Zanu-PF pledges to clean up opposition rot in cities

Zanu-PF will put in place measures to clean the rot in towns and cities brought about by incompetent opposition councillors who have been in charge of urban councils since 2000, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.

VP Chiwenga said this yesterday at a rally in Stoneridge, Harare South Constituency, held to drum up support for President Mnangagwa and the ruling Zanu-PF party.

A bumper crowd estimated at 40 000 party supporters attended the rally at Mega Service station grounds in what was a demonstration of the party's popularity ahead of the August 23 elections.

Harare South Constituency is one of those deeply affected by the corruption of opposition councillors, who allegedly parcelled out land to thousands of beneficiaries, without providing the requisite social amenities and title deeds.

VP Chiwenga told the thousands of Harare South residents that the Presidential Title Deeds and Settlement Regularisation Programme started by the Second Republic, would be extended to all cities and towns.

The title deeds programme has so far seen some Epworth residents getting title deeds, as President Mnangagwa has declared that no one who got a piece of land from the corrupt councillors would be removed from their stand.

In line with Vision 2030, VP Chiwenga said President Mnangagwa was keen to see the regularisation of all urban settlements, with all home owners getting title deeds to their properties.

"Here in Harare South, there are problems affecting our people. Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, the Government wants you to have good accommodation," said VP Chiwenga.

"You must have title deeds of where you stay. The programme that was started by the Second Republic under the leadership of His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is there to stay and everybody in Zimbabwe will have ownership of where they are staying.

"Be patient, we are almost there. Those staying in areas which are not suitable for residential purposes or areas set aside for other amenities like electricity will be accommodated in high rise apartments."

VP Chiwenga said Zanu-PF has urban renewal plans so as to improve the living conditions of people in urban areas, and high-rise buildings would be built to accommodate them.

"There are some families who paved the way for the Mbudzi Interchange; we are planning to give them good accommodation," he said.

With the Government already seized with a number of urban development projects like road rehabilitation, VP Chiwenga said they are working on providing other amenities for Harare South residents.

Some of the amenities to be availed by the Government include schools, value-addition industries for employment creation and improving health services as evidenced by the Stoneridge Health Centre that was commissioned last year.

VP Chiwenga warned land barons against illegal land dealings.

Those involved in property development, he said, should do so in a manner that is in line with the law.

Turning to national development, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe has undergone rapid economic growth underpinned by several infrastructural developments.

In terms of industrial development, he said there are bigger plans to industrialise the economy, which will create more jobs for youths.

VP Chiwenga said the Second Republic has solved electricity generation challenges, which saw large parts of the country going without power for several hours.

The expansion of Hwange Power Station through the addition of Units 7 and 8, saw the addition of a combined 600MW from the two units.

Coupled with increased generation from Kariba Hydropower Station after 300MW were also added after expansion, Zimbabwe is almost energy self-sufficient now, and load-shedding is almost eliminated.

VP Chiwenga said more electricity would be generated from the many dams constructed across the country such as Tugwi-Mukosi and Lake Gwayi-Shangani.

"Under President Mnangagwa's industrialisation drive, we will open new big industries but we will not neglect the needs of SMEs, women and youths, to build their enterprises and we will capitalise banks to help SMEs," he said.

A Zanu-PF supporter, Mr Prosper Duri who attended the rally, commended the Second Republic for bringing quality health services closer to them through construction of the Stoneridge Health Centre.

"President Mnangagwa has done a lot for us, look at the Stoneridge Health Centre; we are now getting quality health services closer to where we live," said Mr Duri.

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"We will definitely vote for President Mnangagwa so that he continues the developmental trajectory he has started.

"I am happy that Zanu-PF is moving towards giving us title deeds and the construction of schools."

Ms Audrey Nyoni commended President Mnangagwa's administration for constructing urban roads, which were neglected by the opposition run local authorities.

"I am happy that the Government took care of the roads that were neglected by local authorities run by the opposition.

"We have big projects like the Mbudzi Interchange which are taking shape, and many others across the country. For that reason, President Mnangagwa has my vote for promising and keeping his promises," said Ms Nyoni.

Thousands of residents in Harare South are victims of land barons and will soon receive title deeds to their residential stands following the Second Republic's intervention a move expected to fast track development of the area.

 President Mnangagwa has promised to facilitate the issuance of title deeds in the area as part of efforts to bring order to the settlement and ensuring that those who have houses or stands have title deeds to those properties.

Most of the housing in the area is on planned layouts, but without the services normally required to gain the title deeds.

Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairman Godwills Masimirembwa said the turnout of people was a manifestation of the party's fulfilment of its policies, emphasising that the issuance of title deeds would be speeded up.

"This is a national programme which started in Epworth and Harare South in ward 8. The thrust is to assist residents in underdeveloped areas to obtain title deeds, since about 90 percent of houses in high-density areas have no title deeds," he said.

The party's candidates for Harare South constituency Trymore Kanopula said he was confident of winning the seat in the coming elections.

 "We are confident that the revolutionary party will win all the three constituencies in Harare South which are Churu, Harare South and Hunyani.

"The Second Republic, under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, has done a lot to transform the livelihoods of people here," said Kanopula.

The three constituencies will be represented by Kanopula, Ephraim Fundukwa and Tongai Mnangagwa.

The party's candidate for Hunyani constituency Mnangagwa said efforts were being made to regularise the area for the benefit of residents as what happened in Epworth

Zanu-PF candidate for Mt Pleasant constituency Beadle Gwasira who also attended the rally said that he was confident of winning back the seat for Zanu-PF.

"The electorate is happy with the progress being made across the country under the Second Republic. The President is showing a good direction making it easier for us to campaign.  A number of projects are taking shape in Mt Pleasant," he said.

Another, Zanu-PF candidate Tendai Patrick Zindoga who will represent Harare West in the coming elections, said the party would push out the opposition from urban areas.

The party candidate for Churu constituency Fundukwa said they had already started working on programmes to regularise settlements in the constituency.

Those in areas planned for other amenities such as schools and hospitals would be relocated.