admin“I already did that when I was a councillor and I will continue like that.
“My task is to eradicate poverty by providing an enabling environment for people of the constituency. That is my promise to the Warren Park constituency,” says Zanu-PF aspiring candidate for Warren Park constituency, Cde Abicia Ushewokunze.
The 36-year old International Trade and Business Development consultant said he was in the race because people had asked him to contest on the party ticket.
He will battle it out with MDC-T’s Elias Mudzuri and Ellen Mombeshora of the MDC for the right to represent the constituency in Parliament.
Cde Ushewokunze said his greatest inspiration were President Mugabe and his family.
“My first inspiration is of course President Mugabe whose thrust on education has taken the country to where it is now.
“Education allows you to be who you want to be, it opens avenues for you.
“That is the greatest gift we have received from Cde Mugabe and we will always cherish.
“Of course I am inspired by my family. Imagine growing up in a family where you had your uncles as the late national heroes Chris and Herbert Ushewokunze.
“I am not Herbert Ushewokunze’s son but my father is Nicholas Ushewokunze, a cousin to the late national heroes.
“You would always wish to be like them in life,” he said.
Cde Ushewokunze did his high school at Vainona High in Harare.
He holds a Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (UK) diploma and a Bachelor of Administration with Bengors Business School, University of Wales.
He also has an MBA in strategic management from the same institution.
“In 1996 I got my first job with the IBM Zimbabwe Mission and worked there from 1996 to 2001.
“IBM is a leading computer accessories company. Surely starting at such a level meant I would be forced to remain at that level,” he said.
Cde Ushewokunze’s political activism started in 1997 at the cell level in Warren Park D. He was appointed to be elected Branch secretary for education in 2008 and later as secretary of indigenisation and empowerment for Zanu-PF Harare province a position he holds to this day.
“I am a man who knows no hurdles because if there are hurdles I will jump over them and if there are boundaries I will break through them. Whatever a man can do I can do.
“It can only be a matter of time before I can achieve. While for others the sky is the limit, I say I will go further not even to the moon but beyond the universe,” he said.
Indeed, Cde Ushewokunze’s life has been all about breaking these barriers to success and has achieved so many things in his life.
At his tender age, he was appointed special interest councillor for the City of Harare.
Cde Ushewokunze sits on the Zupco board and also on the board of the Horizon Education Trust Sadc region — a group of Turkish schools built in the region.
Presently the trust has 20 school dotted across the region.
Cde Ushewokunze is also member of the Tuskon Confederation of Leading Industrialists and Businessmen of Turkey and through his company African Touch has been indentifying partnership opportunities between business people in Zimbabwe and those form Europe and Turkey.
He is a business consultant and also advises Government on public and private sector partnerships.
“I am an international trade and development expert and advise Government on public and private sector partnerships.
“I am also a horticulture farmer specialising in the growing on broccoli, tomato and cornflower,” he said.
Cde Ushewokunze says he is not contesting because he wanted political office but because the people had approached and requested him to represent them in Parliament.
“The community saw my work in council and approached me to lead them. This was after seeing a number of projects that I had done for the community.
“I repaired a borehole that had broken down at Mereki Shopping Centre, Warren Park D. The borehole was erected by Unicef and has not been working for some time.
“Using my own resources I repaired a borehole in Westlea that had been malfunctioning for the past four years.
“I have also funded the drilling of a borehole in the same suburb. That had nothing with the elections. It was in October last year way before there was talk of elections. It was just a service to the people in an area that I grew up in.
“Warren Park and Westlea face perennial water problems and I took it upon myself to help in the provision of water,” he said.
Using his own resources, Cde Ushewokunze is currently funding the construction of public toilets at Westlea Shopping Centre.
“Imagine such a big shopping centre without ablution facilities and elderly women selling vegetables requesting to use toilets in bars and night clubs. Using my experience in council I have since approached council for plans and approval and as we speak construction for public toilets is underway,” he said.
Cde Ushewokunze has also set the Warren Park Green Police responsible for the environment.
“A team of green officers moves around the suburbs picking litter and placing it at appropriate sites for collection.
“Working with Delta we have placed cages at specific sites for both plastic and bottles. The money that is realised from recycling these bottles and plastic is used to pay the officers.
“We are in the process of setting up a neighbourhood watch committee to increase security in the area,” Cde Ushewokunze
He said his first point of call once elected into Parliament would be to finance the erection of a footbridge across Bulawayo Road near the National Sport Stadium as many lives had been lost to speeding cars on the stretch of the highway.
Cde Ushewokunze pledged to use his experience in council to improve the welfare of people in the constituency.
He said he was confident of wrestling the seat from MDC-T saying the leadership of President Mugabe had made his campaign easy.
“As they say the speed of the leader determines the speed of the group. Surely with an accomplished leader like President Mugabe who can fail? Look at the achievements of Zimbabwe, Zanu-PF, look at its achievements in infrastructure, the education and health sectors schools.
“Zimbabwe breeds the best in education and health. We boost of the best in these areas and our graduates are well sought. We have achieved that under a Zanu-PF Government and we will not fail the country,” he said.
The father of two said he has respect for elders in the community and in the party who have shaped the direction of the country.
“I don’t agree with those who say Zanu-PF does not want young blood in its leadership ranks. Here I am, I have been there and am still young. I thank those who have come before me in the party and have shaped this country.
“I have respect for my elders both in the community and in the party. We should not lose our moral values and languages because they are very important in our development,” he said.
He encouraged party members to remain united as they go into the elections saying he had not achieved anything in winning the primaries as the bigger task was still to come.
“No one loses in Zanu-PF but the party wins. I do not celebrate winning the primaries because I have only been chosen to lead as a party candidate and the celebration will come on July 31, 2001 when the party wins resoundingly,” he said.
Online Reporter