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Mnangagwa vows opposition poll defeat
26 Nov 2020 at 07:31hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says his party Zanu-PF should draw inspiration from Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha mapinduzi's landslide victory to defeat the opposition in forthcoming by-elections and other future polls.
The country will see the holding of by-elections following the expulsion of some MDC Alliance MPs by the rival MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe.
Some of the seats were rendered vacant after deaths on sitting legislators.
However, speaking at a party politburo meeting in Harare Wednesday, the Zanu-PF leader vowed to crush the opposition in the elections.
Mnangagwa said his party should draw from the Chama cha mapinduzi's resounding victory in Tanzania.
"The resounding victory of our sister revolutionary party Chama cha mapinduzi in Tanzania which won 262 seats of the 264 parliamentary seats must inspire Zanu-PF to vanquish the opposition in the forthcoming by-elections and subsequent 2023 harmonised general elections," Mnangagwa said amid applause.
"I applaud the three leagues from the party for their determination to advance the party aims and objectives. I urge them to continue mobilising to join and participate in all party and government programmes."
Addressing the media soon after the politburo meeting, Zanu-PF acting national spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said the party was targeting five million votes in the 2023 elections.
"The politburo encouraged all departments of the party to intensify their efforts towards the attainment of five million voters or votes resolution by 2023," he told journalists.
"In other words, we are gunning for five million membership of the party whom we will be confident will vote for the party come 2023.
"The commissariat department has been receiving and welcoming new members from the opposition as you are aware with the latest being Harare south where several MDC Alliance members are joining Zanu-PF."
Commenting on upcoming Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections, Chinamasa said the response from those who want to be elected was overwhelming, evidence that the party was still popular and the voter's choice.
"We are encouraged by the overwhelming submission of CVs, a testimony of the popularity of Zanu-PF; everyone wants to be in the core leadership of the party, to be the soul and heart of the party. That is a good thing.
"And more so when it's coming from younger people, we encourage that because it then shows that we have remained very relevant to our electorate.
"I want to say that from the CV that we submitted, we are encouraged by the calibre of which have come forward, we are very encouraged."
The country will see the holding of by-elections following the expulsion of some MDC Alliance MPs by the rival MDC-T faction led by Thokozani Khupe.
Some of the seats were rendered vacant after deaths on sitting legislators.
However, speaking at a party politburo meeting in Harare Wednesday, the Zanu-PF leader vowed to crush the opposition in the elections.
Mnangagwa said his party should draw from the Chama cha mapinduzi's resounding victory in Tanzania.
"The resounding victory of our sister revolutionary party Chama cha mapinduzi in Tanzania which won 262 seats of the 264 parliamentary seats must inspire Zanu-PF to vanquish the opposition in the forthcoming by-elections and subsequent 2023 harmonised general elections," Mnangagwa said amid applause.
"I applaud the three leagues from the party for their determination to advance the party aims and objectives. I urge them to continue mobilising to join and participate in all party and government programmes."
"The politburo encouraged all departments of the party to intensify their efforts towards the attainment of five million voters or votes resolution by 2023," he told journalists.
"In other words, we are gunning for five million membership of the party whom we will be confident will vote for the party come 2023.
"The commissariat department has been receiving and welcoming new members from the opposition as you are aware with the latest being Harare south where several MDC Alliance members are joining Zanu-PF."
Commenting on upcoming Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections, Chinamasa said the response from those who want to be elected was overwhelming, evidence that the party was still popular and the voter's choice.
"We are encouraged by the overwhelming submission of CVs, a testimony of the popularity of Zanu-PF; everyone wants to be in the core leadership of the party, to be the soul and heart of the party. That is a good thing.
"And more so when it's coming from younger people, we encourage that because it then shows that we have remained very relevant to our electorate.
"I want to say that from the CV that we submitted, we are encouraged by the calibre of which have come forward, we are very encouraged."
Source - newzimbabwe
