President Mnangagwa addresses thousands of ZANU PF supporters in Harare
By Godwin Makoho
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged the Harare electorate to shun the opposition and vote ZANU PF in the upcoming elections scheduled for the 23rd of August 2023.
The ZANU PF First Secretary, who addressed a bumper crowd at the Robert Mugabe square in Harare, Wednesday morning, is plotting to lead the ruling party ZANU PF into another thunderous victory and gain another mandate to continue with the developmental projects that the party is currently spearheading under the National Development Strategy 1 which feeds into Vision 2030.
President Mnangagwa met about 150 000 Harare province ZANU PF supporters and over ninety affiliates for Economic Development, who gathered to show solidarity and their pledge for votes to the ZANU PF presidential candidate and the revolutionary party.
Traditionally, Harare province is stronghold for the opposition but president Mnangagwa believes time to turn the tables is now.
In his address, president Mnangagwa urged all Harare residents to vote for ZANU PF, which he described as “the strongest and winning team”.
President Mnangagwa also enjoined the ZANU PF candidates to attach value to the electorate, describing the electorate as the masters and the candidates as servants.
“I have seen all the candidates who have put themselves forward or put forward by yourself in your respective constituencies or your respective wards to represent ZANU PF. I am saying you are servants of the people, you are not masters of the people. Those who vote for you are your masters,” he said.
Harare metropolitan province has since the early 2000 been run by the opposition candidates who on several occasions have been accused of incompetence and corruption, which has resulted in poor service delivery.
In the 2018 elections, ZANU PF got only one parliamentary seat, where Tongai Mnangagwa emerged the winner in the Harare South Constituency.
In the last by elections held in 2022, ZANU PF managed to gain a parliamentary seat and four council seats vacated by opposition members.
But the president lamented the poor service delivery by the opposition run councils across the country.
“These opposition candidates are failing on earth and in heaven. God like cleanliness yet they are failing to collect refuse and supply clean water,” said president.
Former member of CCC, Paddington Japajapa who recently defected to ZANU PF got an opportunity to address the gathering.
He claimed to have returned to the revolutionary party ZANU PF after noticing that there is no direction or anything which shows the opposition is ready to rule the country.
Affiliates for Economic Development which graced the occasion include, Young Women for ED, Vapostori for ED, Graduates for ED, Miners for ED, Ama 2K for ED, MenBeleive ED, Single Mothers for ED, Pastors for ED among other affiliates to show their unmovable support for President ED Mnangagwa in the upcoming harmonised elections.
