'Women backbone of Zanu-PF'

Women are the backbone of Zanu-PF and they should, in their numbers, drum up support for the ruling party to ensure a landslide and uncontested victory in the forthcoming harmonised elections, President Mnangagwa has said.

The President, who is also Zanu-PF First Secretary, said women constituted the majority of voters and it was critical that the ruling party's Women's League lures more people to join the revolutionary party.

Delivering a keynote address at a Women's Assembly meeting at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa said women played an integral role in the national discourse and no leader would lead an organisation sustainably without their support.

The meeting was attended by Zanu-PF Women's League national and provincial executive members in terms of the party's Constitution.

"The timing of this gathering running under the theme, ‘Amalgamating Women Towards A Landslide And Uncontested victory for Zanu-PF in the 2023 harmonised elections,' coincides with preparations for the upcoming 2023 harmonised general elections.

"In line with the theme, all members of the Women's League must continue to mobilise and drum up support for more votes for our colossal revolutionary party, and defend our hard-won independence and freedom we enjoy today. It is our duty as Zimbabweans to defend and preserve our national heritage," said President Mnangagwa.

The Women's League, he said, should take advantage of women's status as the majority of voters to ensure victory for the party.

"You the women are the backbone of our revolutionary party Zanu-PF. I have all the confidence in your capability. In this regard, you have done it before and you are going to do it again by making sure that Zanu-PF has uncontested victory in August. Allow me to take this opportunity to celebrate and applaud local authority and national assembly female, male and youth candidates who successfully filed their papers in the Nomination Court. I am happy," said President Mnangagwa.

"As leaders, you represent the entire country because every province is represented. We need servant leadership, and as leaders you are the servants of the people, those whom you lead are your masters. If you want sustainable leadership, have respect for those who voted for you. I, therefore, call upon the Women's League and all the departments to carry the burden of mobilising not only the Women's League but the entire structures of the party. Every single political party is strong because its Women's League is strong. The leadership of any political party, for it to survive, must have a strong Women's League and Zanu-PF has a strong Women's League."

The President chronicled several measures that the Second Republic has taken to uplift the lives of people in various sectors such as agriculture, where the country is now food secure.

He said the mining sector was now contributing US$12 billion to the economy while in the energy sector, new power projects were helping ease load shedding.

"As a country we felt it ridiculous to continue importing food, so we introduced an agriculture model which guarantees food security, that of Pfumvudza. We need food security at household level that is why we introduced Pfumvudza. It does not require a tractor or draught power but just one's brain. The Government provides inputs," said President Mnangagwa.

He said the Government was considering exporting grain since it now has a surplus owing to various interventions it introduced which saw the agriculture sector becoming an US$8,2 billion economy way before the 2023 target.

The country's success story comes despite the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain and its Western allies after Harare embarked on the land reform programme that redressed colonial land imbalances.

Other measures include directing State universities to have education biased towards science and technology where institutions are now into research and innovations, responding to the nation's needs.

For example, the Education 5.0 thrust saw universities manufacturing sundries like medical syringes and also medical oxygen to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 that claimed millions of lives globally.

Earlier, Zanu-PF Secretary for the Women's League Mabel Chinomona had said that the league was geared towards President Mnangagwa's victory.

"The Women's League is committed to mobilise the electorate to ensure a resounding victory for the colossal party and the President. We are behind you President. We want you to continue implementing a number of projects which you are spearheading across the country. The League will ensure a resounding victory for the party. The league is behind you President," said Chinomona.

The Women's League commended President Mnangagwa for the steps he has taken in uplifting Zimbabweans from poverty into prosperity, creating jobs, and providing inputs to women among other things.

The League also applauded President Mnangagwa for appointing a number of women into positions of authority, among them Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa, and Senate president Chinomona among others.