*President Reaches Out to MDC*

http://allafrica.com/stories/200706120005.html

*The Herald* (Harare)

NEWS

12 June 2007

Posted to the web 12 June 2007

By Itai Musengeyi and Fortious Nhambura
Harare


LEADING MDC officials were yesterday among the first beneficiaries of the
farm mechanisation programme as President Mugabe once again reached out to
the opposition to work with Government on matters of national interest.

Acknowledging the presence of MDC Senators and Members of the House Assembly
at the commissioning of the agricultural equipment, Cde Mugabe said such
events should unite Government and the opposition despite their political
differences.

"It's a national event . . . that realisation is important that there must
be occasions when we must be together. After all, we eat together. Nyaya
yekudya inyaya yedu tese, hapana asingararame nekudya. Kana toita politics
dzekutukana tinenge taguta," the President said to applause by guests.

Some of the MDC officials present at the ceremony were Pumula-Luveve Senator
Mr Fanuel Bayayi, Lobengula-Magwegwe Senator Mr Thabiso Ndlovu,
Bulawayo-Nkulumane Senator Ms Rittah Ndlovu and Umzingwane Member of the
House of Assembly Ms Nomalanga Khumalo.

The four MDC MPs were all beneficiaries together with Government ministers,
war veterans, youths, women, business executives, senior civil servants,
service chiefs, white farmers and university farms.

Leading opposition figures who are beneficiaries are faction leader
Professor Arthur Mutambara, who is farming in Chimanimani District, his
deputy Mr Gibson Sibanda (Bulilima) and their secretary general Professor
Welshman Ncube (Umguza), deputy leader of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction
Ms Thokozani Khupe (Matobo), the opposition chief whip in Parliament Mr
Innocent Gonese (Mutare District), Mr Giles Mutsekwa (Mutare), Mr Joel
Gabbuza (Binga), Mr Blessing Chebundo (Kwekwe), Mr Job Sikhala (Seke), Mr
Tapiwa Mashakada (Mazowe), Masvingo executive mayor Mr Alois Chaimiti
(Masvingo) and Mr Rensen Gasela (Gweru District).

Other MDC legislators who benefited were Mr Tongai Matutu, Mr Njabuliso
Mguni, Mr Jealous Sansole, Senator Sinampande H. Madolo, Senator Greenfield
Nyoni, Ms Editor Matamisa and Mr Lovemore Moyo.

Also on the list of notable beneficiaries were Mr Edgar Tekere, Dr Ibbo
Mandaza, former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Mr Kumbirai
Katsande, current CZI president Mr Callistus Jokonya, Delta chief executive
Mr Joe Mutizwa, Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Mrs Marah
Hativagone, former Commercial Farmers' Union president Mr Doug Taylor-Freeme
(Makonde District), Dr Robbie Mupawose and Mr Timothy Chiganze.

Institutions of higher learning that benefited were Solusi University,
National University of Science and Technology, Bindura University of Science
Education and Midlands State University.

The following white farmers also benefited: Mr Paul Dollar (Mazowe), Mr
Chris Hougood (Seke), Mr Jeremy Vaughan (Kwekwe), Mr Dawie Joubert
(Chipinge), Mr Oliver Hendrick (Mwenezi), Mr A.S.J. Rosenfels (Umguza), Mr
Bistol Kerwood (Beitbridge) and Mr Burger Naude, who is believed to be
Indian.

Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono said the programme cuts across the
political and social divide.

"Feeding the country may not be left to one region, political party, gender
or business community, but is a shared responsibility," said Dr Gono.

Cde Mugabe said prominent in Government's preferred way of allocating
resources was the elimination of corruption, favouritism and discrimination
of whatever nature.

President Mugabe has repeatedly urged the opposition to be nationalistic,
homegrown and to join forces with Government to defend Zimbabwe's
sovereignty and independence.

At the burial of the late Vice President Cde Simon Muzenda in 2003, Cde
Mugabe hailed the MDC officials who joined thousands of Zimbabweans to bury
the national hero at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

"So kushamwari dzedu dzeMDC dziri pano tinovati aiwa you are also
Zimbabweans. Sadza ratinodya rakafanana, tinodya matumbu embudzi akamonwa
tinoada zvikuru," Cde Mugabe said then.

He told the mourners that Zanu-PF and MDC were "sons of the soil and they
should behave like sons of the soil".

The President's remarks therefore came true yesterday when a coterie of MDC
officials was among beneficiaries of the mechanisation programme, which is a
phase of the land reform programme.

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