What Presidential candidates promise

Gabriel Masvora, News Editor
ON 30 July, Zimbabweans will once again exercise their constitutional right when the country holds harmonised elections to elect their preferred councillors, National Assembly representatives and the big one PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE.

For the first time since the country gained independence, a record 23 candidates will be contesting for presidential elections.

Some are seasoned politicians while some are greenhorns who are still fresh behind the ears but still fancy their chances to land the big one.

Because of the number of candidates and campaign strategies, some of the presidential candidates are rarely known and popular among the electorate.

However, this week Sunday News gives the electorate a glimpse of the 23 candidates and just a selected five major issues anchoring the candidate’s election promises.

The major points were extracted from manifestos and past interviews conducted by the candidates or senior members of the candidates’ parties.

Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa — Zanu-PF

-1,5 million medium income houses

– Six percent economic growth, implement devolution

– US$5 billion FDI and US10 billion domestic investment annually

– 90 percent industry capacity utilisation by 2023

– 15 percent of national budget towards health

Nelson Chamisa — MDC- Alliance

-Government anchored on Technology and E-Governance

-Renaming the country’s provinces

– Regular state sanctioned lifestyle audit

– Construct new modern smart cities and expand existing ones

– Revamped road network and airports

Thokozani Khupe — Movement for Democratic Change-T

– Equal opportunities for all

– No discrimination based on gender, race, sex, or tribe

-Open to alliances on conditions of shared values

-Create an environment of equitable distribution of resources

-Pursue devolution

Lovemore Madhuku — National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)

– New democratic constitution

– Clean Government

– Free health for all

-Improve the quality of education

– Improve mining and agriculture

Elton Mangoma — Coalition of Democrats

– Paring down executive powers so that Government could be held accountable

– Team work for arms of Government

– Embark on human capital development anchored on education for all

– Economic growth of double-digits

– Security of tenure to allow them to access loans from banks

Nkosana Moyo — Alliance for People’s Agenda

– Inclusive society

-Economic management, service delivery

– Arresting corruption

– Reduce Government wage bill

– Human and social development

Joice Mujuru — People’s Rainbow Coalition

-Leaner Cabinet comprising of technocrats

– Repeal the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act, Public Order and Security Act and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act

– Free primary education

– Seek to remove all impediments including Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, 2001 (Zidera)

– Long-term concessional loans for students in colleges, universities and tertiary institutions

Kwanele Hlabangana — Republican Party of Zimbabwe (RPZ)

– Seek to eliminate social ills like corruption and discrimination along partisan, ethnical and gender lines

– Create a conducive environment for businesses, youths and women

– Promote infrastructural development and improve the delivery of social welfare services to cater for vulnerable groups in need, so as to nurture and develop the rural economy, among others.

– Determined to work for the removal of all causes of violence

-Support the informal sector, fostering industrialisation and value addition of natural resources