FORMER Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi and his ex-Sports counterpart Makhosini Hlongwane yesterday lauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa for promising to take Zimbabwe further and reviving the economy.
By Staff Reporter
In separate statements issued yesterday, the two former Cabinet ministers who served under ex-President Robert Mugabe said Mnangagwa presented hope for Zimbabwe.
The two former ministers were linked to the fallen G40 faction in Zanu PF, which was reportedly pushing for the ascendency of former First Lady Grace Mugabe as party leader.
“It, indeed, is historic that he has assumed the reins of leadership of our country through a historic process of transfer of power that was done in a peaceful atmosphere. I want to wish the new President the best in his new and challenging assignment,” Hlongwane wrote.
“Given the historic juncture of our country, President Mnangagwa will without a doubt need the support of every Zimbabwean and he has started well by inviting all political forces to his inauguration, a sign that he will lead with tolerance of diverse views and persuasions.”
The former Sports minister, who was said to be in hiding after the military moved in to deal with factional fights within Zanu PF and pushed Mugabe out through resignation, heaped praise on the military for a bloodless process.
“I must also extend thanks to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, especially General [Constantino] Chiwenga and his team, who midwifed the smooth transfer of power from iconic President Robert Mugabe to the new and promising president Mnangagwa,” Hlongwane stated.
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Said Mzembi: “First and foremost notwithstanding not having been invited to this historic State occasion as per government protocols, it’s befitting to break my three weeks silence through my most sincere congratulations to the second Republic President Cde ED Mnangagwa and First Lady Amai Mnangagwa on their assumption of office.”
He said Mnangagwa’s speech was “loaded with change nuggets which should give hope to our people going forward into the future”.
“These include inter alia, an unequivocal commitment to elections in 2018, a pledge that reinforces our budding democracy, the sancrosanctness of the land reform program and it’s irreversibly albeit only to those who will not speculate on land but use it productively, the attendant compensation of the dispossessed a long thorny issue but one on which we can revive old commitments by former colonisers on the matter,” he added.
