The Herald today clearly showed the seriousness and intensity of this year’s campaign. It is really a “do or die” situation. And the paper is not leaving anything to chance as demonstrated in the story below.
While the Herald is an English daily, it chose to spice this story with an overdose of Shona to rival its sister vernacular paper, Kwayedza. Why it did so, is anybody’s guess.
But the main point could be for emphasis. President Robert Mugabe is a cunning politician and that is why he has survived so long despite the Western onslaught on him.
At crucial periods, he addresses the people- read the Western Press- in English first and then addresses the people- read the voters- in Shona. But what he says in Shona is in most cases totally different from what he would have said in English.
In his own favourite words: Mukuru anenge avakurakasha.
Below is the full Herald: story:
PRESIDENT Mugabe set Zanu-PF’s campaign for the July 31 harmonised elections in motion with a star rally that drew tens of thousands of supporters at Nzvimbo High School in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central Province, yesterday.
President Mugabe — who was accompanied by the First Family — was welcomed with jubilation by the bumper crowd that was resplendent in green and yellow Zanu-PF regalia.
In his address, the President said victory was certain.
He described the inclusive Government as a three-headed monster that should be avoided in the harmonised elections. The President reiterated his call for peace ahead of the elections, saying some political parties sought to foment violence to discredit the polls.
“Chinoita kuti tibatane runyararo. Tova nerunyararo irworwo rwekuti tirege kurovana. Iye zvino veMDC vari kutsvaga kukutokonyai, rambai kutokonywa. Imi regaiwo kutokonya vamwe.
“Kuti zvigonzi maelections aya akanganiswa nekuti vanhu vange vane bishi nemheremhere vachirovana.
“Ndozvakaita kuti tidzokorore maelections atakaita 2008. Vamwe vedu vakati kune mareports anoti iwo kwakarovanwa zvikuru-kuru kwakamanikidzwa vanhu saka tinoda kuti mudzokorore.
“Ndizvo zvatisvitsaka muchihurumende chemisoro mitatu ichi. Zvino tinoda nyaya iyoyo yerunyararo. Takagara tichiti tinoda peace.
“Runyararo ruvambe newe, uti ini pachangu ndinoda peace. Iwewe wandiri kutaura newe uve nerunyararo kuti zvibva zvadarikiraka kuti iwe neni tive nerunyararo.
“Vanhu vose vagova nerunyararo. Peace begins with you, peace begins with me, peace begins with all of us,” he said.
President Mugabe reminded the gathering of the importance of the liberation struggle.
He said people should self introspect and avoid the mistake made in 2008 where Zanu-PF lost two constituencies in Mashonaland Central to MDC-T. The President said he decided to start his star rallies in Mashonaland Central Province because of the region’s rich liberation history.
“Ndauya kuprovince ino ari mavambo andiri kuita parwendo rukuru rwandichafamba nyika yose.
“Ndinoda kufamba ndichiyeuchidza mhuri dzose kumaprovince ose kuti iyesu tiri vanani chaizvo izvo tinenge takambokanganwa hunhu hwedu pamakore apfuura ayo.
“Hecho pachakarohwa Chimurenga chekutanga. Nehanda Nyakasikana wakambobva nepi? Nehanda Nyakasikana kuno tinomuyeuka nanhasi.
“Saka mavambo kuti tivambe kuno kucherechedzawo kuti Chimurenga chedu chaizvo kwachakawana moto waipisa, utungamiri hwakanga hwuri hwemberi, ruvheneko nemweya waititungamira kwanga kuri kupi? Ndekuno.
“Ndekuno kwandiri kuvamba ndichiti ndikuyeuchidzei hunhu hwenyu, ndikuyeuchidzei nhorondo yenyu yeChimurenga chamakarwa zvikuru-kuru. Dai izwi iroro raitenderwa Zvimurenga zvamakarwa kubvira chekutanga chana Nehanda kwozoti chepiri takazoti chetatu ndechekutora izvo.
“Naizvozvo yeukai kuti kuno kwana Chiweshe ndiko kwatakanga tamborariswa hope. Hameno kuti waiva mushonga upi.
“Kukanganwa izvozvo, kukanganwa kuti kwakafiwa kukafiwa, kukafiwa tisati tazvarwa nanaVaMugabe.
“Takazozvarwa nhasi uno1924. Tinoti nhasi tave kuudzwa nanasekuru kuti ahh mvuu yakadandaura takarohwa. Makarohwerweiko nhai vana sekuru? Vari ivava vakange vauya vasina mabvi.”
The President said it was important to teach the youths the values of the liberation struggle. He said people did not choose to be in Zimbabwe but the country was given to Zimbabweans by God.
“Hatingarambe nyika iyi kuti handidi nyika yangu. Ndingada kumunzwa anoti ahh handidi nyika yangu.
“Tave nezvizvarwa nezvizvarwa zvakagara muno. Yangove midzimu yatinonamata. Zvino isu tokanganwa kuti vari pasi ava vene vevhu iri. Ndokwatakabva ikoko kwavari. Vakachengetedza ivhu iri sekugona kwavo vakarirwira sekugona kwavo. Pajana redu isu tikarirwira sekugona kwedu mubhunu uya akambenge atikurira tikamukurira.
“Zvino tokanganwa here kuti nyika yakafirwa? Tokanganwa here kuti yakarwirwa. Tokanganwa here kuti isu vapenyu tisu tave nebasa rekuichengetedza?
“Tinotoitakura kuti ititakurewo. Kuona kuti hapana mutorwa achauya zvakare achiti ndine ganda jena kana pfumbu kana rakadii. Kwete. Yakauya chose torega kurara hope dzatakarara 2008.
“Tochenjerera zvimbwasungata zviya, vana popi vanokandirwa zvisadza zvasiiwa.”
President Mugabe urged people to be wary of some individuals who were being used by Western detractors to reverse the gains of independence.
He left the gathering in stitches when he said MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai was politically ugly.
“Takangoverenga mupepa kuti iye nezuro namarumwe zuro vakange vari kuno.
“Vari kukanganwa kuti province ino ndeya Mbuya Nehanda. Ndakaona kusadharara ahh.
“Ndakazonzwa kuti mutungamiri wacho akasiya atuka. Ko unotukirira vanhu vagere munyika yavo iwe wavavinga. Vamboti huya kwavari?
“Kuno vari kuti hatikude wakashata. Hauna kushata moyo chete wakabva washata nekumeso. Pasi newe. Vakakuda ndivavo. Ndobva ipapo ndoti iwe ivhu nderedu,” he said.
President Mugabe said independence would not mean anything if people do not have control over their resources.
He said at the Lancaster House Conference they insisted that they wanted people to get their land back and Britain agreed.
As a result of the independence President Mugabe said, Zimbabwe now had the highest literacy rate in Africa.
He said the huge turnout at the rally was clear testimony that people had confidence in Zanu-PF and its policies.
As such, he said on July 31 Zanu-PF would form a people oriented Government after being voted into power.
The rally was also attended by Vice President Joice Mujuru and several Zanu-PF Politburo and Central Committee members.
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