Zanu-PF sets 600 000 votes target in Masvingo

The ruling Zanu-PF has set a target to garner over 600 000 votes for President Mnangagwa in Masvingo in next month's harmonised elections, it aims for a clean sweep in the province.

This development comes as the ruling party is leaving no stone unturned to maintain its majority in the political landscape in the province after launching the polling station-based campaign to make sure its structures are primed for a landslide victory.

The polling station-based campaign will run from Wednesday this week to 19 August in all the 26 constituencies in Masvingo.

Masvingo is traditionally known as supporting Zanu-PF and the record 124 000 people who attended President Mnangagwa's mega-rally at Chinorumba High School in Zaka on July 16 have been used as a yardstick to gauge the ruling party's popularity in the province.

The province has nearly 800 000 registered voters as Zimbabwe heads to August 23 harmonised elections and the ruling party leadership has set a target of a record number of votes for President Mnangagwa.

Party provincial chair Rabson Mavhenyengwa yesterday said Zanu-PF had upped the campaign ante with everything pointing to a crushing victory for the party.

‘'Last time our President managed to garner over 350 000 votes here in Masvingo province, but this time we are targeting over 600 000 votes in Masvingo alone and this target is very much achievable because we are working hard on the ground to get that figure and also because the President's people-centred projects are there for everyone to see, so President Mnangagwa has already sold himself to the electorate, thanks to a number of game changing projects that directly impact on people's lives in our province,'' said Mavhenyengwa.

‘'We see nothing stopping President Mnangagwa from getting over 600 000 votes in Masvingo because this province had already shown that it is fully behind President Mnangagwa and that he will romp to a crushing victory.

"The President will win Masvingo by a very huge margin and we have no doubt about that.''

Mavhenyengwa said President Mnangagwa has endeared himself to people in the province through various projects that were rolled out by the Second Republic over the past five years.

‘'There are many projects that were rolled out by the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa that are positively impacting in people's lives from irrigation schemes such as Mushandike and Chilonga, building of new dams, roads, clinics, bridges and even schools," he said.

"Our people are seeing the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road being expanded and this is creating jobs for our people. We have projects like the mini-hydro power plant at Lake Mutirikwi that is taking shape and set for commissioning at the end of this year. These projects impact on the lives of our people and there is no way they will not vote for a pragmatic leader so that he gets another five years to continue with his mission.''

Mavhenyengwa hailed the rapid growth of the province's Gross Domestic Product over the past five years, thanks to President Mnangagwa's development-oriented policies.

‘'The growth trajectory is all key sectors of the provincial economy shows that Masvingo is an awakening giant finally realising its full potential because of President Mnangagwa's visionary leadership," he said.

"We are witnessing growth in sectors such as mining, agriculture and tourism in Masvingo and this is a boon for the provincial economy that will also contribute to aggregate national economic growth as Zimbabwe angles for Vision 2030.''

Mavhenyengwa said the polling station-based campaign was poised to make sure Zanu-PF is able to compare the number of people in its structures and those on the voter's roll.

‘'We are starting the polling station-based campaign in Gutu East and then move to Gutu South this week with all party members from the politburo to the lower structures joining the mobilisation campaign so that we win resoundingly come August 23,'' he said.

‘'This campaign will run until August 19 and basically we hope that it will help us to work on the discrepancy between the number of people in our structures and those appearing on the voters roll. If we notice a discrepancy it gives us the opportunity to work on the problem and intensify our campaign so that we woo more supporters to Zanu-PF.''

Zanu-PF has already expressed optimism of sweeping all the 26 National Assembly seats in Masvingo in next month's elections, with the party saying it was confident of grabbing the Masvingo Urban seat from the opposition.

In the 2018 harmonised elections, Zanu-PF won all but one of the constituencies, Masvingo Urban, but its National Assembly candidate Wellington Mawende has vowed to grab the seat from opposition clutches to make Masvingo a true "one party state".