We failed in 2016- Mugabe admits

I wish to take this opportunity to thank our people, once again, for heeding the call for peace from Government. This has been a demonstration of a true spirit of maturity on the part of our people.

For our party, 2016 has been quite disturbing too. We failed, as leaders, in some cases to demonstrate high levels of maturity and discipline expected of us.

I have said this before that there is nothing wrong in expressing an ambition or aspiring for leadership positions, or for higher offices in the party.

But I have, however, also frowned upon shameless and unbridled ambition to ride roughshod over others.

We should not allow ourselves to be used as pawns by others seeking to advance their own narrow agendas at the expense of serving the larger interests of the party and the people.

Dirty politics should never be countenanced in our party. The tradition of our party is never one of bickering over party positions. It has always been one where leaders are elected by the people, on the basis of their track record of performance. The party needs revolutionary leaders and revolutionary cadres, who are always alive to their responsibilities as leaders of a party of liberation.

Comrades and Friends,

Let us go to the forthcoming conference with a strong resolve to patch up any differences we might have had as a result of the internecine fights we might have between us. Let us forge ahead as one political family, the political ZANU- PF family, which belongs to all of us as equal members.

So let us brace ourselves for a productive conference in unity, friendship and peace.

Pamberi nekubatana,

Pambili lokubambana,

Long Live Zanu.

I thank you.

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