Muzorewa's son becomes UANC presidential candidate

THE United African National Congress (UANC) recently held its congress and elected Gwinyai Muzorewa as party president and its candidate for the presidential poll set for next year.

Gwinyai, son of Abel Muzorewa, who was prime minister of the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, made audacious calls in his acceptance speech, promising that the 2018 polls would be watershed and would deliver a new Zimbabwe.

Gwinyai said the country was liberated for everyone from the peasant to the most decorated military officer.

"Certainly, the liberation war rhetoric should unite us, and not create division caused by claims of entitlement. Pan-Africanism calls for the unity, solidarity of all people, from the old lady who gave up her last chicken to feed the freedom fighters to the highest military ranking officer," Gwinyai said.

The cleric said UANC had an eight-point agenda that includes genuine democratic governance, macroeconomic stability, adequate social services (primarily affordable housing, health and education), infrastructure investments and rehabilitation, agriculture including fair land redistribution, productivity and audit and resuscitating the manufacturing industry.

Gwinyai took a dig at Zanu PF calling it "pathetic".

"UANC leadership will deliver. United we can achieve this, just as we fought and won our independence in solidarity. But now the 'patriotic front' has become a 'pathetic front'," he said.

Gwinyai said his government would have zero-tolerance to corruption.

"Consequently, we should now unite and say 'no' to the rampant and cancerous corruption in the nation. The resources that the government officials are stealing by the millions, could be used to restore our infrastructure, to make housing and education more affordable," he said.