President to launch election manifesto

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to roll out Zanu-PF’s election roadmap next week on Friday as he launches the party’s manifesto.

In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu said the party was taking the electioneering period, which has commenced, seriously.

His sentiments come as the party has started rolling out a billboard advertising campaign for President Mnangagwa.

Billboards have been installed in major cities with some campaign material including vehicles being shown off on social media platforms.

Cde Mpofu said President Mnangagwa would announce the party’s roadmap next week on Friday.

“We’re launching our manifesto on May 4. This is going to be a big, big occasion. We’re expecting all the provinces to converge in Harare where we will introduce our candidates. The President and First Secretary of Zanu-PF is going to give us a roadmap on how we are going to conduct our elections. It’s going to be a big day and there will be a big message from His Excellency, supported by the leadership of the party,” he said.

Cde Mpofu said it’s time for full scale campaigns as the party is serious about winning the forthcoming elections.

“What we have done at the moment is to mount billboards and other advertising material. We have started. This is electioneering time. This is just an appetiser of what we are going to be doing. We want to show those that thought we were not serious about elections that we are the most serious party in the whole race,” he said.

Cde Mpofu said opposition parties would be envious of the party’s campaign material once its campaign machinery goes full throttle.

“You will see we are a serious party. We are now starting to roll out our campaign. The opposition has done its best. We’ve seen what they have done but they will stop and watch what Zanu-PF is made of,” he said.

“You’ll remember our detractors were saying that we are not doing anything. Now that we are doing something they have started complaining.”

Recently, the party’s national political commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) said once the party rolls out its campaign material, it will be distributing 15 million T-shirts, 15 million caps and 2 million wrappers.

@nqotshili