Zanu-PF targeting 65% votes in 2023 polls

THE ruling Zanu-PF said it was targeting at least 65% of the vote in the 2023 polls.

This was revealed during a Zoom meeting by Tafadzwa Mugwadi, the party‘s director of Information.

Mugwadi said even if the elections were to be held next week, the party was confident of romping to victory, dismissing reports that the ruling party was considering a unity government, to avoid the 2023 polls.

In the 2018 harmonised elections, whose results were disputed by the opposition MDC-Alliance, President Emmerson Mnangagwa won 50,8% of the votes to MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa's 44,3%.

"Zanu-PF is currently running a five million voters campaign strategy, which is the five million members challenge in preparation for the 2023 elections," Mugwadi said.

"The numbers so far are promising to the extent that we are anticipating more than 65% votes for President Mnangagwa. I can assure you, if elections are going to be held next week, victory is on our fingertips. Victory has always been hovering around the party because we were formed by the people. We exist on the shoulders of the people."

Zimbabwe has 5 695 706 registered voters, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Mugwadi also said that the ruling party was ready for dialogue with Chamisa's MDC Alliance party but through Polad, a platform for political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections.

He ruled out any possibilities of an inclusive government. "The issue that elections are not going to take place in 2023 cannot be decided by Zanu-PF but by the electorate and the Constitution," Mugwadi said.

"But considering that we are in these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we don't know where it is going to lead us. That makes everything in the distant future unpredictable."

Mugwadi blamed opposition party leaders for causing the country's economic woes by inviting sanctions which were derailing economic development.

He commended Mnangngwa for his "relentless" efforts in trying to resuscitate the economy and curb the harsh impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by imposing the lockdown and shutting the industry, which he said was a necessary move, although bad for the economy.

"Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, let us be confident that we are in safe hands. Considering how raging the pandemic is, if were being led by an incompetent leader, we would have been talking otherwise in this country," he said.

He however refused to comment on the government's plan on vaccine roll out saying it was a sensitive issue which required expertise of the Health minister.

He also denied allegations of gross violation of human rights levelled against party leaders, accusing human rights activists of being sponsored by the West to topple Mnangagwa.