Zimpapers Logo

Part of the 60 000-strong crowd that packed Chinhoyi University of Technology grounds for the President’s Youth Interface Rally on Saturday

OVER the weekend, President Mugabe brought the Mashonaland West town of Chinhoyi to a standstill as thousands of Zanu-PF faithfuls attended the fifth leg of the Presidential Youth Interface rallies.

So huge was the attendance that some generous estimations put the figure at 100 000. We conservatively put it at 60 000. All the same, the turnout was a resounding statement and it did send a strong message that Zanu-PF is adept at mobilisation.

Chinhoyi drew the biggest crowd of the five Youth Interface Rallies held so far and the momentum is surely on to give Zanu-PF what has been billed by credible observers and studies as a runaway victory in 2018.

Zanu-PF’s opponents are at sixes and sevens: With a few months to the poll, the opposition does not even know who their candidate to take on President Mugabe will be.

We will not even belabour the fact that the opposition does not yet have a compelling message — and will not, conceivably do so in the intervening period before the election.

Zanu-PF has enough to offer, which we have enumerated before on these pages. The ruling Zanu-PF is the party of the revolution and espouses the ideals and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans through political, social and economic policies.

It brings food on people’s tables and just as well Command Agriculture is the most trending political message right now.

Zanu-PF has policies which ensure that the majority control the economy from the land and mines to banking and commerce. Zanu-PF is the party that ensures that we are at peace in this land that God gave us and given its pedigree the country’s peace, security and sovereignty are ensured.

The ruling party ensures harmonious social relations and public morality and frowns upon harmful practices such as homosexuality that are promoted by the opposition MDC-T and other forces.

Further, the ruling party has ensured social security and provision of services such as health and education. All this even under constraining conditions such as the illegal economic sanctions regime brought to weigh on innocent citizens by Western countries through the lobbying and agency of the MDC.

Happily, Zimbabwe has not gone down. In fact the past may well be past us. This is why people have confidence in Zanu-PF and are ready to give it a fresh mandate in 2018.

All this defines Zanu-PF and President Mugabe who brought a bountiful crowd in Chinhoyi. Zanu-PF must keep its eyes on the ball and not be side-tracked by squabbling.

The traditional and social media have been awash with cheerleaders egging Zanu-PF cadres to keep hands on each other’s throats instead of on the wheel. We hope that someone is taking note of how opposition figures have been rubbing their hands with anticipation of Zanu-PF imploding.

When the opposition is so delighted, something must instruct the ruling party that it is making a mistake — grave mistakes — that the opposition would ululate and cheer.

It makes the job easier.

That is even when the opposition is in mortal decline. But it needs that glimmer of hope and what a better gift of gods than the proverbial feral cat that finds chicken fighting!

Zanu-PF must be seized with bigger things and responsibilities that millions of Zimbabweans expect the party to acquit. No, they are not interested in petty factional dramas, which in fact stem from some personal issues that have nothing to do with all of us.

People lose sleep over bread and butter issues. They worry about their children going to school and getting attention when they fall sick.

They worry about getting money in the bank and the security of their savings. They worry about these and more fundamental issues than factional spats. Which challenges us to kindly ask the ruling party to take a hard look at itself so that it sees beyond the crusading and all the machinations that come with factionalism.

We would like to echo the sentiments expressed by our sister publication, The Sunday Mail, in suggesting that factionalist protagonists should sit down for a coffee. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.