Zanu PF rallies Mbire as opposition leaders defect

Daniel Chigunwe Herald Correspondent

The ruling Zanu PF party continues to get overwhelming endorsements from supporters with Mbire, in the Dande Valley declaring a 100 percent victory for Zanu-PF’s Presidential candidate, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mbire has 36 500 registered voters.

The region bears the brand of the Second Republic successful economic exploits that has seen it transformed to a modern day tourism destination through the rise of Kanyemba.

Addressing thousands of supporters on Saturday at Mushumbi, provincial party chairperson for Mashonaland Central province Cde Kazembe Kazembe said infrastructural development projects in Mbire are a treasure gift that will economically empower the people of Mbire for decades to come.

“We want to thank President Mnangagwa for the infrastructural developments taking place here. We have the Mahuwe tarred road and the rehabilitation process is stretching as far as Kanyemba.

“Of the five dams under construction in the province, Mbire will benefit from the Dande Dam which will go a long way to complement the erratic rainfall patterns here and fight drought-related challenges, ” said Cde Kazembe.

Council chairman for Mbire Cde Chidongo also revealed that work at Kanyemba is at advanced stage and awaiting the central government to make approvals.

“Kanyemba is witnessing giant strides and the pegging of stands has begun. We have received five hotel stands applications which have been approved. Construction of the Y bridge is at an advanced stage and will be central to trade between Zimbabwe,

Zambia and Mozambique. we have started working on the ship’ docking area,” said Cde Chidongo.

He further revealed that plans to power Kanyemba have already been sealed in a deal between the Zambian power utility (ZESCO) and its Zimbabwean counterpart (ZETDC).

The rally, which was a constituency campaign launch to drum up support for the National Assembly candidate for Mbire, Cde David Butau and the 17 councillors also witnessed the defection of opposition leaders from Nelson Chamisa’s CCC party and the National People’s Congress (NPC).

Those who defected include Paradzai Katungamidza (former CCC youth secretary for Mbire), Shadreck Kabvundura (provincial organising secretary for CCC), Saul Kasekete (CCC) Garikai Nyawanga ( CCC) and Tairesi Chikwamba (NPC)

Cde Butau pledged to facilitate construction of 35 blocks of classrooms in the constituency’s schools before poll day.

“As Mbire family, we are going to complement President Mnangagwa’s roads and dam construction works by building schools. By August 20, I would have built 35 blocks, two per each ward.

“We also want a passport office at Mushumbi so that women can start participating in cross border trade. We have links in China and Turkey where they can go and do business, ” said Cde Butau.