Gweru Freedom of the city, apolitical-ED
By Dumisani Ndlovu
The conferment of President Mnangagwa with the Freedom of the City of Gweru is apolitical, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
In his acceptance speech, at the conferment of the freedom of the city ceremony, on Friday 31 March 2023 where was honoured by the status, President Mnangagwa said the conferment came to him as a surprise.
Councillors recently resolved to give Mnangagwa the honour, becoming the first city in Midlands to do so after the Kwekwe.
The conferment of the freedom of the city honour to the Head of State and President of the Republic of Zimbabwe is the highest honour that any Local authority can accord to the highest office in the land.
“Allow me to admit that when I was informed that I had been conferred with such an honour, I was
humbled and pleasantly surprised by such a gesture from the City Fathers of Gweru. I want to thank you Mr Mayor, Your Worship, Councillor Hamutendi Kombayi and your fellow councillors for this recognition”
“Given that Gweru City Council is made up of Councillors from different political parties, backgrounds and persuasions, this honour is indication that the decision is apolitical. It is also a demonstration that our democracy is maturing and some political leaders across the political party divide, are able to act objectively for the broader national good,” President Mnangagwa said.
He hailed the gesture by the city of progress saying “This is what it should be. We are all Zimbabwean, and this is our only home. Congratulations Gweru, through this act, you further attest to the fact that there is much more that unites us, no matter our Party preferences”
President Mnangagwa said that such spirit should permeate throughout the country events as Zimbabwe gears up for the upcoming elections.
The decision by the MDC-T councillors lead by senator, Douglas Monzora to grant President Emmerson Mnangagwa freedom of the city status in December 2022 did not go down well with Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) who did not attend the event.
Former Gweru Mayor, Josiah Makombe and other councillors from CCC are disgruntled over the criteria used to bestow such honour, which they say was not clear.
Several local authorities including Kwekwe in the Midlands Province have since given that honour to the President Mnangagwa has very strong ties to Kwekwe, his home town which he represented in Parliament before being overthrown by Blessing Chebundo who as then with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Kwedu Classics
Your story our story 
