adminmore compared to all the MDC-T’s representatives for the constituency in Parliament combined.
“Zanu-PF’s record in the area speaks for itself and is there for people to see. Maridadi is no match. He has done absolutely nothing, zero,” declares Cde Godwills Masimirembwa, Zanu-PF candidate for the Mabvuku-Tafara National Assembly constituency.
Cde Masimirembwa said he was in the election to wrestle the seat from MDC-T and usher in a wave of development politics in the area.
He encouraged Zimbabweans to fulfil the objective of the liberation struggle by contributing towards a prosperous country and not to join the detractors in destroying the country.
Born in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe district in 1959, Cde Masimirembwa says he has not known any other party in the country except Zanu-PF.
He says he became a war collaborator (Mujibha) in his mid teens and since then has been a political activist in the revolutionary party — Zanu-PF.
Cde Masimirembwa is a qualified lawyer who holds a Bachelor of Law Honours and Bachelor of Laws Degrees from the University of Zimbabwe.
He also holds a Magistrate and Prosecutors course from the same institution that was offered in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs in 1982.
He practiced as a public prosecutor from 1983 to 1988 but left the public service to enter private practice.
“In 1994 I stopped to become legal advisor to a private company. I then founded the Zimbabwe Institute of Legal Studies in 2007, a unique and the first college in Zimbabwe giving Certificates and National Diplomas in Legal Studies. The college now has an enrolment of 200 students.
“I was born in a politically conscious family in Uzumba, a hotbed of politics. I became a mujiba at the age of 16 and worked with the guerillas that operated in the area. I have been a member of Zanu-PF for all my adult life even though I never tried to get leadership positions in the structures,” Cde Masimirembwa said.
He moved to Harare in the early 80s and continued with his political activism. He transferred his name to Harare East but again did not seek a senior position in the party preferring to defend the policies and vision of Zanu-PF on public and private forums.
“This I have done as a legal expert and Zanu-PF member. In 2008 I offered myself to contest for the Harare East constituency but could not make it as the criteria used by the party then made it impossible for me to participate,” he said.
Cde Masimirembwa continued to work with grassroots women clubs in Harare East constituency, a development that gave him a chance to get in contact with the people of the Mabvuku-Tafara constituency.
Harare East shares a boundary with Mabvuku-Tafara.
“I realised that the bulk of the people in Mabvuku-Tafara were retired domestic workers and had difficulties in finding a way to survive. I saw an opportunity to work with them and that drew me closer to the people of Mabvuku and Tafara,” he said.
An astute businessman, Cde Masimirembwa chairs the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation board and was once the chairman of the National Incomes and Pricing Commission that sought to regulate prices during the 2007 price madness.
In 2007, he founded the Godwills Masimirembwa Foundation, an organisation that is helping improve the health and economic opportunities of people in the suburbs.
The Foundation has established an office to coordinate its work in the area. It has also acquired a 32 seater bus that has been providing transport for people especially at funerals, churches and social clubs for free.
Cde Masimirembwa has also helped establish nutrition gardens for community.
“The foundation has also donated a 17.5 kVA generator to Mabvuku High School to provide power for the school. Due to misgovernance of the MDCs, particularly the MDC-T evening classes had died because of lack of power but with the standby generator evening classes have resumed and many are benefiting,” he said.
Through his Foundation, Cde Masimirembwa has to date paid US$14 000 for O’ Level students who had failed to raise the examination fees in the constituency.
“As you know Zanu-PF does not discriminate the fees were not paid to children of Zanu-PF parents alone but everyone. The headmaster of the school would just bring the names of those who had failed and the foundation would pay.
“The foundation is also paying for five students studying at the University of Zimbabwe. These are the best students of Mabvuku-Tafara. They are gifted sons and daughters of the constituency.
“All the programmes are non-partisan and did not favour Zanu-PF members. This is the vision of Zanu-PF. Zanu-PF brings light to everyone regardless of political affiliation,” Cde Masimirembwa said.
The Masimirembwa Foundation has not forgotten the perennial problems experienced in Mabvuku and Tafara, a development that saw it secure 34 tanks with a capacity of 5 000 litres each that have been erected across the suburbs.
“The foundation is looking at increasing the tanks to 60 from 34 to allow easy access to clean water by residents. Water Bowsers are feeding clean borehole water into the tanks daily for the residents. Through the foundation I have sourced funding to purchase two 2000 litre tankers to ferry water to the suburbs to reduce costs. The foundation has also sourced an ambulance and hospital drugs for the clinics so that our people have access to proper and accessible medical assistance.
“To alleviate the problem of unemployment, the foundation has secured 2600 square meters to start home industries in Mabvuku. The home industries would be producing soap, packaging petroleum jelly and drinks. Our plan is to ensure all places designated for business should be used to create employment opportunities for our people.
“This is part of my parentage by President Mugabe and Zanu-PF whose polices brought the success that Zimbabwe cherishes now. This I have done in fulfillment of policies of Cde Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF.
“It is in fulfillment of what the party has been doing since independence, its vision that this country is ours and we must develop it,” Cde Masimirembwa said.
He said Zanu-PF was working to repair the damage that MDC has brought to the constituency.
Cde Masimirembwa said Mabvuku-Tafara constituency has been dying under the watch of the MDC-T and it was time to sort out the mess.
He was looking at ways to promote self sufficiency in the constituency.
Turning to his chances of regaining the seat for Zanu-PF, he said the people have now realised that MDC-T has nothing to offer towards their development of the country.
“I want to quote President Mugabe when he says ‘Victory is ours’. One needs to look at pattern of things and the outpouring supporters gracing Cde Mugabe’s rallies.
“I am happy that the four years of the inclusive Government have taught us the importance of being a free people.
“What Cde Mugabe has been saying is the country is yours take it and use it,’’ Cde Masimirembwa said.
This is one of the battles in the harmonised elections that will put to the test the notion that Harare is an MDC-T stronghold.
Online Reporter