(30 Nov 2007)
1. Various of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's supporters running in street
2. Various top shots of pro-Mugabe march
3. Crowd marching, carrying flags and chanting
4. Man carrying large poster of Mugabe, tilt down to crowd jogging
5. Close of banner, reading: (English) "Our leader forever"
6. Low shot of crowd marching past
7. Mugabe's party, Zanu PF poster
8. Various of crowd sitting on ground, AUDIO of singing
9. SOUNBITE: (English) Jabulani Sibanda, President of the War Veterans Association of Zimbabwe:
"The significance of today is that Zimabweans will never bow because of the weapon of hunger as a result of sanctions employed against our nation because we have refused to succumb, we have refused to let our land remain with a few former settlers. We have stood and they have imposed sanctions but we are saying impose your sanctions again and again and again, we are going to stand up again and again and again and move painfully forward in defence of our revolution and in defence of our president."
10. Mugabe arriving at rally standing in back of truck, surrounded by security
11. SOUNBITE: (English) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean President:
"And Britain has no right to be sitting and discussing us, almost every week in their stupid parliament."
14. Mugabe kissing his wife on cheek
15. Mugabe leaving rally
STORYLINE:
The government commandeered buses and state railroad cars to carry President Robert Mugabe's supporters from across the country for a march and rally near Harare on Friday.
The rally was a show of strength for Mugabe before a party meeting next month at which his continued leadership was likely to be debated, and before presidential elections next year in which he was expected to run.
To a crowd of cheering supporters he ridiculed Britain, the former colonial power, for "discussing us, almost every week in their stupid parliament".
Ruling party militants had billed the event as "the march of a million" supporters to pledge support for Mugabe as the ruling party's sole candidate for presidential elections in March.
No official count of those present was available, but it was the biggest political rally seen for several years.
"The significance of today is that Zimabweans will never bow because of the weapon of hunger as a result of sanctions employed against our nation because we have refused to succumb, we have refused to let our land remain with a few former settlers," one Mugabe supporter, Jabulani Sibanda told AP Television.
Mugabe has been accused within his ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front party of being responsible for chronic shortages of food and basic goods in the worst economic crisis since he led the nation to independence in 1980. He has led Zimbabwe since independence.
Two main factions in the ruling party have called for him to step down to make way for reformist leaders but they were seen as unlikely to be able to garner significant public displays of support while the police and military remained largely loyal to Mugabe.
Militant supporters of Mugabe last month said they were organising a solidarity campaign of marches and rallies across the country that would culminate in a mass demonstration in support of Mugabe in Harare ahead of the 11 December party convention.
Mugabe has presided over an economic meltdown that, according to United Nations estimates, will leave nearly one-fourth of the population in need of emergency food handouts in the coming year.
The nation is suffering official inflation of 8,000 percent, the highest in the world.
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