Zanu-PF Matabeleland North starts campaigns for Mnangagwa

ZANU-PF Matabeleland North province has officially launched campaigns for President Mnangagwa as the sole party's candidate in this year's Presidential election amid calls for all party members to mobilise voters for him.

The revolutionary party is on a nationwide drive to mobilise 5 million votes for the President.

Dates for primary and harmonised elections have not been pronounced yet, but the party resoundingly endorsed

President Mnangagwa as the only candidate for the Presidential election.

Matabeleland North province held an inter-district meeting which was hosted by Hwange District Coordinating Committee at Edmund David Hall in Hwange yesterday.

Party leaders reiterated the need for members to display maximum discipline, unity of purpose, peace and respect for the party's constitution.

The party's provincial chairman Richard Moyo who is also Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister addressed the meeting which was also attended by Central Committee member Fati Mpofu and some provincial members as well as various affiliates.

The party also welcomed 22 people who defected from the Citizens Coalition for Change led by Mr Nelson Chamisa.

"We are here to launch the campaign for President Mnangagwa who is our sole candidate for the Presidential election. I always tell people that if we had this President since 1980 we could be far as a country in terms of development.

"We are under sanctions but he has done tremendous work as is seen in numerous projects being undertaken countrywide and particularly here in Matabeleland North. So I am here to talk about these projects as we launch the campaign and let's all go and tell people in our districts, wards and cells that now is the time to start working," said Moyo.

He said President Mnangagwa has exceptionally spearheaded the development of the country through capital projects in the province as the Second Republic implements the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1) which feeds into the vision for an upper middle income society by 2030.

The President has made sure formerly marginalised districts and communities are empowered through his philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind.

Matabeleland North is the biggest beneficiary of this philosophy as evidenced by the projects that Government is implementing and some of them had failed to start for decades.

Moyo said through efforts of the Second Republic, the century old Lake Gwayi Shangani dream was coming to fruition while the country is set to have sufficient electricity following completion of Unit 7 and 8 Hwange Thermal Power Expansion project.

He said some dry communities in the province had also benefitted from the Government's countrywide 35 000 borehole drilling project which will leave many villages especially in Binga with solar powered water sources. Moyo said the province now has passport offices in Hwange and Lupane while the Lupane Provincial Hospital is almost complete and set to become one of the biggest health institutions in the country

He said all wings in the province and across provinces had unanimously endorsed President Mnangagwa as the only candidate for the party in the Presidential election.

Moyo said Zanu-PF has a perennial challenge of people voting for the opposition especially in Hwange and Binga districts but added that the revolutionary party is determined to reclaim the seats this year.

"So today I declare the campaign for President Mnangagwa as our only candidate open and it's now our duty to go out and campaign for him," added Moyo.

Party members urged the leadership to desist from the culture of imposing candidates when primary elections officially start.

Zanu-PF Matabeleland North Provincial Secretary for Administration Douglas Khoza said President Mnangagwa is the only candidate who has secured a place for election while everyone else aspiring for other positions should wait for primary polls.

"If you see yourself getting tired of this slogan then you are not supporting President Mnangagwa as the only confirmed candidate. So let's be disciplined so we remain party members," he said.

Hwange DCC chairperson Mathew Muleya sad the party will win all three constituencies in Hwange – Hwange Central, Hwange East and Hwange West which were won by the opposition.