Leonard Ncube, leonard.ncube@chronicle.co.zw
VICE-PRESIDENT Dr Constantino Chiwenga has passionately championed Matabeleland North as the prime beneficiary of the Second Republic’s ambitious development drive. In a heartfelt address to a throng of Zanu-PF supporters at Chinotimba Stadium in Victoria Falls yesterday, he said the remarkable surge of projects in the region compared to others, underlined the Government’s commitment to honouring ancestral legacies.
Dr Chiwenga implored Zimbabweans to cast their votes in favour of the ruling party, invoking a united stance to safeguard the nation’s heritage.
He tackled the scourge of corruption within Victoria Falls City Council, a matter that resonated deeply with the assembled audience.
Victoria Falls City Council
The August 23 elections, he declared, signify an opportunity to exorcise corruption and beckon forth an era of robust development under Zanu-PF mantle.
“No province has been developed like Matabeleland North and no district has benefited from the Second Republic like Hwange. We have Unit 7 and 8, Lake Gwayi-Shangani, Muchesu Mine, Kamativi Mine, Bulawayo Irrigation Scheme and others.
“Don’t you see all these developments? Let’s fix things here in Victoria Falls, united and vote the right people into council. You have thieves that have done nothing besides stealing. Let’s all go and vote our party members starting with the President, then the MP and councillors,” said Dr Chiwenga.
He implored Zimbabweans not to vote for the “structure-less” Citizens Coalition for Change led by Nelson Chamisa who moves around the country without any of his party’s senior members while he, Dr Chiwenga was accompanied by Politburo member Advocate Jacob Mudenda, the party’s Matabeleland North Provincial chair Cde Richard Moyo and several Central Committee members.
Dr Chiwenga, who before the rally, met the tourism business community in Victoria Falls, spoke at length detailing projects being implemented by the Second Republic as the country heads towards an upper middle-income society by 2030.
He said Victoria Falls, which is surrounded by game parks, has benefited immensely from Second Republic development agenda after being granted city status in 2019, being declared a Special Economic Zone and becoming the host to the only United States dollar denominated stock exchange.
He said two big airlines were planning to fly into Victoria Falls while the city should have a High Court of its own to match its status.
“No other country has the Victoria Falls and games parks where you can find the Big 5. You have the Victoria Falls and so should we leave it go to waste in the hands of the opposition? Zanu-PF led by President Mnangagwa has said this place needs to be developed and promoted as a tourism destination.
Zanu-PF
“It is Government’s hope that since all these things have happened, Victoria Falls will vote wisely,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga said Government plans to establish non-polluting factories in Victoria Falls as well as other industries such as pharmaceutical companies, sports grounds to attract sports tourism and 14 special hospitals to promote medical tourism.
He said tourism operators should get rebates for all imports they make on capital goods such as vehicles while surrounding communities should also benefit from horticultural projects to be established along the Zambezi River so that they supply raw materials to hotels.
Urging both residents and the business community to think outside the box, Dr Chiwenga said locals should be able to sustain local tourism industry.
He said Victoria Falls should not only be a leisure place but also have industries that can benefit locals.
He said the policy of rural industrialisation will be heightened so that all villages have crop and animal projects as well as citrus projects.
The Vice-President castigated attempts by opposition parties to hoodwink Zimbabweans into believing they are against the sanctions illegally imposed on the country by Western countries.
VP Chiwenga said the Second Republic’s policy of engagement and re-engagement had thawed relations with Western countries and Britain was already investing in the country particularly in Muchesu Mine and Zulu Lithium.
He said massive road rehabilitation projects were being implemented as efforts continue through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme and the recent commissioning of Hwange Unit 7 and 8 will ensure none of the projects fail as power will be readily available.
“Since President Mnangagwa came to power, no province can stand and say the Second Republic hasn’t done anything. He vowed that no one and no place will be left behind. He and his party have walked the talk.
“So let’s go and vote President Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF MP and councillors and by so doing we would have voted for Senators, Women’s Quota, Provincial Council and Youth. So when we are gone our children will remain with the direction and knowing that this country we were given by God can’t be sold,” said Dr Chiwenga.
The VP came with 60 tonnes of maize meal, saying the country is food secure with surplus grain for the past consecutive three years and citizens should benefit. Everyone who attended the tally got a bag of maize meal, party regalia, butternut seeds, and a loaf of bread as appreciation for braving the heat to listen to the VP who addressed another rally in the same district three weeks ago.
The party’s candidate for Hwange West, Cde Philani Moyo who was interpreting for VP Chiwenga said he had drilled 16 boreholes in the constituency and efforts will be made to establish horticultural projects at each of them.
Cde Moyo said Zanu-PF will continue to rule until the end of time.
Central Committee member, Cde Fati Mpofu, who gave a vote of thanks encouraged Hwange people to open their eyes and vote for development.