Mnangagwa is a traditional chief: Chiwenga reveals president’s secret
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa belongs to the dominion of ancestral chiefs and fighters who fought and led from the front for the liberation of Zimbabwe, Vice-President General (Retired) Constantino Chiwenga has said.
The Vice-President said the nation should be humbled and grateful for having God and ancestors anointing the President to lead the nation. VP Chiwenga was speaking at the installation of Mr Dambisamahubo Mafu as Chief Maduna at Dekezi High School in Filabusi, Insiza District, Matabeleland South province yesterday.
He said President Mnangagwa was proud to be a product of the grooming that was grounded in solid traditional values, beliefs, and culture.
“President Mnangagwa respects the institution of traditional leadership as it nurtured him to appreciate the concept of peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness. He understood the empirical relationship between him and the land of his birth from quite a young tender age. His great-grandfather Bengo, as a youngster, worked in the homestead of King Mzilikazi. As he grew up, he joined King Lobengula’s Imbizo regiment, under the command of General Mtshane Khumalo, who gallantly fought and defeated Allan Wilson’s patrol at the battle of Pupu,” said VP Chiwenga.
The Vice-President noted that President Mnangagwa took from the leaf of his great-grandfather to ably take up the challenge of fighting for the liberation of the nation.
“President Mnangagwa, therefore, belongs to the dominion of Chiefs and fighters, he himself by virtue of his birthright is Chief Mapanzure. Similarly taking a leaf from the exploits of his great-grandfather, President Mnangagwa joined others in waging the war of liberation against those who had forcibly taken our land.
“As a nation, we continue to be humbled by the consistent respect that he accords our traditional leaders as custodians of our culture, national harmony and social cohesion. I wish to thank God and our country’s ancestors for anointing President Mnangagwa to lead the people of Zimbabwe,” said the Vice-President.
VP Chiwenga said, basing from his upbringing, President Mnangagwa appreciated that traditional leaders are chosen by their own clan in accordance with their customary traditions and norms.
“The President is happy that traditional leaders respect the people and are respected by the people they lead. That symbiotic relationship must always exist, which is why the President is an ardent advocate of servant leadership, which means any form of leadership should come from the people and work for the people.
“Under President Mnangagwa’s leadership, Government has managed to devolve power to distribute national resources to its lower tiers through the devolution agenda. This is also in sync with National Development Strategy 1 where traditional leaders are mandated to be active participants in deciding what is economically best for the communities they lead,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Vice-President also reiterated the need for the nation to uphold peace and harmony, shunning violence, in the run up and holding of the harmonised elections later this year. He said the nation should respect President Mnangagwa’s call for the nation to remain united ahead of the elections.
“The country will be conducting its harmonised elections this year. President Mnangagwa believes we can run these elections in peace, unity, love and harmony. We must appreciate that we belong to one country and are one big family. There is no sense in perpetrating violence for the sake of political expedient. Let us love each other and respect President Mnangagwa’s call to remain a peace-loving united people who live together in harmony,” said VP Chiwenga.
Buttressing on the need for the holding of peaceful elections, Zanu-PF Vice-President, Cde Kembo Mohadi also called on the nation to vote for the ruling party so that they get a resounding victory in the elections.
“President Mnangagwa has told us that this year we will be holding our harmonised elections. He has called on us to shun violence and ensure that we have peaceful elections. However, my request to you is that when you are going to vote, please vote for the ruling Zanu-PF party, the party that liberated this nation,” said Cde Mohadi.
— Sunday News
