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Zimbabwe heads to the much anticipated harmonised polls on August 23 against the backdrop of a massive campaign by ZANU PF. The ruling party’s Vice President and Second Secretary, Cde Kembo Mohadi, spoke with our correspondent Dr Clever Chirume (CC) and gave insights into the ZANU PF’s campaign and the party’s prospects of winning the election as the campaign period winds up. Read the excerpts . . .
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CC: Cde Vice President any reflections about ZANU PF preparations for the elections?
VP Mohadi: Thank for proving this platform. Back to your question Let me say ZANU PF had a superb campaign – such massive since Zimbabwe’s independence. The Presidium each had an average of three to four rallies a week. The number of rallies was increased toward the end of the campaign period. In addition, they were also a Star rally during weekends. I must admit it was a weary process, but what kept us going was the knowledge that nobody ever drowned in their sweat. We must appreciate affiliates bolstered our campaign quite significantly. The role of the National Political Commissar (NPC) Cde Mike Bimha became that of co-coordinating the various elements in executing the campaign. ZANU PF became the centre of attraction which everybody wanted to be associated with. Proverbially we had become tourism, attraction. It was so fantastic any experience! Except for Harare and Bulawayo, star rallies were taken to the people.
CC: Any unique aspects of the campaign?
VP Mohadi: The Star rallies brought development to the people. Agro based companies were established including a nutrition garden and fishery. Villagers became the owners of the new companies. So it was not just about politics but creating local economies as well.
CC: What chances does ZANU PF have of winning the elections?
VP Mohadi: Of course, we are confident of winning. Not just winning but resoundingly so. But for now I would rather we leave that aspect for the electorate to decide.
CC Against lingering questions of ZANU PF failure what gives you the confidence that you will win?
VP Mohadi: I see you are determined on this one. My friend; being a close second, in electoral politics, is failure and receives no recognition.
As ZANU PF, we have a strong Presidential candidate whose capacity to deliver is difficult to ignore. Remind me to come back to this issue later.
You must appreciate we started preparing for this election, a long time ago. You must also appreciate that our Presidential candidate and his team require to retain power to complete projects and programmes initiated during the first five years of his leadership. We could not leave this process to chance. No! We felt not everyone had the perceptive power to see where the ZANU PF led Government is taking the country. His Excellency has often dramatised this lack of perceptive power through the favourite Zimbabwean philosophy of, and I quote “Zvipopi zvinosvinura misi yakasiyana”. So we said we should work.
We say we are winning because we the only party that followed the rituals of leadership of always being with the people, learning from them, loving them and do things with them. His Excellency is always with the people. Hardly week passes without him engaging some activity in Bulawayo. He is in Binga and the next moment he is in Gokwe. In the early stages of his leadership, President Mnangagwa criss-crossed the Zimbabwe in ground breaking ceremonies of projects he is now commission as completed. The first lady through her philanthropic programmes that seeks restoration of our legacy as Zimbabweans has been to the most neglected parts of our country. The same goes for my counterpart, VaChiwenga who has taken health and health facilities to neglected communities. I personally travelled the lengthy and breathy of our country to engage traditional leaders on development in line with the strategy and vision of our leader, President Mnangagwa. So we have been with the people.
Let me also say in our campaign messaging as ZANU PF we avoided finding faults in opponents itself a favourite proverbial blood sport of most campaign strategy. We realised that in as much as it has long been the basis of political campaign strategy to mudsling others, we real needed to demonstrate the deepening of our democratization by talking about the politics of people’s development. Fault finding is the theme of much television programming across the world. Blaming others sells newspapers. We reasoned as ZANU PF that the first, almost unconscious reaction by political opponents is to look for imperfections. As a result we deliberately avoided the use of insults on opponents and the use of rancour through discussing issues of development, peace and tolerance for the other.
You will appreciate that during the launch of our official campaign in Chipinge in Manicaland the President using his probity directed us to adopt a common stump message for our campaign. Such message would speak of the ZANU PF led Government’s achievements during the last five years. He furthermore, indicated that going forward our vision 2030 for a middle income economy, would thus be the ultimate milestone to achieve. Therefore, our campaign message spoke about the projects and programmes that we to date accomplished in different sectors of our economy, in particular areas of our country. As ZANU PF, our campaign was based on the development mobilisation approach. We also discussed solutions for projects and programmes that lagged behind. The assistance from affiliates had multiplier effect. Where the Party felt constrained; affiliates chipped in extending our reach.
Our confidence to win the forthcoming election has been bolstered by the bold and decisive leadership from the captain of team ZANU PF the President. The capacity to deliver from our main candidate the President inspired our campaign. Of course challenges will always be there, but for those with eyes you can see where Zimbabwe is going.
We therefore do not need to experiment with any other leadership especially at this crucial moment of our politics. As a result of the result oriented leadership of His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) it become easy to craft quality candidate statements for team ZANU PF. Our candidate statements simply had to emphasis our achievements in different sectors of the economy throughout the country. He exudes the sophistry to deal with complex nation building challenges whose implications are beyond the comprehension of many. Our candidate has demonstrated capacity to deliver.
CC: Some people say the Team ZANU PF election campaign has been a failure. What is your reaction to that?
VP Mohadi: Those who judge us as failures must be the ones who say we don’t eat roads, airports and dams. Quite appreciated way of thinking. There is a Chinese saying if you want to be rich built a road for through you have built trade and commerce. Where there is a good road the price of transport comes down even that of goods in the shops.
CC: There has been general stability in the country in recent months. Tell us about the currency issues in the country.
VP Mohadi: Don’t you see we are building a fiat based currency. We have gold to back our currency in time what you describe as a crisis will be over. If you ask any war veteran, they will tell you that during training they were taught that political independence was easy but the war for liberating the economy would be difficult. As Zimbabwe we have crossed the Rubicon under the leadership of president Mnangagwa.
CC: Any last words to the people of Zimbabwe?
VP Mohadi: Let us remain vigilant to maintain the peace and tranquillity currently prevailing
CC: Thank you for your time.
VP Mohadi: You are welcome
Online Reporter