Today is a historic day in many ways.
It is the first day of the 38th year of our independence but with the majority of Zimbabweans with nothing to show for it except dire poverty, extreme suffering, hunger and disease.
Yesterday, we had a leader who skirted the critical issues affecting the people during the commemoration of our independence, an important day that has now been privatized by a political party.
It is against this background that we have chosen this day to give hope to the people of Zimbabwe that indeed that there is a bright light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
We have chosen this day to take the first step to bring all Zimbabweans under one roof so that we can work together to remove this unmitigated repression and misgovernance that pervades our lives.I am pleased to inform the nation that today we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Dr. Joice Mujuru of the National people’s party to establish a pre-election alliance en route to the establishment of a coalition government which shall drive a comprehensive democratization and transformation agenda.
This is just the beginning of the building blocks towards establishing a broad alliance to confront Zanu PF between now and the next election in 2018. Similar arrangements will be entered into with other political formations and we will inform you as it happens, as we have done today.
While political parties have their role in nation-building, it must be understood that they are not the only stakeholders. We are in this together with other key stakeholders such as traditional leaders, the church, labour, vendors, war veterans, civic society, business and the generality of Zimbabweans.
This is our collective struggle and I call upon the people of Zimbabwe to join us in working together and in playing your part so that we can reclaim our country, our freedom and our dignity.
To the youth, the future belongs to you. Shape it and the first step in doing so is by registering to vote.
Even at the over-ripe old age of 93, President Mugabe knows that the country’s crisis is unsustainable. Every Zimbabwean from every station of life knows it too. So we should all stand together in unison and say enough is enough. As President Mugabe enters the sunset of his life, it is incumbent upon all of us to pick the pieces and rebuild our country together.
I hope the understanding we reached today, and which we will reach with many others, will culminate in a solid political co-operation agreement that should usher in a new governance culture in our country.Today, marks the beginning of Zimbabweans coming together in building an inclusive society that prides itself in leaving no one behind.
The future can only be bright for this country that we all love.
I thank you.
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