Masvingo targets 500 000 voters

Sydney Kawadza Masvingo Bureau
The zanu-pf provincial leadership here has been given a target to mobilise over half a million voters so that the party retains its dominance over opposition parties. According to statistics from the party’s Commissariat Department, in the 2013 harmonised election, President Mugabe received 285 806 votes against 120 160 for the opposition in Masvingo province.

zanu-pf director in the Commissariat Department Cde Kizito Kuchekwa told a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting on voter mobilisation and registration held in Masvingo last week that a variance of 165 616 potential voters could not be accounted for.

The meeting was also addressed by senior party members including Cde Ignatius Chombo, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, Cde Tshinga Dube, Cde Chiratidzo Mabuwa, Cde Paul Mangwana and Cde Josiah Hungwe.

“These are the votes that we are targeting during the voter registration exercise because according to our cells in the province there are some outstanding voters who did not participate in the election,” said Cde Kuchekwa.

Zanu-PF has 426 party districts in Masvingo, which relates to 2 130 branches and 10 650 cells.

Compared to the 285 806 for President Mugabe in the previous election, at least 246 694 potential voters did not participate in the voting exercise.

“The potential votes for the party are derived from the cells across the province and when you look at the people who voted for the President in 2013, you will see that there are voters not accounted for.

“As we go for the elections, it is important to look at these figures so that we mobilise people to register and vote for the party next year,” Cde Kuchekwa said.

The ruling party has also launched its mobilization drive known as “Dandemutande” or Spider Web targeting voter mobilization at polling stations set to be established ahead of the elections.

The cells would be established around the polling station with branch chiarpersons co-ordinating voter registration and mobilization with campaign teams made up of cell chairpersons, and representatives from the youth league, women’s league and war veterans, war collaborators and ex-detainees.

The representatives from the women’s leagues, youth leagues, war veterans, war collaborators and ex-detainees are expected to mobilise their colleagues to join the party ahead of the elections.

District party chairpersons would co-ordinate ward committees that would be made up of branch chairpersons and leaders from the other wings including women’s, youths’, war veterans, war collaborators, ex-detainees and representatives from the business community.

Councillors will also be party of the campaign and voter mobilization teams at constituency levels to be led by a provincial member and would be assisted by leaders from the party wings.

The party’s provincial chairman would lead the provincial mobilization management team with the assistance of the political commissar and secretary for administration in the province and representatives of the party’s wings and affiliates.

The provincial team will report to the national committee led by the Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Chombo who leads a team comprising of First Lady Amai Mugabe (Women), Cde Kasukuwere, Cde Patrick Chinamasa (Legal Affairs), Cde Khaya Moyo and Cde Kudzie Chipanga (Youth League).