Chiwenga warns 'too young' Chamisa

Zanu-PF which launched its election campaign yesterday, said it is now time to dismantle MDC-Alliance's juvenile politics which have seen its leader Mr Nelson Chamisa going around the country making startling kindergarten promises to the electorate.

Mr Chamisa, who is the MDC Alliance's presidential candidate for the harmonised elections expected by the end of July, has become a laughing stock for his unattainable proposals which include introducing bullet trains and constructing airports in rural areas.

Zanu-PF Second Secretary and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday told delegates who graced the manifesto and election launch that the revolutionary party would resoundingly cruise to victory as nothing stood in its way.

He said the election campaign launch was the first step in the dismantling of MDC Alliance's "make-believe dreams".

Chiwenga said instead of going around peddling falsehoods, Mr Chamisa should first deal with the legitimacy woes he was facing.

"We shall have time to dismantle their little, make-believe dreams as we get down to real campaign work," he said.

"Before they tackle our icon, could they do their own supporters a small favour by resolving legitimacy issues that dog and haunt them!

"We excuse them for being too young to have participated in the struggle. But we cannot excuse them from mounting a bid for national leadership from a pilfered party crown!"

Mr Chamisa's legitimacy problems mounted when MDC-T president Dr Thokozani Khupe held a successful congress in Bulawayo two weeks ago.

Dr Khupe was elected MDC-T leader during the congress and is in the process of recalling from Parliament officials aligned to Mr Chamisa.

She has also written to Parliament recalling Mr Chamisa himself.

Chiwenga said elections presented the electorate with contending visions meant to transform the society but Mr Chamisa was openly selling the voters dummies.

"The courted and concussed voter has to read, weigh and decide from a welter of competing visions," he said.

"But visions are deeper and a more serious affair for transforming nations, impacting a people not childish dreams which excite rude passions, while not surviving even the most charitable scrutiny. We hear such child-like and childish talk designed to transform make-believe worlds fit for the painter's canvas, never phases to be lived and enjoyed. Bullet trains! Spaghetti Roads! Rural Airports! Cellphones for Animal Kingdoms! All such and much more crazy ideas to come."

Chiwenga went on: "Until we ask ourselves why pretenders who sell us such convoluted dummies cannot manage small traffic in our real world cities and municipalities which they control and run! Why reach Bulawayo in 40 minutes when Harare workers can't reach Kuwadzana in five hours? What open cans of spaghetti when potholes straddle single lane roads in the city centre? Shouldn't these starry-eyed juvenile politicians take us to Mabvuku after a hard day's work before they put us on 'Apollo 11' to the Moon?"

The MDC-T run councils have failed on service delivery with several of its councillors being arrested on corruption charges.

Chiwenga said Zanu-PF was built on principles of internal democracy and servant leadership that served with integrity.

"The national economy must now recover and grow so the youths have jobs," he said.

"The national stomach must always eat plentifully so no one goes hungry. Agriculture must succeed. The minerals must become usable wealth which looks after our people. We hear you loud and clear. Tourism must grow. So, too, must our infrastructure which must be made modern and which must speak to the infrastructure of the region so we become a real hub of the region."