Online Reporter
George Maponga in ZAKA
ZANU PF provincial chairmen from the country’s 10 provinces will push for the adoption of a motion to amend the Constitution to allow President Mnangagwa to continue in office beyond-his constitutionally-mandated two terms for him to take Zimbabwe to the promised land as per Vision 2030 of propelling the country into an upper middle-income economy by that year.
This was said yesterday by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who is also the Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial chairman.
Minister Garwe was speaking at the commissioning of Murerekwa Clinic in Zaka where he also commissioned a US$400 000 fire tender, more than 30 motorbikes and service vehicles for the local authority that were acquired using devolution funds.
The Cabinet minister had also earlier on commissioned Pambudzi Conference Centre at Nyika Growth point in Bikita that was built by Bikita Rural District and cost US$270 000. The conference centre has capacity for 300 people and will generate revenue for the local authority through hiring for holding conferences and weddings, among other things.
He also commissioned a US$400 000 fire tender for Bikita Rural District Council and 42 motorbikes for councillors that were also acquired using the devolution war chest.
Miinister Garwe said the impact of the devolution initiative initiated by President Mnangagwa’s government was there to see for everyone and showed that the President was a visionary fulfilling a vision to take Zimbabwe to the promised land in 2030.
As one of the ruling party provincial chairmen, Minister Garwe revealed that they will push for the adoption of a resolution to make effect an amendment that will change the constitution to allow President Mnangagwa to rule beyond 2028.
‘’When we go to Mutare (for the Annual National People’s Conference of Zanu PF), me and other provincial chairmen we are going to call for the implementation of resolution number 1 that was adopted last year that President Mnangagwa should remain the ruling party First Secretary and President until he sees through his vision in 2030 and beyond. That resolution (number 1) must be implemented by way looking at the constitution and effecting the necessary constitutional changes for the President to be compliant with our supreme law of the land,’’he said.
‘’The President is on record saying he is a constitutionalist and the onus is now on us, the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe who are happy with the direction our country is taking under his God-ordained vision, to effect constitutional changes that will allow him to govern up to 2030. We are taking this issue to conference( Zanu PF) that we want President Mnangagwa to govern until 2030 and so the constitution must be amended because our President is a constitutionalist.’’
The Cabinet Minister stressed that Vision 2030 was unstoppable and will be fulfilled with President Mnangagwa in the cockpit.
‘’We are going to give the President a response in October (at the Zanu PF annual conference) and we will tell him that we want you to remain in office leading this country until 2030, we will tell him that he must remain firmly in his position as Zanu PF First Secretary and the country’s President.’’
According to Minister Garwe the President deserved an extension to continue the sterling work that he has been doing to pivot Zimbabwe towards transformative development in sync with his mantra of ‘‘leaving no one and no place behind.’’
The President has a vision and Minister Garwe noted that only him must fulfill that vision.
‘‘We can call it an extension of the President’s time in office or compensations because the President lost four years of his time in office through the Cyclone Idai disaster that struck in 2019 and afterwards the Covid-19 pandemic that stymied him from full implementing his development agenda for the country. The President had to divert US$750 million from other important national development priorities to help manage Cyclone Idai first and then the Covid-19 pandemic,’’ Minister Garwe said.
Minister Garwe emphasised that the constitution would be amended to make President Mnangagwa’s continuation in office compliant with the constitution pointing that the supreme law of the land will always be amended to meet people’s changing aspirations.
The constitution was a product of the people, added Minister Garwe, hence the same people could amend it.
He lauded the devolution concept for engendering transformative development in rural areas. The Minister noted that the game-changing socio-economic impact of devolution showed President Mnangagwa was God-sent.
‘‘Devolution is transforming all parts of the country including rural areas where we now even have fire tenders that used to be the preserve of urban areas, this is the vision of the President of not leaving anyone and anywhere behind.’’
Turning the procurement of motorbikes by Bikita and Zaka RDCs, the Minister highlighted their game-changing impact on service delivery as councillors will be able to access even remote parts in their areas of jurisdiction to light the first flames of development.
The Minister challenged councillors to be visible and get the pulse of the needs of people at the grassroots as the first line of interface between the people and their government.
Minister Garwe also lauded the completion of Murerekwa Clinic which was fully stocked with medicines and comprised a mother’s waiting shelter, maternity room, outpatients and post-natal wings. This he noted showed President Mnangagwa was walking the talk on driving Zimbabwe towards Vision 2030.
Pambudzi conference centre in Bikita would widen the local authority’s revenue collection base by hiring out the venue council chairperson Thomas Mataga reiterating his council’s resolve to effect socio-economic development across the district.
In hi address at the two events, Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra` Chadzamira hailed President Mnangagwa for conceiving the devolution concept that he noted was transforming rural areas in spheres such as health,education and social services.
