Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika and Nyore Madzianike
CCC Budiriro North legislator Ms Susan Matsunga yesterday reiterated her praise for President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for various development projects being implemented to improve the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
Ms Matsunga made the remarks in the National Assembly during the ongoing debate on the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill.
She previously made headlines in April when she commended the President during the handover of boreholes drilled under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme in her constituency.
Yesterday, Ms Matsunga again repeated her praise, while supporting a clause extending the President’s time in office by two years to 2030, following proposed changes to the electoral cycle from five to seven years.
“I support the extension of the President’s stay in office up to 2030 due to the commendable work he and the Second Republic have done,” she said.
“In my rural home in Bushu, we used to walk long distances to fetch water, but that is now a thing of the past due to boreholes that have been drilled in the villages.
“This is just, but one example of the many projects the President and the Second Republic have initiated, that is why I support that he stays in office until 2030.”
Ms Matsunga added that village nutritional gardens were now providing income opportunities for many women.
She also said there were tangible development gains under the Second Republic, citing the Trabablas Interchange and other major infrastructure projects across the country.
Ms Matsunga expressed support for the transfer of voter registration from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar General’s Office.
She argued that ZEC had failed to fully execute its mandate, saying some deceased persons, including her relatives, were still appearing on the voters’ roll.
Chegutu East legislator Cde Webster Shamu said the ongoing constitutional amendment process demonstrated that democracy was alive in Zimbabwe.
“It is democracy in its most authentic form. Why? Because it’s homegrown. It’s participatory. We saw people participating and its people driven. In his report, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs was very clear.
“The Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Legal Affairs was also very clear, 537 102 Zimbabweans made their voices heard in support of CAB3, that is not the voice of a select few.
“It is the unmistakable voice of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Cde Shamu added that extending the electoral cycle from five to seven years was necessary to reduce disruptions in project implementation, citing the Gwayi-Shangani Dam project.
“This project was first conceived in 1912 and construction commenced many decades later,” he said.
“Today, the dam has reached approximately 97 percent overall completion, while the pipeline that will ultimately supply water to Bulawayo is about 70 percent complete.
“Now, this demonstrates the intrinsic and enduring need for water security among the people of Bulawayo and the surrounding regions. However, the project’s implementation has repeatedly been hindered by electoral cycles and associated fiscal uncertainties.”
Mazowe Central legislator Cde Maxmore Njanji also supported the changes, saying they would promote policy consistency and continuity.
“Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe has witnessed significant economic transformation. We have seen major investments in mining, agriculture, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing, road rehabilitation programmes, dam construction, rural industrialisation initiatives, innovation hubs and increased foreign investment attesting to a nation on the move,” he said.
