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change agenda sought by some Western countries led by the United States and Britain.
While the MDC was successful in luring a few misguided elements in universities and colleges, there are some spirits and souls they failed to break. Out of that institution and in those years came a group of students who were pro-Zanu-PF and defending the revolutionary party and ideals. One such individual was Cde Wonder Mashange, the 31-year-old Zanu-PF National Assembly candidate for Rushinga.
“There was an uninterrupted drive for the MDC to use student activism to push their regime change agenda. But the revolutionary elements within the campus decided to come together and neutralise the people who were trying to reverse the gains of our independence.
“As a group of students hailing from Mashonaland Central Province we founded the Mashonaland Central University Students’ Association (MCUSA) and mobilised our ‘home’ boys and girls to work with fellow students from other provinces who shared the same philosophy and ideology. We had to stand for our beliefs since the UZ was used as a launchpad for the MDC in its early days,” he said.
MCUSA sought to inculcate among students the need to defend Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and independence at a time when there was so much hostility to Zanu-PF at most campuses.
“We had to defend the party in the period running from 2003-2005. All we aimed at was to propagate the Zanu-PF ideologies and I think one of our major achievements was that we were instrumental in neutralising the “Final Push” by the MDC in 2003.
“That is how I became involved fulltime in politics.
“From a tender age I felt attached to Zanu-PF. I was impressed by its clear ideology and vision for the people, its developmental programmes that had brought us the education-for-all policy, housing, the land reform and economic empowerment programmes that are being championed by the party.
“All these programmes were aimed at uplifting people’s livelihoods. Zanu-PF is the face of Pan-Africanism in Zimbabwe while the interests of the MDC formations are totally divorced from African values.
“You cannot say you are liberated without total control of your God-given resources and the MDC formations are campaigning to reverse the gains of our struggle which is the reason why our ancestors took up arms against the colonisers. Without the land the struggle would have been meaningless.”
He said the MDC formations do not have well-defined policies or ideologies. They use imposed policies.
“They suffer from schizophrenic ambivalence, they lack identity. The MDC formations want to be identified with Western philosophy while pretending to be Africans,” he said.
Born at Marymount Mission Hospital in Rushinga in 1982, Cde Mashange attended Bopota Primary School and Marymount Secondary before proceeding to Nyamatikiti High for advanced level education. On completing he enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe for a Bachelor of Arts General before joining the public service as a teacher at Chimhanda High School in Rushinga.
“At this time, my political career was in overdrive after my experiences at the university and I was immediately co-opted into the Bopota political district as the secretary for education, sports and culture in 2004, and a member of the 2005 Zanu-PF youth league provincial campaign team led by the then chairperson Cde Dickson Mafios.
Cde Mafios is the Zanu-PF provincial chairman for Mashonaland Central.
“The campaign team targeted educated cadres including former student activists to de-mystify the notion that Zanu-PF youths were rogue, uneducated and violent. We worked hard mobilising for the party in the elections while inculcating the party’s position as we want to retain the youth factor in the party,” he said.
Cde Mashange remained loyal to Zanu-PF even when he joined the civil service as a teacher at a time when most of public servants were anti-Zanu-PF. In 2007 Cde Mashange moved to Harare for further studies but continued to work hard for the party particularly in the Harare South constituency.
“It was good working for my beloved party through the housing co-operatives established to utilise State land in the area for housing development.
“Our main aim was to provide decent accommodation for people in Harare and I guess our efforts were rewarded and the people were happy. It is through such efforts that the party won the only seat in Harare province.”
Soon after Cde Mashange was elected secretary for the welfare of the disabled and disadvantaged persons for the district led by Elliot Manyika When the chance presented itself to contest in the primaries, I took part and won the right to represent my people in the house of assembly elections. My tribute goes to the Zanu-PF leadership for affording youths to participate in national politics for development.
“We had spent a long time knocking on peoples’ doors for a chance in national politics and that chance has was availed to us.
“This dispels the notion that Zanu-PF was anti-youth. Those between the ages of 18-35 years are actively participating in the party and we are happy,” he said.
Cde Mashange said the inclusive Government had exposed the MDC formations which stand no chance against Zanu-PF whose campaign is anchored by developmental policies and tangible programmes of action.
“This marriage of convenience between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations has shown the people that this animal called the MDC has no capacity to work for the people of Rushinga and the country at large.
“Look how MDC-T secretary general Mr Tendai Biti as Finance Minister failed to fund agriculture and affected agricultural production in the country,” he said.
Cde Mashange said Rushinga had been lagging behind in technology that even the mobile network in the constituency was non-existent while some of the roads are deplorable.
“I have already spoken to a mobile network operator which has since installed a booster and people now have access to the network. Discussions are at an advanced stage for the other mobile operators to move into the area. This is the only way information and development can flow to the people,” he said.
Working with the Zimbabwe Youth Council, Cde Mashange has established empowerment clubs and youth groups that are involved in various self-help projects.
“We have established youths groups that are involved in cattle fattening, poultry and piggery projects. I am working at securing markets for them. This is what has been lacking in the community,” he said.
Cde Mashange said he would simply take over the projects that had been initiated by immediate past legislator Cde Lazarus Dokora.
“That is the beauty of Zanu-PF succeeding a Zanu-PF Member of Parliament as our programmes are clear and are for the people.
“I am young and I am going to remain guided by senior politicians like my predecessor Cde Lazarus Dokora who is a member of the Politburo. I will tap from his vast experience and knowledge for the good of the area,” Cde Mashange.
Cde Mashange will be facing MDC-T’s Tobias Tapera and Kenneth Chiguna of the MDC for the right to represent Rushinga in the August House.
The third born in a family of four, Cde Mashange is married to Vengesai and together they have two children, a boy and a girl.
Online Reporter