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Our Senior Reporter Joseph Madzimure (JM) caught up with former Zanu PF Harare provincial Political Commissar and former Harare South Member of Parliament Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe (SM) who was recently admitted to the ruling party to give us an insight into life outside Zanu PF and his new task. Below are excerpts of the interview.
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JM: Comrade, you have been readmitted to the party, what does it mean?
SM: I would like to thank President Mnangagwa who is the First Secretary of the party for considering my plight through his inclusiveness. As a returnee, my new role is to mobilise for the party to ensure we reclaim more seats, especially in Harare. We want order in Harare. The upcoming August 23 elections present Zimbabweans with a unique opportunity to restore sanity to the country’s urban councils, which have been plagued by mismanagement and corruption under the control of opposition parties.
For years, residents of Zimbabwe’s cities and towns have endured a litany of problems, including, a lack of clean running water, burst sewer pipes, impassable roads, and uncollected refuse. These problems have been exacerbated by the fact that many opposition-run councils have squandered public funds on personal luxuries, such as top-of-the-range vehicles and cell phones, instead of investing in essential services.
The situation has become so dire that the Government has been forced to intervene to provide basic services, such as water and refuse collection. However, this is a temporary solution, and only a change in the political leadership of the country’s urban councils can bring about lasting change.
JM: It seems the New Dispensation has struck the right chord to win the hearts of many. What do you attribute that to?
SM: The fact that thousands of urbanites will be presented with title deeds as President Mnangagwa delivers on his promise to implement development that leaves no one and no place behind. The title deeds will ensure the security and bankability of the properties. Acquiring title deeds had for years remained a pipe dream, but that is set to change with the Second Republic determined to make Zimbabwe an upper-middle-class economy by 2030. The Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme will provide clean water to urban areas after successive opposition-led councils have failed to ensure potable water for residents.
The ruling party, Zanu PF party has a plan to transform Zimbabwe’s urban centres into modern, liveable cities. This plan includes investing in new water and sanitation infrastructure, upgrading roads and bridges, improving waste management, and developing new housing and commercial areas. That alone will see the revolutionary party fishing from the opposition pond.
JM: Which areas do you think need to be looked at to bring confidence to the people?
SM: There is a need to regularise a number of cooperatives, especially in Harare South, Kuwadzana, Dzivarasekwa, Hatcliff, Mabvuku among other areas. Those areas are lagging behind in terms of development. We want to thank President Mnangagwa for offering title deeds in Epworth, that alone will bring confidence to the residence. We need to rehabilitate roads in areas such as Retreat for ease of connectivity in the area. There is a need to solve the issue of double allocation to restore sanity.
President Mnangagwa is delivering a message of hope through the issuance of title deeds, delivering the message of hope through allocating land to the youth. That’s what we need to do. All candidates in Zanu PF must reside close to the people so that they are accessible in times of need. The electorate does not want money, but they want the visibility of winning candidates. Party candidates should fulfil promises they make during the campaigning period. People want tangible results.
JM: You participated as an MDC-Alliance candidate in 2018, you got 21 366 votes. Do you think people in Harare South have confidence in you?
SM: I am very confident because that’s my area. People know me and trust me. Instead, they were waiting for me to come back to the people’s party. I can safely say I am back to work for the party. I am the servant of the party. I know each and every household in Harare South, they are happy because I initiated a number of projects. I am happy that I am back at the home of the revolutionary party Zanu PF, where I am going to mobilise for the electorate to vote for the party that delivers. I have realised that there is no light in opposition politics.
I can simply say, with the task lying ahead, Harare province will never be the same again. I will work with the provincial structures in mobilising people and win more seats in Harare. We must suffocate the opposition by supporting Zanu PF policies. We have policies in place that will make the opposition scream if fully supported.
The New Dispensation is currently rehabilitating major roads in Harare, and drilling boreholes to ensure clean water for the residents. The New Dispensation is bringing hope to the people through the mantra of leaving one and no place behind.
JM: Are you not going to face resistance from some of the comrades whom you worked with during your tenure as Harare Provincial Commissar?
SM: I am working with all the candidates in Harare South. I am working with Cdes Ephraim Fundukwa in Churu constituency, Trymore Kanopula in Harare South, and Tongai Mnangagwa in Hunyani constituency. They are my fellow comrades, now it’s my duty to also share ideas on how best we can keep the seats for the party. We already have the strategies.
There is a need to put some mechanism in place so that candidates are constantly visible during and after elections.
Most of the seats are anchored on projects. In the Retreat area, there are some projects which need to be completed such as road rehabilitation, electrification, and clean water. We will engage the relevant ministries to give priority to such projects. We need to visit all the wards in Harare South to engage with the people to give confidence to the electorate.
JM: As we go for elections next month, which constituencies do you think Zanu PF has the potential to reclaim from the opposition?
SM: We have the potential to win in Churu, Harare South, Hunyani, Mbare, Sunningdale, Hatcliffe, St Marys, some parts of Dzivarasekwa, Epworth North, Mt Pleasant, Southerton, Zengeza West, Chitungwiza South and Chitungwiza North. President Mnangagwa last year promised to facilitate the issuance of title deeds as part of efforts to bring order to the settlement and ensure that those who have houses or stands have title deeds to those properties. He has already fulfilled the promise in Epworth.
Most of the housing in the area is on planned layouts, but without the services normally required to gain the title deeds. President Mnangagwa cut through the logjam by promising the title deeds in advance so the stand holders had the security they needed for their own business activities and to start working out how to service the area.
This is a national project starting here in Harare South whose main thrust is to assist residents in underdeveloped areas to obtain title deeds since about 90 percent of houses in high-density areas have no title deeds.
The absence of title deeds had disqualified many people from participating in mainstream economic activities such as income-generating projects as title deeds act as collateral security in obtaining capital.
Banks usually require title deeds in order for one to access loans and credit facilities, most of our people are excluded from such facilities. Government is motivated to ensure that people get these title deeds to actively participate in economic activities aimed at developing our country.
JM: Your parting words Comrade
SM: We want to bring back some of the comrades who have been dormant since 2017 to ensure they take part in party activities. They should be roped in. Zanu PF is their home. President Mnangagwa is embracing everyone to come on board in line with his mantra leaving no one and no place behind. Those who went to war want to see Zimbabweans embracing each other and being a formidable community.
We are geared to mobilise members who are dormant in their respective areas. Those people are not taking part in Zanu PF, they are not involved in opposition politics, and they love their country and the revolutionary party Zanu PF. We are saying let’s come on board to be a formidable team, which cannot be infiltrated by the country’s detractors.
We want to bring back all former Zanu PF district, provincial, District Coordinating Committees, Central Committees, and Politburo members to come and be part of the bigger tent. We want everyone to support the party and the First Secretary, President Mnangagwa.
We want to deliver the message of unity of purpose among party members and those outside the party.
Online Reporter