Zanu-PF national chair Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has claimed the ruling party will win resoundingly in the August 23 harmonised elections as the party has done enough groundwork to win the hearts of the electorate.
She was speaking to her party supporters at a rally held at the Colliery Grounds in Hwange where she distributed 30 tonnes of mealie meal to the crowd saying it was of the party’s many measures to address challenges faced by citizens.
Hwange is one of the districts that face serious hunger while infrastructure such as roads has deteriorated to a sorry state despite the presence of more than a dozen coal mining companies operating in the coal mining town.
Maladministration, lack of good governance and corporate social responsibility, and lack of accountability have been blamed for the lack of development.
Muchinguri-Kashiri said Zanu-PF will address the challenges, as the party seeks a second term for President Mnangagwa.
“Zanu-PF has the interests of people at heart. I am going to promise you that I will address the challenges confronting employees and former employees of Hwange Colliery Company.
“I have approached the authorities to address this issue as a matter of urgency and when effecting disposal of the houses the authorities should take into account the length of service of employees,” said Muchinguri-Kashiri with reference to accommodation challenges for former Hwange Colliery Company workers who the company has been evicting from company houses.
She noted neglected roads, public ablutions, and unhealthy environment due to coal dust from coal mining as some of the challenges raised by Hwange people.
Muchinguri-Kashiri said Zanu-PF had done enough to address some of the challenges through projects and will therefore win the elections.
“There is no doubt that these coming elections we are going to resoundingly. Before the race even started, we have secured 92 local council seats uncontested. Here is Matabeleland North we managed to retain three local council seats uncontested in Bubi. We are unstoppable,” she said.
Muchinguri-Kashiri said the party rides on projects implemented by government where some boreholes have been drilled and rehabilitated and repaired.
Speaking in the same Matabeleland North province but at a separate event at the 2023 Infrastructure Summit and Expo in Victoria Falls, President Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF had effected numerous economic reforms as he appealed to the private sector for partnerships.
“You can interrogate any subsector of the economy where it was five years ago and where it is today. The success of the economy, I am not saying if you wanted to go and vote X you don’t have to vote, I am saying the success of the economy is where there is peace, unity and lack of corruption,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said his government will continue implementing measures to strengthen the currency, at a time when the runaway inflation has been eroding citizens’ buying power.
Good promises during elections need to be documented and followed up during parliamentary question time for instance. The press could and should follow up by interviews with those who get elected.