PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday strongly denounced what he termed a strange culture of indiscipline creeping into Zanu-PF that has seen party officials taking in-house issues to social media and the private Press, saying the party has organs through which grievances are resolved.Officially opening Zanu-PF’s 16th Annual National People’s Conference here, the ruling party’s First Secretary said it was time such deviant behaviour ended.

The conference is being attended by the US-based December 12 Movement led by Cde Coltrane Chimurenga, representatives of Frelimo of Mozambique and South Africa represented by its Deputy President Cde Cyril Ramaphosa, among others.

Some senior Zanu-PF leaders — principally Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Prof Jonathan Moyo — are notorious for taking party and Government issues to social media, even against President Mugabe’s wise counsel.

More stories on Page 2, President’s speech on Page 5 & conference pictures on Page 6

“Let me share with you some of my observations of what happened in the party and Government in 2016. Peace and unity must begin with us. Have we shown enough peace in Zanu-PF?

“I say on this one there has been creeping into our party a new culture of indiscipline. A new culture of indiscipline nevamwe vanoda kupinda nepfungwa kuti muparty vanokwanisa kuita zvavanoda. A culture of disrespect. Havana rukudzo. Arrogance. Kuzvikudza. Kuvhaira,” he said.

“When you are a member of the party, when you join the party we think you are mature enough to know that there are rules to be obeyed. There are ways to be followed, but you cannot dictate how things should be done,” the President said to wild applause.

“There are organs which follow rules and procedures on how it should be done. No one person should stand up and say I want this to be done. VaMphoko hatichavada. Hazviitwe izvozvo. Vamwe vakuti VaMugabe hatichavada, ko zvino zvausingavade unoda zviitwe sei iwe pachako?

“Hanzi ngavanzwe zvatirikutaura. It does not matter kuti uri ani . . . you should always know how things are done. So action was taken against some. Some we were with outside (during the liberation struggle). Hukuru muparty hunouya nesarudzo. Hahuuyi nekuti toda kupindawo. Ko, ndopfungwa dzevanhu here? ”

President Mugabe added: “Saka mugore rino ndozvimwe zvatakaona. Ndofunga maka-zvionawo. Let us ensure that as we go into 2017, we would be united, clear in our mind and abide by the party rules and be principled members and leaders of the party. The stability of the party rests on all its organs operating harmoniously. Our constitution provides various forms on how leaders can be changed and those are the forms that we would follow.”

The President slammed party officials abusing social media and the privately-owned media to discuss party issues.

“As a party we must speak with one voice. We must not settle our grievances through Twitter and those vana Facebook,” he said.

He said grievances were solved through party structures and not via social media and the so-called independent Press.

“Those which are urgent can be dealt with by the Central Committee. For goodness sake, it does not help to have newspapers intervene vana Day this, Day that. Ndodzava nzira dzokutukana nadzo. Aiwa, hatidi izvozvo. Zvirikuitwa nevakuru, kwete vana. Mabopoto anongoisva muzvimapepa zvisina basa izvozvi hazvina dzimwe news . . . torega kusevenzeswa vakashaya izvozvo hapana dzimwe nyaya dzatunganyore twunobva twafa — vanoda kuongorora zvirikuitika muZanu-PF. Regai kufurirwa, nanganayi nezvinangwa zveparty.”

President Mugabe said Zanu-PF was a people’s party and not going anywhere.

“Zanu-PF inoramba yakati twii. People will come back to Zanu-PF, so we are Zanu-PF now and we are Zanu-PF tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.”

He said Zanu-PF remains strong and formidable.

“The party remains strong. There is no doubt about it. In fact, very strong and formidable by any account. Zvimaparty zvirikungomuka zvisina nomusoro wese. Zvinongodzengerera sezvitototo . . . chimwe chozvara chimwe kuti unzwe kuti pfungwa dzavo dzavanadzo dzakadzama dzenyika ndedzipi, hapana. They have practically no ideas, practically no principles. No thinking on how this country can be transformed, how this economy can be transformed,” said President Mugabe.

He reiterated that there would be no regime change in Zimbabwe no matter how Western nations might want it.

“There has not been regime change and there will not be regime change. We still have to fight, to defend ourselves, protect our policies and our programmes so that we are not inhibited in what we are trying to do with Zim-Asset,” said President Mugabe.Takunda Maodza Herald.