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Mukudzei Chingwere in Kadoma

Small-scale miners will get more Government help to maximise on their potential and production, but the miners themselves must observe the highest degree of discipline in their operations to meet their individual and national goals, Zanu PF Second Secretary and Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.

Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters who thronged Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma yesterday for a rally supporting President Mnangagwa and the ruling party ahead of national polls on August 23, the Vice President said Government wanted more capitalisation of miners along with peaceful co-existence between miners.

Zanu PF is on a national whirlwind meeting the electorate sharing the Second Republic’s development success story and President Mnangagwa’s elaborate plans which are driving the economy towards an empowered upper-middle income economy by 2030.

Mining, both small-scale and conglomerate, is one of the dominant economic activities in and around Kadoma town and Mashonaland West Province and VP Chiwenga said the participation of locals in gainful economic activities such as mining including owning the mines was a result of a hard-won liberation war wedged by Zanu PF and thus it was incumbent on the people of Kadoma to vote resoundingly for the party and President Mnangagwa.

“We want artisanal mining to be done in a proper and legal manner. Government, under the leadership of our icon President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, wants to equip you with machines in your groups and you do your mining in an orderly manner.

“We do not want you to fight each other: we all want to be successful. There are problems I have been told have been going on here especially at Dalny Mine that those who were residing at this mine should leave. Where will they go? This is their country and we will sit down with them so that an amicable solution is found,” he said.

The VP also said Government was working on reviving the glitter of cotton farming which used to be an important economic contributor around Kadoma.

To this end, President Mnangagwa had taken it upon himself to revive the industry by funding farmers under the Presidential Cotton Scheme with which the President supported more than 500 000 smallerholder farmers with free inputs last year. The programme is set to be continued this year and VP Chiwenga said Government desired people to be organised, including on farms where some have experienced disputes, and that it was only the people centred Zanu PF party under President Mnangagwa which could achieve this.

“About farms we want it to be addressed properly. What we are against is name dropping. We want cotton to go back to its glory days that is of white gold and we will support its farming and value addition here in Zimbabwe,” said the VP.

In line with President Mnangagwa’s devolution strategy, the VP advised that plans were now afoot to offer registry services in Kadoma so that residents do not need to always travel to other cities towns to access these.

Before addressing the rally, VP Chiwenga had commissioned road construction equipment bought using devolution funds by the local authorities of Kadoma and Sanyati.

He decried the opposition run local authorities for neglecting their duties which subsequently saw Government intervening to attend to social and other services including roads rehabilitation in and around Kadoma.

He said Kadoma city had not done anything to improve people’s lives in their stint in council and the electorate had their lesson that they cannot be trusted with governing mandate at whatever level.

“I am happy that this equipment I have commissioned was bought using devolution funds, that is excellent. But all these initiatives came as a result of President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.

“The opposition led local authority has failed and have not done anything. Muduvuri has done well better than these local authorities, he built a hospital.”

Cde Cosmas Daka is representing the party in Kadoma Central constituency while Cde Vangelis Haritatos is standing in the neighbouring Muzvezve constituency.

Zanu PF supporter Ms Lisa Gumbanjera said: “We are happy that Government has prioritised roads construction, roads here were now very bad. The Kadoma-Sanyati Road was bad as well as urban roads but Government is now attending to these roads.”

Another supporter Mr Honest Zuva added: “We are artisanal miners and what makes me happy is that President Mnangagwa’s administration is prioritising us. We used to be viewed as criminals, but not anymore, now the Government wants us to be orderly and contribute to the growth of the economy.”

Ms Lynette Mbundire said she would definitely vote for the ruling party.

“We will vote for Zanu PF the party that delivers and has brought development to the people. Now the next step is smart cities some of the colonial houses we have here in Rimuka are no longer good and the Vice President has said it. So we will vote for Zanu PF so that the President finishes with his developmental trajectory.”