Zanu-PF to hold massive rally in Harare

It's all systems go as Zanu-PF readies for a massive rally in Harare to be headlined by President Mnangagwa this weekend as he launches the ruling party's campaign for the March 26 by-elections.

Ahead of the by-elections, the ruling party has activated all its mass mobilisation machinery, with all-party wings and structures working around the clock to ensure a clean sweep.

In an interview, Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Goodwills Masimirembwa said the province is working closely with the national structures.

"Teams from the province and the national leadership are working closely to ensure we will have a successful rally, logistics are being put in place for the mother of all rallies that will be a huge statement of the popularity of President Mnangagwa and will highlight the successes registered in the past few years that have transformed people's lives," said Masimirembwa.

Wings for women, youth, and veterans of the liberation struggle are co-ordinating logistics with the party's executive in Harare Province, as the revolutionary party targets to win all vacant seats in the National Assembly and local authority wards.

There are a total of 133 elective vacancies, 28 parliamentary seats, and 105 council seats up for grabs. Zanu-PF took an early lead in Ward 14 of Umguza Rural District Council, Matabeleland North, after opposition parties failed to forward candidates.

In an interview, Zanu-PF director of information and publicity, Tafadzwa Mugwadi said the "mother of all rallies" in Harare is a bold demonstration that the ruling party is now taking over urban councils that have been run-down by successive MDC councils.

"The Saturday rally, which is headlined by the party President and First Secretary, ED Mnangagwa, is set to be a tactical game-changer in Harare. Since the formation of the MDC, which has split into various groups, Zanu-PF is buoyantly and confidently entering cities that used to be a hunting ground for the opposition for the past 22 years.

"The party has taken note of where it needs to do things correctly to charm our people in Harare and Bulawayo. Under the mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo', Zanu-PF will pronounce its roadmap to modernise cities in line with the National Development Strategy 1," said Mugwadi.

Citing Harare, where taps have run dry and garbage gathers uncollected, Mugwadi said President Mnangagwa had a clear plan of restoring the sunshine to the capital city.

"After turning Harare into a ghost-city, characterised by potholes, uncollected garbage, mushika-shika, dirty water, and poor reticulation systems, they are now trying to dodge a legacy of failure through changing names to CCC (Citizens Coalition for Change). People won't be fooled by the opposition which has shown no plan at all.

"Under the ‘NO one and no place must be left behind' mantra, President Mnangagwa will give direction on how to bring back our cities to life through a robust system of service delivery that meets the demands of rate-paying residents. This is going to be the mother of all rallies in Harare," he said.

Residents, who are tired of poor service delivery are expected to throng the rally to hear the solutions on the table ,which are presently typified by the rehabilitation of roads where councils had failed, added Mugwadi.

Disenchanted former opposition leaders will also be at the rally to publicly announce their disengagement from the embattled opposition parties.

War Veterans' secretary, Douglas Mahiya, said as war veterans they will use their vast mobilising strategies to attract people to Zanu-PF.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) we are having a preparatory meeting and resolve to go to these constituencies and wards to mobilise the people through our political content to dispense and explain to people the successes of the Second Republic. As the third wing of the party, it means the party's political altitude is going to be higher. The Veterans of the Liberation Struggle are a wing that has content to dispense to the people to make them understand that they will vote clearly."