PDP launches HOPE, ARREST policy documents

The People's Democratic Party on Wednesday launched two of its policy documents ARREST and HOPE at a colourful ceremony held at Large City Hall in the central business district of Bulawayo.

The policy blueprints are; the Holistic Programme for Economic Change (HOPE) and Agenda for the Restoration and Rehabilitation of Electoral Sustainability (ARREST), which were unveiled and endorsed by party delegates during the party's first national convention held at the City Sports Centre in Harare last month.

The launch on Wednesday was attended by the party leadership and thousands of party supporters from Bulawayo and surrounding areas and is the answer to the crises arresting the people of Zimbabwe.

"Our country is in tatters.  The entire country is in ruins.   However,  in the PDP we have created a new narrative, a story of doing things differently and we have an answer book to the problems facing the people," he said.

President Biti said the crisis in Zimbabwe was man made and were due to lack of leadership in Zanu PF.

"We do not know how many factions are in Zanu PF.  The centre in Zanu PF is not holding.  The social fabric of the country has broken down.  We are arrested by hopelessness because of factionalism in Zanu PF.  You hear Robert Mugabe saying that industries should operate during the night because of the electricity shortages and you wonder what part of the body he is using to think with because it is certainly not the brains," said Mr. Biti.

"The economy is dislocated and (Patrick) Chinamasa, (finance minister) is trying to put lipstick on a black rhino when we have 91 percent unemployment with 17 percent of the national population living on extreme poverty and surviving on less than 35 cents per day while in 35 years Robert Mugabe has taken us back to 1958.  It has been 35 years of moving back because of Mugabe.

"However, through HOPE and ARRESTanother Zimbabwe is possible. We will work tirelessly to make it possible.  The PDP is the party that Zimbabweans have waiting for.  We have these two policies that will turn this country around and solve the problems of disease,  lack of money, unemployment, national healing, devolution and lack of electricty and water be things of the past.  We are ready to push for it so that we take this country forward.

"The PDP is an issue based party that is why we are ready to work with other political parties in order to defeat the Zanu PF regime in the coming elections. The PDP is the only party in Zimbabwe that was formed on thought leadership, on the basis of ideas and issues,  not slogans and not little big man." he said.

The launch was attended by Vice President Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, chairperson, Mai Lucia Matibenga and her deputy, Watchy Sibanda, Secretary General, Dr. Gorden Moyo, Sololomon Madzore, the organising secretary and his deputy Reggie Moyo, the Treasurer General, Benison Ntini, Women's Assembly President Evelyn Masaiti and Youth President Moses Manyengavana.

Meanwhile, President Biti on Wednesday led the PDP family in paying their condolences to the Mahlangu family following the death of Thamsanqa Mahlangu, the MP for Nkulumane.

Addressing mourners,  President Biti described Mahlangu as a fearless fighter whose sole goal was to ensure that all the people of Zimbabwe enjoyed the fruits of the hard fought liberation struggle. He said the death of Mahlangu was not only to the Mahlangu family and Nkulumane constituency but to all the people of Zimbabwe who were yearning for a better life.
President Biti was accompanied by members of the PDP management committee.