News / Local
Mnangagwa says it's time up for opposition
05 Mar 2022 at 08:13hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said Zanu-PF has no role in the mindless infighting within the strife-torn MDC and its variations, a party which has demonstrated to voters its incapacity and ineptitude to run councils.
The President told thousands of ruling party supporters who thronged Pfupajena Stadium in Chegutu yesterday that since the opposition had demonstrated its incompetence and propensity for corruption, the electorate had an opportunity to vote them out in the upcoming by-elections on March 26.
In terms of uplifting communities, the President said the Government devoted $42 billion for the Devolution agenda, which takes development to local authorities and has transformed lives across the country.
"When you look around, you will see that our towns are in constant decay. These opposition-led councils have failed and time has come to vote for people from Zanu-PF who have the expertise to run the councils. However, being Zanu-PF alone isn't good enough because next year we are going to vet aspiring councillors and see what they have achieved that warrants being elected in local authorities governance structures," he said.
Zimbabwe will next year hold harmonised elections and a Bill is on table to set the minimum requirements for one to qualify as a councillor. But before the 2023 elections, the country will have a mini-election with 28 by-elections for parliamentary seats and 104 polls for local authorities that emanated from recalls, deaths, and dismissals.
"We are going for by-elections, some seats came through deaths but the majority came through recalls from Parliament by the opposition. They are always plotting against each other, but they want to blame Zanu-PF. We have nothing with their troubles, they write to Parliament and a person is recalled".
In Chegutu, the President rallied the multitudes to back Chegutu Ward 9 candidate Mitchel Chiyanike.
"You have an opportunity to elect a candidate for ward 9 Mitchel Chiyanike. Vote Zanu-PF a party that has the people at heart and that will respond to your needs. If you vote for a Zanu-PF councillor, it is easy for him to access my office because he would be from the ruling party and can come to the State House anytime," he said.
Instead of resorting to violence or seeking foreigners to come back and repossess the land, which the President said was irreversible, political parties must seek peace, President Mnangagwa said.
"Time has come to build the nation, you heard this young man (Nelson Chamisa) bragging that if he gets into State House he will invite white people to help him rule, and I have said that can never because a country can only be developed by its own, investors can only come to Zimbabwe on our own terms not to take back the country to former colonisers," he said.
The President also castigated Mr Chamisa's deputy Tendai Biti who has publicly stated that his party would reverse the land reform programme.
Explaining an array of people-focused initiatives that the Second Republic has come up with, the President said he is determined to implement development that leaves no one and no place behind, with dams being constructed in every province, while climate proofed agriculture and also infrastructure development is taking place.
On infrastructure development, the Second Republic has come to the rescue of urban areas that have, for the past 20 years, been run to the ground by successive MDC councils in all its variations.
"There are some parties that preach violence but we want peaceful elections," he said.
Focusing on Chegutu, the President assured the people in the small town, that is just over 100 km from the capital city Harare, that their challenges will be solved.
"I heard the challenges that you are facing in this provinces, there are some families who are facing evictions from their homes, mine houses and others and I have said that will not happen, I also heard that people have been paying rentals for more than 20 years and that is also coming to an end as we will be issuing title deeds," he said.
The President, who also planted a tree and led in the National Clean Up exercise in the town, was accompanied by Politburo member Chris Mutsvangwa, Acting Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Sekesai Nzenza, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa Chikoka and Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Kindness Paradza attended the rally.
At the rally, Zanu-PF aspiring councillors drawn from across the province were introduced to the party supporters while the President, who stressed the importance of ICT in modern learning, also handed over computers to Pfupajena Primary and Secondary Schools.
The event-packed programme also saw former opposition leaders openly joining Zanu-PF, with their representative and former MDC legislator Blessing Chebundo assuring the President that many more were ready to join the revolutionary party.
The President told thousands of ruling party supporters who thronged Pfupajena Stadium in Chegutu yesterday that since the opposition had demonstrated its incompetence and propensity for corruption, the electorate had an opportunity to vote them out in the upcoming by-elections on March 26.
In terms of uplifting communities, the President said the Government devoted $42 billion for the Devolution agenda, which takes development to local authorities and has transformed lives across the country.
"When you look around, you will see that our towns are in constant decay. These opposition-led councils have failed and time has come to vote for people from Zanu-PF who have the expertise to run the councils. However, being Zanu-PF alone isn't good enough because next year we are going to vet aspiring councillors and see what they have achieved that warrants being elected in local authorities governance structures," he said.
Zimbabwe will next year hold harmonised elections and a Bill is on table to set the minimum requirements for one to qualify as a councillor. But before the 2023 elections, the country will have a mini-election with 28 by-elections for parliamentary seats and 104 polls for local authorities that emanated from recalls, deaths, and dismissals.
"We are going for by-elections, some seats came through deaths but the majority came through recalls from Parliament by the opposition. They are always plotting against each other, but they want to blame Zanu-PF. We have nothing with their troubles, they write to Parliament and a person is recalled".
In Chegutu, the President rallied the multitudes to back Chegutu Ward 9 candidate Mitchel Chiyanike.
"You have an opportunity to elect a candidate for ward 9 Mitchel Chiyanike. Vote Zanu-PF a party that has the people at heart and that will respond to your needs. If you vote for a Zanu-PF councillor, it is easy for him to access my office because he would be from the ruling party and can come to the State House anytime," he said.
Instead of resorting to violence or seeking foreigners to come back and repossess the land, which the President said was irreversible, political parties must seek peace, President Mnangagwa said.
The President also castigated Mr Chamisa's deputy Tendai Biti who has publicly stated that his party would reverse the land reform programme.
Explaining an array of people-focused initiatives that the Second Republic has come up with, the President said he is determined to implement development that leaves no one and no place behind, with dams being constructed in every province, while climate proofed agriculture and also infrastructure development is taking place.
On infrastructure development, the Second Republic has come to the rescue of urban areas that have, for the past 20 years, been run to the ground by successive MDC councils in all its variations.
"There are some parties that preach violence but we want peaceful elections," he said.
Focusing on Chegutu, the President assured the people in the small town, that is just over 100 km from the capital city Harare, that their challenges will be solved.
"I heard the challenges that you are facing in this provinces, there are some families who are facing evictions from their homes, mine houses and others and I have said that will not happen, I also heard that people have been paying rentals for more than 20 years and that is also coming to an end as we will be issuing title deeds," he said.
The President, who also planted a tree and led in the National Clean Up exercise in the town, was accompanied by Politburo member Chris Mutsvangwa, Acting Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Hon Sekesai Nzenza, Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mary Mliswa Chikoka and Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Kindness Paradza attended the rally.
At the rally, Zanu-PF aspiring councillors drawn from across the province were introduced to the party supporters while the President, who stressed the importance of ICT in modern learning, also handed over computers to Pfupajena Primary and Secondary Schools.
The event-packed programme also saw former opposition leaders openly joining Zanu-PF, with their representative and former MDC legislator Blessing Chebundo assuring the President that many more were ready to join the revolutionary party.
Source - The Herald
