News / National
Zanu-PF begins mobilising supporters
10 Apr 2013 at 02:30hrs | Views
ZANU-PF is mobilising supporters and new members to register as voters ahead of harmonised elections scheduled before June 29, party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said yesterday.
Gumbo said the mass-mobilisation exercise was being carried out countrywide.
"We urge everyone to go and register as voters even though the mobile exercise by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is yet to begin.
"Registration as a voter is an ongoing exercise and we have been mobilising our people in our structures countrywide to ensure that they check whether their names appear in the voters' roll and if not they should register," he said.
Delays in the release of funds by treasury have stalled the mobile voter registration exercise that should have started early January.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF House of Assembly member for Mhondoro-Ngezi Bright Matonga on Friday distributed voters' rolls in various wards in the constituency to ensure that people check whether their names appear on the lists.
"I want to thank you for the overwhelming support that you showed during the referendum and what is now left is to consolidate that victory by voting for Zanu-PF at the elections that will be held soon.
"I have brought copies of the voters' roll so that you can check if your names appear in it. All those who have not registered should immediately go and register to vote so that when the elections come we will win resoundingly," he said.
Matonga said the elections were important as they would consolidate the indigenisation and economic empowerment programmes being spearheaded by the Zanu-PF component of Government.
"This election is important for the country as they come at a critical time when we are consolidating our empowerment drive.
"We know that there are certain elements in the MDC formations that want to reverse our gains from the empowerment initiatives and we should guard against that by ensuring that Zanu-PF and President Mugabe win the elections," he said.
Matonga said the indigenisation drive would only succeed if Zanu-PF retained power as the other parties relied on neo-colonial ideas from foreigners that wanted to continue benefiting from the country's resources.
Matonga said President Mugabe had remained principled in the face of adversity and should remain in office.
"The President has been there throughout many challenges and there is no reason why he should leave now. God has kept him for a purpose so we should ensure that he remains in office by going out and voting for him and the party in large numbers," Matonga said.
He said President Mugabe was sent by God to deliver Zimbabweans from the bondage of colonialism and poverty and should be allowed to complete his mission.
He also told another rally at St Paul's Anglican Church to pray for peaceful elections.
"We should pray for a peaceful election so that we shame the detractors who are against the country," he said.
In a related development Harare South House of Assembly member Hubert Nyanhongo urged women to be political commissars through recruiting and mobilising others to vote for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in the harmonised elections.
Speaking at a women's only rally at Retreat Farm yesterday Nyanhongo said women were pivotal in the Zanu-PF campaign.
He urged to continue to be steadfast in defence of the country's independence by ensuring a Zanu-PF resounding win.
"You are the mainstay of the party. Without you we would not be where we are today. I urge you to go out and recruit more women and encourage them to vote for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF," he said.
Nyanhongo urged the women to ensure a peaceful campaign period. He said the party's love for its female membership was shown through the implementation of women specific empowerment projects since independence.
His address was punctuated by song and dance in praise of President Mugabe and the party leadership.
Female ex-combatants sang revolutionary songs that reminded and educated the gathering of the country's long road to independence and the post independence era.
In Masvingo, the provincial leadership has embarked on a whirlwind tour of all the seven districts to verify and strengthen party structures ahead of elections.
Besides verifying the party grassroots structures, the leadership is also using the tour to commend supporters for voting in their thousands in the just-ended referendum.
Over 320 000 people endorsed the draft Constitution in Masvingo and most of them came from Zanu-PF strongholds of Chiredzi and Mwenezi.
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Lovemore Matuke yesterday said the verification of party structures was aimed at reinvigorating the grassroots ahead of watershed elections due by June 29.
Matuke said the exercise was meant to strengthen the party to ensure it becomes a well oiled machine ahead of elections.
Gumbo said the mass-mobilisation exercise was being carried out countrywide.
"We urge everyone to go and register as voters even though the mobile exercise by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is yet to begin.
"Registration as a voter is an ongoing exercise and we have been mobilising our people in our structures countrywide to ensure that they check whether their names appear in the voters' roll and if not they should register," he said.
Delays in the release of funds by treasury have stalled the mobile voter registration exercise that should have started early January.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF House of Assembly member for Mhondoro-Ngezi Bright Matonga on Friday distributed voters' rolls in various wards in the constituency to ensure that people check whether their names appear on the lists.
"I want to thank you for the overwhelming support that you showed during the referendum and what is now left is to consolidate that victory by voting for Zanu-PF at the elections that will be held soon.
"I have brought copies of the voters' roll so that you can check if your names appear in it. All those who have not registered should immediately go and register to vote so that when the elections come we will win resoundingly," he said.
Matonga said the elections were important as they would consolidate the indigenisation and economic empowerment programmes being spearheaded by the Zanu-PF component of Government.
"This election is important for the country as they come at a critical time when we are consolidating our empowerment drive.
"We know that there are certain elements in the MDC formations that want to reverse our gains from the empowerment initiatives and we should guard against that by ensuring that Zanu-PF and President Mugabe win the elections," he said.
Matonga said the indigenisation drive would only succeed if Zanu-PF retained power as the other parties relied on neo-colonial ideas from foreigners that wanted to continue benefiting from the country's resources.
Matonga said President Mugabe had remained principled in the face of adversity and should remain in office.
"The President has been there throughout many challenges and there is no reason why he should leave now. God has kept him for a purpose so we should ensure that he remains in office by going out and voting for him and the party in large numbers," Matonga said.
He also told another rally at St Paul's Anglican Church to pray for peaceful elections.
"We should pray for a peaceful election so that we shame the detractors who are against the country," he said.
In a related development Harare South House of Assembly member Hubert Nyanhongo urged women to be political commissars through recruiting and mobilising others to vote for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in the harmonised elections.
Speaking at a women's only rally at Retreat Farm yesterday Nyanhongo said women were pivotal in the Zanu-PF campaign.
He urged to continue to be steadfast in defence of the country's independence by ensuring a Zanu-PF resounding win.
"You are the mainstay of the party. Without you we would not be where we are today. I urge you to go out and recruit more women and encourage them to vote for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF," he said.
Nyanhongo urged the women to ensure a peaceful campaign period. He said the party's love for its female membership was shown through the implementation of women specific empowerment projects since independence.
His address was punctuated by song and dance in praise of President Mugabe and the party leadership.
Female ex-combatants sang revolutionary songs that reminded and educated the gathering of the country's long road to independence and the post independence era.
In Masvingo, the provincial leadership has embarked on a whirlwind tour of all the seven districts to verify and strengthen party structures ahead of elections.
Besides verifying the party grassroots structures, the leadership is also using the tour to commend supporters for voting in their thousands in the just-ended referendum.
Over 320 000 people endorsed the draft Constitution in Masvingo and most of them came from Zanu-PF strongholds of Chiredzi and Mwenezi.
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Lovemore Matuke yesterday said the verification of party structures was aimed at reinvigorating the grassroots ahead of watershed elections due by June 29.
Matuke said the exercise was meant to strengthen the party to ensure it becomes a well oiled machine ahead of elections.
Source - TH
