Matebeleland North projects to continue

ZANU-PF provincial chairperson for Matabeleland North Cde Richard Moyo has said Government will not stop implementing mega projects in the province despite the electorate having voted for the opposition in the just-ended harmonised elections.

From the 13 National Assembly seats in Matabeleland North constituencies, the opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) won nine seats while Zanu-PF got four which are: Nkayi North, Bubi, Umguza, and Tsholotsho South.

CCC won Binga North, Binga South, Hwange Central, Hwange East, Hwange West, Lupane East, Lupane West, Tsholotsho North, and Nkayi South

In Victoria Falls, CCC won all 11 wards and in Hwange Central Zanu-PF got two wards while CCC got the other 13.

A majority of local authority wards went to opposition in the entire province.

The Second Republic is implementing several projects and they are in varying stages of completion while some have already been commissioned.

President Mnangagwa recently commissioned Muchesu Mine in Binga where hundreds of locals benefited from job opportunities as well as the informal business market.

Chiefs, youth, and women in the district also received fishing rigs to start fishing projects to improve their livelihoods.

In Hwange, the President commissioned the Hwange Thermal Power Unit 7 and 8 whose construction created more than 3 000 jobs for locals.

Nearly 100 families are also benefiting from the Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme project, which has transformed lives and boosted food security.

In Hwange West, Cde Philani Moyo who lost to CCC’s Mr Vusumuzi Moyo by 450 votes, drilled 16 boreholes in different communities in the constituency where thousands of households are now accessing clean water, and benefiting from a nutritional garden project.

Cde Reeds Dube who also narrowly lost to CCC’s Mr Daniel Molokele in Hwange Central, saved hundreds of Hwange residents from being evicted from houses that belong to Hwange Colliery Company. The residents had already been served with notices of eviction and after Cde Dube’s intervention, the colliery company reversed its decision.

Government is also constructing Lake Gwayi-Shangani, a massive project that is set to create a greenbelt that will see communities in Binga, Hwange, Lupane, Tsholotsho, and Umguza benefiting through farming.

In an interview, Cde Moyo who won the Umguza Constituency on a Zanu-PF ticket, said none of the projects will be stopped as the Second Republic continues with its development agenda of leaving no one and no place behind.

“President Mnangagwa is the people’s President and he will not stop implementing the ongoing simply because the party lost in the province during the elections. He is the President of everyone and we will continue to push all the programmes in the province,” he said.

Cde Moyo said the party is deeply shocked with the results in the province.

“We are also still asking ourselves what could have happened and for now, we are waiting for the dust to settle after which we will then meet as a Zanu-PF Provincial Coordinating Committee to do an evaluation on the election,” he said.

President Mnangagwa also vowed to continue rolling out development projects and further consolidate the economic growth momentum across the country as he paid tribute to Zimbabweans for giving him a second term in office in the just-ended harmonised elections.

President Mnangagwa garnered 52,6 percent of the votes against CCC leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa who got 44 percent.

Despite losing, the Zanu PF candidate for candidate Hwange West, Cde Philani Moyo commended the electorate for voting for him.

“As for me, the elections have come and gone. Although, the outcome was not in our favour as Zanu-PF, I want to take this moment to thank you all for your support and encouragement during the election period,” he said.

“I remain resolute to granting my helping hand to all the people of Hwange West. I believe, I am still the same Philani who has been serving the people of Chief Mvuthu and Chief Shana, and we will together to finish all the projects we have started for the benefit of everyone.”

CCC Matabeleland North provincial chairman Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda who won in Binga
North against Zanu-PF’s Cde Kudakwashe Munsaka, said they will advance the development agenda in Parliament as a party.