Zapu in door-to-door campaigns

THE Dumiso Dabengwa-led opposition Zapu has embarked on a door-to-door campaign in Bulawayo to drum up support for its candidates ahead of this year's general elections.

Zapu spokesperson, Iphithule Maphosa, confirmed the party's campaign strategy this week, adding the door-to-door outreach exercise was the brainchild of the party's women's wing. The exercise is carried out twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.

"Today [Monday] the party wrapped up the first phase of outreach in Luveve Cowdray Park constituency, where interaction with the electorate was intimate. Many governance issues were raised by residents, among them the proliferation of brothels in Cowdray Park, a menace that threatens lives of young girls in the area who are exposed to prostitution and alcohol plus drug abuse," the Bulawayo Central candidate, Maphosa said.

"The party was told girls as young as 12 frequented these brothels and engaged in all sorts of immorality. Matters of service delivery were also prominent in the discussions between residents and Zapu, with residents bemoaning slow progress in construction of sewer service in some parts of Cowdray Park with no concrete explanation being given."

He said they would be moving from constituency to constituency in the door-to-door campaign, with Emakhandeni-Entumbane next. Maphosa said all Bulawayo members, citizens, candidates and leadership were welcome to participate.

"It is a platform where a one-on-one conversation is held between the party and citizens, where aspirations are laid out to the party to carry once voted into office in the coming harmonised election," he said.

Maphosa said the programme started on Friday in Gwabalanda.

Monday's outreach was led by Luveve Cowdray Park district committee, with council candidate for ward 28, Nokuthula Ndlovu, ward 15 candidate Sibongile Banda and parliamentary candidate, John Zolani Dlamini in attendance.

"The reception the party is getting is warm and encouraging. We would like to thank the Bulawayo community for the warm welcome into their homes and committing time to listening and engaging with the mother party," he said.

"Zapu is convinced the people of Bulawayo are now ripe for change, whose opportunity comes after trying all fly-by-night alternatives. A call to go local in pursuit of localised solutions to local problems by local people is the mantra of the party, informed by the constitutionally provided for devolution of power, to which the Bulawayo citizens are in agreement."