‘We’re ready for battle’
Cde Chindedza . . . “What we are doing is what we call the ‘kunzwa nekuita’ (Listen and act) approach. You hear the problems and challenges that people are facing and you rectify instantly, not waiting until you are first voted into power”

Cde Chindedza . . . “What we are doing is what we call the ‘kunzwa nekuita’ (Listen and act) approach. You hear the problems and challenges that people are facing and you rectify instantly, not waiting until you are first voted into power”

The Norton Constituency by-election comes in a fortnight and the battle to fill the vacancy left after the expulsion of Christopher Mutsvangwa from Zanu-PF two months ago pits Zanu-PF’s Ronald Chindedza and controversial former Zanu-PF legislator and independent candidate Temba Mliswa. Our Political Editor Tichaona Zindoga (TZ) caught up with Cde Chindedza (RC) to hear about his preparation for the October 22 showdown.

TZ: First of all, Cde Chindedza, you are facing a seasoned campaigner in Temba Mliswa for this upcoming by-election, but people hardly know you while your opposite number is a household, if controversial, character. Tell us about yourself and how you intend to tackle this opponent of yours?
RC: First and foremost, I am a local person in as far as Norton Constituency is concerned vis-a-vis Temba Mliswa.

I have a farm in Norton, I was born and bred in Mhondoro, which is also just close by, unlike Temba Mliswa whom we don’t even know whether he came from Zambia or Silobela. I was born in Norton. I did all my education, primary, secondary and even tertiary in Norton. After that I even worked in Norton. I was in the Youth structures way back in 2000.

When I finished my tertiary education I was then a party cadre. I participated in the Tongogara District under the Commissariat department youth structure and became secretary for youth there.

Then when I moved to Rafingora, where I was working as a farm administration manager and I was also a youth vice chairman for Gatawa District in Zvimba North. I came back when I got a farm in Norton. So I have more to do with Norton than Temba Mliswa.

So in as far as this election is concerned, we are more than prepared. He is trying to maximise and work with the assistance of the NERA (National Electoral Reform Agenda, a banner of political parties purportedly pushing for electoral reforms) thing so that he can rope in all the other opposition parties to fight Zanu-PF.

That is his strategy. He has nothing to deliver to the people. At the same time, as far as the issue of popularity is concerned, like you have indicated Temba is a household name, but he is a household name associated with what?

You know Temba, wherever he goes, he gets fired. He was expelled in the UK, he was expelled from Dynamos Football Club, he was expelled from cricket; he tried rugby, he was also expelled. He even came to Zanu-PF and he was also expelled.

Wherever he goes, that is his character. He is known for that. So we are not worried about Temba and not even focusing on him. What we are focusing on is just service delivery to the people.

Already we have started so many projects on the ground such as delivering water. We are putting boreholes in all the wards for our people to have access to clean water. Some of the clinics that are there we equipping with new infrastructure and where we need to rehabilitate, we are rehabilitating.

TZ: What are the main issues in the Norton Constituency and how do you seek to address them?
RC: For the urban sector, the challenges that we have is that the council that is running Norton Urban Council is made up of more opposition councillors than Zanu-PF and the issue of service delivery is a major concern.

Sewerage is not being serviced, water is not being delivered to the residents and the rates are actually skyrocketing, making life more difficult for the residents instead of it being the other way round. The rural part of the constituency is a farming constituency. Zanu-PF has always been pushing for the empowerment of each and every human being. We have the Presidential inputs every year, irrespective of what the season will look like.

Right now we are moving in with the Command Agriculture. We are going to make sure that every plot holder participates in the programme so that we can forget about importing maize from other countries.

TZ: You mentioned a catalogue of problems, especially in the urban area. How then do you seek to rectify that if you get the chance to represent Norton?
RC: Some of these things we are already starting to tackle and also put in place some red tape where there are indications that here things were not followed procedurally or not done up to standard.

We are actually in the gear for that.

TZ: Temba Mliswa has called on the support of the opposition, as you mentioned earlier, under the banner of the so-called NERA. Are you ready to face a phalanx of opposition forces ranged against you? You may also recall that before the elections of 2013, Norton was in the hands of the opposition.
RC: I think you need to look at the composition of this so called NERA. Who is involved in this? We have been having the same opposition, it is only a change of the name. The fact is that it is no longer coming in as MDC-T; it is no longer coming in as MDC-N or PDP.

However, it is more or less the same opposition. It is just a leopard which has changed its own spots. So to us, whether they call themselves NERA or whatever, whichever name they give us, we have known them before. We know their strengths and their weaknesses, so it is not even an issue.

I would also want to say that the electorate in Norton have learnt their lesson. When they voted MDC (T) into power it never delivered. That is why Zanu-PF won the 2013 election in an urban set up like Norton.

TZ: Temba has accused Zanu-PF of playing dirty in this election. He mentioned what he called the partisan distribution of food aid and so forth as well as many other things that he accuses Zanu-PF of doing. How would you respond to that? RC: He is always good at pointing fingers and starting fires. That is typical of Temba.

His expectation is to see people suffering. When it comes to aid, he starts raising questions. But you can’t leave people starving. The President made it clear that no one is going to starve regardless of whether you are MDC or Ndonga or what.

So Temba is just wasting his time. At the same time, he accused Unicef, the other day he was actually retracting his statement. On that one he actually answered himself. That is typical of him. Before verifying the facts, he makes accusations.

Hence, generally we can’t waste our time trying to comment on what Temba is saying today because he says all sorts of rubbish everyday. So that is for the public to decide, today you say this then tomorrow you say, “no I retract” — the people will take you for a joker. And Temba is a joke himself.

TZ: There are less than two weeks to this election, what is your game plan from now until the day of the election so that you can possibly wrap up and bag Norton?
RC: Zanu-PF policies always speak for themselves. What we are doing is what we call the “kunzwa nekuita” (Listen and act) approach. You hear the problems and challenges that people are facing and you rectify instantly, not waiting until you are first voted into power.

It has been the ongoing approach of Zanu-PF so that you meet the people’s demands and needs.

TZ: What challenges have you faced and how is the support from the party? By the way, Mashonaland West is seen as fractious at times.
RC: The only challenge that we have faced is rumourmongering that Zanu-PF is doing this and that. To us we are just doing our day to day work of assisting the people. The party has always been spot on. We are one and we are united and we will remain so and I have received immense support from the structures of the party.

What I can say is that we are more than ready for battle and I just wish to tell the electorate to come on October 22 and show our detractors that Zanu-PF remains the ruling party and the most powerful party in the country.

Zanu-PF is the people’s party.

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