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Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor
VICE PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga has urged those who lost during the just-ended by-elections to step aside and give others a chance to participate to ensure an emphatic victory for the ruling party in the 2023 harmonised elections.
He also called for peaceful future elections like what transpired prior, during and after the March 26 by-elections.
Speaking at Birchenough Bridge last Friday where he was leading the provincial clean-up campaign, VP Chiwenga said party candidates should be chosen on merit.
“No one is bigger than the party, all of us can go at any time, but ZANU PF will remain forever. Those who think the party will not win if they are not chosen to represent the party should revisit such thinking.
“If you lost during the recently held by-elections, you should step aside and give others a chance to compete. When choosing candidates, we do not look at one’s face, but we want those who will ensure that we deliver on promises made to the electorate, as well as the attainment of Vision 2030 where most of the challenges bedevilling the economy will be a thing of the past.
“For us to attain Vision 2030 and ensure that the party wins all forthcoming elections, we should ensure that we have the right candidates who have the blessings of the electorate, not those coming from leadership.
“If your relative or acquaintance do not have the mandate of the electorate, you should not push their candidature down the electorate’s throat. We learnt our lessons from the by-elections, no one is bigger than the party.
“Come 2023 harmonised elections, we should ensure overwhelming victory for the party. We should not find excuses for poor performance in the elections.” said VP Chiwenga.
The ruling party made some in-roads in Mutasa South and Epworth, constituencies previously held by the opposition, and is already oiling its machinery for the 2023 harmonised elections.
Speaking on peace, VP Chiwenga said people should shun all those who incite violence.
“We are coming from the by-elections and we were pleased with the peace that prevailed. This should be the norm going forward. We want peaceful elections in the country as elections come and go, while the country remains. Why should we fight? We should not be misled by a few misguided elements that incite violence,” said VP Chiwenga.
Turning to food security in light of the poor rains received in some parts of Manicaland this season, VP Chiwenga said Government has already put in place modalities to ensure that relief food aid is availed to all deserving people.
“Some areas received poor rains and are in need of relief food aid. We have tasked District Development Coordinators, working together with traditional leaders, councillors and Members of Parliament, to identify areas that need aid so that Cabinet can facilitate distribution of the aid. The food relief aid should be brought to people’s doorsteps.
“We have enough grain reserves. Development partners that want to be involved in distributing relief food aid should not import grain as our reserves are fully stocked. However, they should not use the relief food aid for politicking as was the norm in the past,” said VP Chiwenga.
To ensure clean sources of water, VP Chiwenga said 35 000 boreholes will be drilled across the country.
“We have 35 000 villages in the country and every village will have a borehole. We have already taken delivery of 40 rigs to drill boreholes across the country to ensure that every village has a clean source of water.
“We are a Government that walks the talk on promises made to the electorate,” said VP Chiwenga.
Buhera South legislator, Honourable Joseph Chinotimba said people in most parts of Buhera, Chimanimani and Chipinge are in need of urgent food aid.
“The situation is dire. Only farmers around Birchenough Bridge who rely on irrigation schemes managed to harvest something, but this is just a drop in the ocean.
“Some unscrupulous people are taking advantage of people’s desperation to charge US$15 for a bucket of maize in Buhera South. Who can afford that? We therefore need urgent intervention,” said Hon Chinotimba.
He highlighted the need for more ambulances and medical personnel in Buhera, Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Online Reporter