Thousands of people thronged the late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole's farm in Mount Selinda, Chipinge for a public memorial service to remember the founding president of ZANU PF who died in 2000.

Many people view Rev Sithole as an icon of the liberation struggle for a free Zimbabwe. He founded and was chief architect of ZANU PF in August 1963 with the likes of the late Edgar Tekere at the house of Enos Nkala in Highfields, Harare.

Speaking at the ceremony on Saturday Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said the country has suffered in the last 30 years because of a lack of vision by Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party.

Tsvangirai told the gathering, that included ZANU Ndonga and MDC-T supporters, that many nationalists in Africa who do not have vision must be replaced. Quoted by NewsDay the Prime Minister explained that the country was suffering from a failure by the leadership to bring freedom, food and jobs.

'Are people happy, are we free? Are we independent? It's zero. A second, third and fourth revolution has to come and even if people like Tsvangirai come as democrats, remove them if they fail. We should have a vision for this country so that Sithole is happy where he is,' Tsvangirai said.

The MDC-T MP for the area, Mathias Mlambo, told SW Radio Africa the Chipinge district was solidly behind their party and that they're going to fare well in the next election. The district has five parliamentary seats, one of which was won by ZANU PF.

'We are working on winning that constituency in this district. We work very well with ZANU Ndonga members and they've promised us their support again, like they've done since 2000,' Mlambo said.