The 1980 speech Mugabe alluded to last night

“Whatever government I succeed in creating we will certainly adhere to the letter and spirit of our Constitution, since that government will itself have been the product of such Constitution.

“Only a government that subjects itself to the rule of law has any moral right to demand of its  citizens obedience to the rule of law.

“Our Constitution equally circumscribes the powers of the government by declaring certain civil rights and freedoms as fundamental. We intend to uphold these fundamental rights and freedoms to the full.

“Similarly, it is not our intention to interfere with pension rights and other accrued benefits of the civil servants. I may mention here that I have now held discussions with chiefs of Joint Operations Command as well as with heads of ministries, and all of them have given me their assurance of their preparedness to work under my government. I in turn have assured them of our concern about their position, and the position of the civil servants.

“We have assured them that it is not the intention of our government, when it comes into being,  to deprive the civil servants of their pension rights and accrued benefits; nor do we want to drive anybody out of this country; nor do we intend to interfere unconstitutionally with the property rights of individuals.

“I urge you, whether you are black or white, to join me in a new pledge to forget our grim past,  forgive others and forget, join hands in a new amity, and together, as Zimbabweans, trample upon racialism, tribalism and regionalism, and work hard to reconstruct and rehabilitate our society as we reinvigorate our economic machinery.

“The need for peace demands that our forces be integrated as soon as possible, so we can emerge with a single national army. Accordingly, I shall authorise General Walls, working in conjunction with the ZANLA and ZPRA commanders, to preside over the integration process. We shall also, happily, continue to enjoy the assistance of British military instructors.

“Finally, I wish to assure all the people that my government will strive to bring about meaningful change to their lives, that everyone should exercise patience, for change cannot occur overnight. For now, let us be united in our endeavour to lead the country to independence. Let us constitute a oneness derived from our common objectives and total commitment to build a great Zimbabwe that will be the pride of all Africa.

“Let us deepen our sense of belonging, and engender common interest that knows no race, colour or creed. Let us truly become Zimbabweans with a single loyalty.

“Long live our freedom.”

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