'Mugabe to blame for low investment'

THe Zanu-PF Women's League has blamed former president Robert Mugabe for discouraging investors in the latter years of his tenure, which negatively affected the national economy.

This was said by Politburo member Cleveria Chizema yesterday while addressing hundreds of women who attended a rally in Kuwadzana 6, Harare.

She said President Mnangagwa had the country at heart and was preaching unity among the people and also engaging other countries and investors to revive the economy and improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.

"President Mnangagwa is on record saying that Zimbabwe is open for business unlike former president, Robert Mugabe who made the people suffer for 37 years. He shunned investors and other development partners for many years and this is why there was so much suffering.

"We are preaching unity. Let us unite and not be like the MDC-T that is now known for divisions," she said.

The rally was part of the efforts by the Zanu-PF Harare Women's League to educate its members on the importance of voter registration and to campaign for President Mnangagwa ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections.

"Our President is working hard to ensure the people of Zimbabwe have decent livelihoods. He has been in office for a few months, but he has done great things.

"Ziscosteel is being re-opened and he recently commissioned the Kariba South Power Station Extension Project, which adds another 300 megawatts to the national grid. All this is because of the President whom we now call 'Mupedzanhamo'," she said.

Chizema said women were an important asset in the country and encouraged them to vote in their numbers for President Mnangagwa as he was able to fix their challenges.

She expressed concern over challenges being faced by women in urban areas that included cash shortages, high costs of basic commodities and poverty.

She said life for women in Harare could improve if they have small plots where they could produce crops.

"We are appealing to Government to avail farms to women living in urban areas for them to venture into farming to maximise their income.

"The party has come up with different income generating projects for women in communal areas and we also want the same to be done for women in urban areas.

"They should not only depend on vending, but should also have access to land where they can produce and earn a decent living."

Zanu-PF Harare Women's League chairperson Ratidzo Mukarati said she was happy with the high turnout of women in Kuwadzana.

"We are mobilising women in every zone, encouraging them to register as voters and also enquiring on the challenges they are facing.

"In all the areas that we have visited, women are complaining about high charges being levied by the council yet service delivery is poor. We hope President Mnangagwa will intervene and assist us," she said.

Warren Park aspiring Member of Parliament Mian Sohail said he was also mobilising the Indian community to vote for President Mnangagwa.

"We appreciate President Mnangagwa's efforts to court investors and to improve the livelihoods of people. Many people were longing for change and it has come. President Mnangagwa is the change and the Indian community is excited to work with him," he said.