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Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF hits the campaign trail for the forthcoming harmonised elections today with President Mugabe expected to address a star rally at Nzvimbo Growth Point in Mashonaland Central province.Yesterday, the Politburo met at the party’s headquarters in Harare where the itinerary for President Mugabe’s star rallies was discussed among other issues related to the elections.
After today’s launch the next stop would be in Marange, Manicaland on Saturday followed by another one in Marondera, Mashonaland East on Monday and then Chitungwiza on Tuesday.
President Mugabe will move to Mashonaland West next Thursday at Chinhoyi Stadium followed by another star rally at Lupane in Matabeleland North on 19 July. The Matabeleland South star rally will be at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda on 20 July.
President Mugabe will head for Masvingo on 25 July followed by Bulawayo on 27 July before concluding the programme with a star rally in Harare on 28 July.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said the Politburo also discussed various aspects of the campaign.
“We looked at transport and logistics although I am not going into the details. We also talked about the media campaign, which I head. We are working flat out to ensure that we saturate the whole country with advertisements,” he said.
Cde Gumbo also said the party would also take its message to the people using social media platforms.
“We are going to use Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter — everything that is there, we are going to use.”
Meanwhile, Cde Gumbo said the Politburo resolved to expel former Reserve Bank senior official Dr Munyaradzi Kereke from the party for insubordination.
“We also talked about the issue of Kereke and it took quite a bit of our time. The decision of the Politburo is that Kereke is dismissed or expelled from the party with immediate effect because of insubordination.
“If he is a party cadre, he should follow the decision of the Politburo, he should follow the leadership of the party. He cannot use the party regalia that includes his photograph and that of the President. The provincial chairman Cde (Lovemore Matuke), who signed for Kereke for the Nomination Court will be brought to the disciplinary committee. They are the ones who handled that issue, so that’s as far as the Kereke issue is concerned,” Cde Gumbo said.
Dr Kereke filed his papers on a Zanu-PF ticket with Cde Elias Musakwa to contest for Bikita West constituency.
The Politburo directed that Cde Kereke withdraw his papers and endorsed Cde Musakwa.
Cde Gumbo warned other Zanu-PF members that filed their papers as independent candidates to desist from using the party regalia in their campaigns.
“Those independent candidates who are using the President’s photographs and other Zanu-PF regalia and so on are advised to desist from using that regalia. The position of the party is clear, they are firm on people who are insubordinate,” he added.
Zanu-PF launched its manifesto last week at Highfield’s Zimbabwe Grounds attended by tens of thousands of party supporters.
The manifesto is dubbed “Taking Back the Economy, Indigenise, Empower, Develop and Create Employment.”
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