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Herald Reporter
Their turn may be coming early next month, but the ZANU PF Mashonaland East provincial leadership is leaving nothing to chance, and is working on mobilising the biggest crowd ever, of over 200 000 when President Mnangagwa and his entourage descend on the province.
Provincial leaders met recently and resolved that they will not allow other provinces to overcome them, when ZANU PF has traditionally received the most votes in Mashonaland East Province.
ZANU PF candidate for Murehwa West Constituency Cde Farai Jere revealed the plan during a constituency rally held last weekend.
“The President is coming here in August. He will be in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe for a Presidential star rally,” said Cde Jere.
“I have been watching on television and I saw that there was a crowd of 124 000 people in Zaka when the President went to Masvingo Province.
“But as a province, we have resolved that we want a record crowd of between 200 000 and 300 000. This is the province where the President and the ruling party always receive the most votes so we want our numbers to reflect that.”
Cde Jere said once Mashonaland East votes resoundingly for President Mnangagwa during the August 23 harmonised elections, he will remember the province when he rolls out his infrastructure development projects.
“We want development to come here, and once we vote him resoundingly, we will have some favour with the President, and get more developments,” he said.
ZANU PF provincial leadership has been demonstrating the revolutionary party’s mobilisation strength at Presidential star rallies.
The first rally held in Chipinge had over 60 000 people, followed by the Bulilima rally, which had over 70 000 people.
The Magunje rally also had over 70 000 people, with Masvingo Province setting the bar higher after mobilising over 124 000 people.
Mashonaland Central also had a mega crowd last weekend at Centenary Country Club, with President Mnangagwa saying the crowd was “neck and neck” with the Zaka one.
This weekend, President Mnangagwa and his team will be in Nkayi, Matabeleland North Province, where yet another bumper crowd is expected to listen to him speak about the trajectory the country is taking in the next five years.
Meanwhile, Cde Jere encouraged people to vote for President Mnangagwa because of the huge developmental projects he has brought across the country “at a scale that has never been seen before”.
“President Mnangagwa has the interests of people at heart as demonstrated by his programmes such as Pfumvudza/ Intwasa, which benefit all the people.
“He sat down with those that he works with and said, ‘what can we do to eliminate hunger?’ The President then came up with Pfumvudza and Zimbabwe, which has been importing maize and wheat in the last few years, is now food secure. Every family has adequate food. Now we have surplus and we are exporting wheat and maize.”
When Malawi was hit by Cyclone Freddy early in the year, Zimbabwe sent maize to that country because “we have it”, said Cde Jere.
“All this comes from the mantra, ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. Roads are being repaired, in this constituency, we started fixing roads from Ward 12.
“President Mnangagwa is telling us, as Zanu PF, that we shouldn’t go out to just make promises, but to deliver on those promises,” said Cde Jere.
Online Reporter