Chiwenga charms Mbare, Kambuzuma

Government has set a firm foundation for speedy economic recovery through opening up the economy to foreign direct investment, a development that is likely to create jobs and improve livelihoods, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Addressing scores of Zanu-PF supporters at a campaign rally in Mbare yesterday, Chiwenga said after the July 30 elections, the Zanu-PF Government guarantees economic recovery and development.

"When President Mnangagwa's Government came into power on the 24th of November last year, we made it clear that the elections will go ahead in terms of the Constitution.

"President Mnangagwa is a man of action and over the last seven months, you have seen many things happening.

"Some people are saying the $20 billion worth of investments the President has brought to country should be shared among everyone so that we live good lives, but, no, that is not how a country is run.

"Instead, we want to grow the economy through opening our mines, ensuring that the country has adequate power, our infrastructure, our factories are all opened up and retooled."

Government, he said, is focused on developing the country's infrastructure and ensuring that all citizens have access to quality housing and potable water.

He said Government plans to solve erratic water supplies in Harare through the construction of Kunzvi Dam and the refurbishment of Morton Jaffray water treatment plant.

"Our roads should be refurbished. Also our water and sewerage reticulation are all addressed.

"Our houses should meet the standards of modern urban houses.

"All this should be done and that is why once the President came into power you witnessed the commissioning of Kariba South power plant and recently we had a ground-breaking at Hwange where we are going to create 300 jobs.

"Here, close to you, the road coming from Beitbridge, we are dualising the road from Beitbridge through Masvingo and Harare all the way to Chirundu. Another one will also come from Beitbridge through Bulawayo to Victoria Falls.

"That is what we mean when we talk about modernising our infrastructure.

"Here in Harare, you have perennial water shortages, to address that we will soon construct Kunzvi and refurbish Morton Jaffray to give clean water to the city.

"Water and sewerage pipes are now outdated and need to be replaced and we are looking into that.

"For all this to happen, it requires you the people of Mbare, Southerton and Sunningdale, you have just had your primary elections where you chose the people you want to represent you, these are the people who will work with our President to address all these problems.

"These are the people who will make Harare a Sunshine City again," he said.

He called on losing candidates of the party's primary elections to pull in the same direction as the rest of the party.

Those who are pulling in a different direction, he said, will be left behind.

"You should know that after the primary election no one came out a loser and no one came out a winner, but it was Zanu-PF that won.

"We then should then all unite and push our party towards victory.

"Those who are pulling in their own direction are no longer children of the revolutionary party. Come back to where the people are so that we can walk the same road."

Addressing another rally in Kambuzuma later in the day, VP Chiwenga said Government had embraced the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to add fillip to local economic growth.

"Government is taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) very seriously because this is what we need to build the country.

"That is why you saw the President meeting with engineers and architects in Victoria Falls last week, because without those people we cannot build the country.

"All our plans to build new roads, new dams and have adequate power, to mine our minerals and build new schools we need these people who have read science, technology and mathematics.

"On Monday, the President launched our space technology programme -our space agency. Our children cannot do that if they are not scientists; that is why we say all our schools should have science, mathematics and technology subjects," he said.

The Vice President was drumming up support for the party's National Assembly candidate for Mbare, Tendai Savanhu and Simbarashe Mupandanyama (Kambuzuma).