrywide and thousands of people from different churches were attending.

“We have decided to bring political parties under the Government of National Unity. Whenever we go for elections people butcher each other. So we have decided to bring in GNU members here to hear their peace programmes. We have Zanu-PF here represented by (Cde) Chiyangwa, you have seen (Mr) Chamisa here representing the MDC-T and the PM spoke on behalf of the inclusive Government.

“We need to know their commitment towards peace as parties, we need peace in the country, we know this will help