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Dr Chimedza

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Government and Zanu-PF leaders in Masvingo have been challenged to accept and work with the newly-appointed Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Dr Paul Chimedza to advance the province’s developmental agenda and make sure the ruling party romps to an emphatic victory in next year’s elections. Foreign Affairs Minister and Masvingo South Member of Parliament Dr Walter Mzembi yesterday said Government and Zanu-PF leaders were supposed to embrace Dr Chimedza as he was an appointee of the President.

Dr Chimedza was appointed Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister recently, taking over from the late national heroine, Senator Shuvai Mahofa, who passed on in August this year. Speaking during a ceremony to welcome Dr Chimedza to the province in the wake of his new appointment, Dr Mzembi said there was need for the province to rally behind its new Provincial Affairs Minister.

“So, if you spend time ridiculing authority you will not realise your own authority placed in you,” he said. “This is my counsel to some amongst us who are in the unfortunate habit of sponsoring stories in media ridiculing authority and Government appointees by the President.

“If the President, the supreme authority of this country, can submit to the authority of vice chancellors in order to produce university graduates, who are we as Members of Parliament, ministers and party members to resist or disregard the delegated authority of the Minister of State in order to advance the developmental agenda of our province.” Dr Mzembi called for loyalty to the President.

“The cardinal principle, be loyal, remain loyal to the President and the State, seek continuously the loyalty of those below you to do the same, if you can’t achieve it by moral persuasion, demand it, we need discipline in order to move forward,’’ said Dr Mzembi.

“We hope that you can re-integrate our province to centre politics and reassert loyalties to the party, the President of our party Zanu-PF, Cde R.G. Mugabe, the Government and State.” Dr Mzembi urged Dr Chimedza to spearhead the province’s march towards the 2018 harmonised elections and make sure President Mugabe and the ruling party win resoundingly. In his remarks, Dr Chimedza re-affirmed his loyalty to President Mugabe as the one centre of power in Zanu-PF. In his sermon at the ceremony, Family of God head Apostle Andrew Wutawunashe called for unity in Masvingo, saying the province stood to benefit if all the people worked in unison and pulled in one direction. Members of the Zanu-PF provincial Youth League, the Women’s League, war veterans and civil servants drawn from Masvingo province attended Dr Chimedza’s welcome ceremony.