Zimbabwe govt to ensure peaceful polls, claims Mnangagwa

GOVERNMENT will do everything in its power to ensure that peace prevails before, during and after this year's elections, and is prepared to deal with mischief-makers bent on fanning violence, President Mnangagwa has said.

Addressing thousands of Zanu-PF supporters during the party's fifth provincial star rally in Centenary, Mashonaland Central, yesterday, the President said Zimbabweans were naturally a peace-loving people, who will put to shame those who are anticipating violence as the country prepares for the August 23 polls.

"We now have more than 70 election observers in the country; they think that we will have violence during our election. We the people of Great Zimbabwe, the children of Munhumutapa, are a peaceful people who are against violence.

"We want peace, we promote peace, and the people of Zimbabwe are humble and loving people. So those countries who wish us to be violent, we will shame you, we will never promote violence in Zimbabwe."

He warned those who might entertain plans to instigate electoral violence that the law will catch up with them.

"We won't tolerate mischief from all those who are bent on causing violence. If they are being given money from other countries, they should use that money in a peaceful manner. Once you start using that money to cause violence, we will lock you up. The long arm of the law will take its course against all those who promote violence; we want peace. We are a humble and peace-loving people."

Government, the President said, was spreading development countrywide, adding that interventions to boost agricultural production were bearing fruit as the country was now food secure.

"We have put models of agriculture which address food security at the household level. We brought Pfumvudza, which ensures that every household is food secure. On my way here … let me praise my Minister (Monica Mavhunga) from here. We gave her a target to put 14 000 hectares under wheat and they have already reached 15 000 hectares. She has surpassed her target. She must thank farmers from this province. This wheat gives us bread and all manner of confectionary."

Zimbabwe, he said, used to depend on wheat imports from Ukraine, a country now locked in a conflict with Russia.

"So, we sat as a team and asked ourselves why we were importing wheat when we have water for irrigation. I asked them what we could do in order to produce enough wheat for our annual consumption. They said we needed to put so much land under irrigation."

He said Zimbabwe now has ample land under irrigation to ensure it produces wheat to meet its requirements.

"Last year, we produced more than our annual requirement. This year, we have even surpassed last year's production record.

My Minister of Agriculture (Dr Anxious Masuka) is saying that we must start planning to export our wheat because we have more than our needs. Imagine if we had insisted on importing grain from Ukraine where there is a war now? Surely we would suffer."

President Mnangagwa also said through devolution, Government had brought critical services closer to the people, including in remote parts of the country.

"A long time ago, you used to travel from Muzarabani to faraway place to apply for vital civic documents, but now you can apply for your biometric passport here in the rural areas. The man behind this is KK (Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe) who is building registry offices across the country. You no longer need to go to Harare to apply for passports. We now have more than 20 passport centres. We started with Murewa in Mashonaland East to make life easier for the elderly to take their passports," the President said.

Government, he added, has also comprehensively dealt with fuel and electricity shortages that previously affected the country. He also noted that Mashonaland Central province, which was home to Mbuya Nehanda, has a special place in the country's history as the first shots that signaled the start of the Second Chimurenga were fired at Altena Farm in Centenary.

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who hails from the province, Vice-President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu-PF Second Secretary Kembo Mohadi, among many senior party officials, attended yesterday's star rally.