‘I have done my homework well’

 

meant to uplift the lives of people in the constituency.

“Nothing has really changed in the constituency. The two candidates from the MDC formations do not pose any threat for me and Zanu-PF because, firstly, they are not local guys and secondly their parties have no support in the area.

“What I am working on now is consolidating the party’s gains and increasing the margins to ensure the party records a resounding victory,” he said.
Cde Chitindi will battle it out with Ms Faith Musarurwa (MDC-T) and Mr Sam Waiton (MDC) to represent Muzarabani South in Parliament.

He says of them: “The two are just trying their luck but the electorate is already decided and knows who they are going to vote come Election Day.”
Cde Chitindi declares with confidence that the challenge from the two MDC formations’ candidates was nothing to worry about because he has done his homework well.

“The revolutionary party is guaranteed of a resounding victory for President Mugabe. Victory is certain for Zanu-PF but what we are working on is to make sure that the people come out in their numbers to vote to give President Mugabe an overwhelming victory so that Zimbabwe safeguards its sovereignty.”

If he wins the constituency, Cde Chitindi will take over from former legislator Cde Edward Raradza who romped to victory uncontested in 2008.
Cde Chitindi said Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s moves to frustrate agriculture had not earned votes for MDC-T in Muzarabani South.
He said since the constituency was pre-dominantly agricultural, the people in the constituency were not happy with the MDC formations and would never vote for the puppet parties.

“Since the constituency is predominantly agricultural, both communal and commercial, people are not happy that since his appointment to the finance ministry in 2009, Biti has been frustrating the growth of the sector.

“Our people wanted agricultural inputs but Biti made it his goal not to fund the sector and even trying to frustrate Government’s efforts to import maize for areas that did not do well during the season,” he said.

Cde Chitindi said most communal farmers in Muzarabani South had embraced tobacco farming because of the golden leaf’s attractive prices on the market and were happy with what President Mugabe and Zanu-PF had done to open up the tobacco sector to the indigenous people.

“Biti deliberately starved funding to the sector so that the sector would die and help prove his party’s proclamation that the land reform programme had killed the farming sector in the country. Unfortunately that has been MDC’s greatest undoing. Our people know what is happening on the ground and will not listen to lies brewed at Harvest House and in Washington and Britain about the land reform programme.

Our people survive on agriculture and frustrating efforts to improve the sector has angered them. I am sure the MDC-T will in for thorough hiding in this election,” he said.
Cde Chitindi urged the people of his area to vote for Zanu-PF in their numbers so that the party can continue with its people-centred development programmes.

“Unlike the MDC formations that were exposed during the four and a half years they have been in Government, our party Zanu-PF has proved to be a leader in policies that focus on people’s development.

“When the MDC formations came into Government we suffered more and it is high time we bury the MDC formations for good,” Cde Chitindi said.
The inclusive Government, he said, had affected development as the parties fought against all people-oriented programmes introduced by Zanu-PF since independence.

“We have to ensure a resounding victory for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF so that all the development policies in our party manifesto come to fruition.
“The MDC is promising jobs but we want to create employers using our God-given natural resources.”

Cde Chitindi said he would work with the authorities so that tobacco auction floors are de-centralised so that farmers do not lose much of their revenue in transporting their crop to Harare.

“We have been assisting farmers with transport to the tobacco auction floors but we want them to reduce their costs and the best way is to make sure that markets are brought nearer to the people.

“I am going to work, through my party Zanu-PF to increase the assistance given to the farmers so that people can get more benefits from the land. Our people need inputs and it is unfortunate that that kind of assistance was not forthcoming when we had the inclusive Government.

“The farm mechanization programme should be re-introduced so that farmers make the best out of the successes coming out of the land reform programmes and I would want to work hard, if elected, to push for Zanu-PF policies that promote agricultural sustainability for the people of Muzarabani.”

Cde Chitindi said Government’s indigenisation and empowerment programmes need to be taken to the rural communities as they would give youths an opportunity to start projects that ensure that we add value to our resources.

“I have a five year programme for the youths in the constituency which will allow them to take advantage of such programmes to start up agriculture based projects to process the products we get from farms and plots.”

Cde Chitindi said since the constituency was in the drought prone Dande Valley, he would look at how people could harness the little rainfall received during the summer season to use for irrigation.

Married with two children, Cde Chitindi was born on January 12, 1972 in Centenary.
He did his Primary and Secondary schooling in Mutorashanga before doing a Diploma in Business leadership at the Zimbabwe Institute of Management.

Cde Chitindi is reading for a Masters in Business Administration with the Robert Kennedy University in Zurich, Switzerland.
He entered full time politics in 1984 when he joined the Zanu-PF youth league moving up the ladder to become the Muzarabani’s Chiweshe district vice chairman in 2000.

“President Mugabe’s has always struck the right chord with the people since independence era. His people centred policies have not changed over the years.
“He has kept his policies to empower the people of Zimbabwe especially through education, housing and economic empowerment programmes and that has endeared the party to the people.

“We grew up emulating Zanu-PF and President Mugabe whose leadership is undisputed. Who does not want to work with a leader whose track record is there for all to see. Indeed this kept seeking news challenges in the party in life.”

Cde Chitindi’s political fortunes continued to rise in the party until he was elected District Coordinating Committee chairperson for Muzarabani District in 2004, a post he held on to until the dissolution of the structure last year.

“I am happy I set a personal record as a young man serving two terms as the DCC chairperson and the dissolution of the structures never disheartened me as I am still serving my party with vigour as a member of the cell.

“If you notice Zanu-PF’s history, the DCCs where not there even when the party was formed. The dissolution was good for the party as Zanu-PF is now going into elections with a unity of purpose.”

Cde Chitindi praised Cde Mugabe and the Zanu-PF Politburo for giving young an opportunity to contest in the primaries and a make it to the Parliament.
“I am sure the youth will not disappoint the party. They are surely going to make the party proud. The equal opportunities have ensured that the party comes out of the primary election stronger.

“Supporters were afforded an opportunity to vote for candidates of their choice. There are no cries of imposition and the party is raring to go,” he said.
Cde Chitindi said: “The party has introduced new faces and the revolutionary inspiration oozes in its fabric. It is good for the party to inject new blood under the same leadership of our revolutionary leader President Mugabe.”