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Blessings Chidakwa Zimpapers Elections Desk

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said people in urban areas should use this month’s harmonised elections to kick out incompetent opposition parties by voting for Zanu PF in their huge numbers as the party has been improving the quality of life of Zimbabweans across the country through infrastructural development projects.

Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters who thronged Robert Mugabe Square in Harare, where the ruling party yet again displayed its unmatched mobilisation might, President Mnangagwa also warned merchants of violence saying they would face the wrath of the law.

President Mngangagwa’s administration has been bailing out Harare residents from the incompetent opposition CCC-run council by providing water, and so far 86 solar-powered boreholes have been commissioned in the capital under the Presidential Borehole Scheme.

The President said the Harare City Council has failed to run the city, which is now characterised by water woes, uncollected garbage, sewer bursts, poor street lighting, a poor transport system and a broken down water reticulation and waste management system.

“Our colossal Zanu PF under the Second Republic has just begun a programme to assist the failing Harare City Council so that there can be a semblance of cleanliness and orderliness in our town.

“On August 23 we must democratically and constitutionally kick them out of the councils. The weapon we use to kick out these failures is your vote. We simply kick them out with our votes,” he said.

“The opposition is heartless and insensitive to the needs of our people coupled with their gross incompetence. They must go now, let us vote them out of Town House.”

Ever the champion of peace, President Mnangagwa congratulated the nation for the present peaceful and stable environment.

“We are only 14 days away from harmonised general elections. Where we have come from we have maintained peace, where we are now we are maintaining peace, where we are going we shall continue to maintain peace.

“All political stakeholders must know that there are no sacred cows, perpetrators of violence will be brought to book without fear or favour. We need peace and harmony during, after elections and at all times,” he said.

Although the country’s detractors would wish ill on Zimbabwe and gleefully expect violence, such acts will not happen under the Second Republic.

“I say to you my dear comrades, the patriotic people of Zimbabwe, don’t ever, ever perpetrate violence, otherwise we will deal with you. You must always talk about unity, love, harmony,” the President said.

“Elections come and go, but we as Zimbabweans, families and communities we shall remain. We have no other Zimbabwe, ours between Zambezi and Limpopo, Mutare and Plumtree, that is our land, it will not go anywhere.”

President Mnangagwa said the late Vice President Cde John Landa Nkomo left the country with the words, “peace begins with me, peace begins with you, peace begins with all of us” and this remains the rallying call of Zanu PF.

“Only when we are united can we develop our country. Detractors want us to be violent and be divided but we say no, we are a humble and peace-loving country. Let us put them to shame those who wish us ill,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said Zanu PF is entrenching constitutionalism and democracy as every five years it goes back to the people to seek a new mandate.

“The Zanu PF Government is from the people, by the people and for the people. Zanu PF is about politics for national development, production, peace, unity, love and development.

“We are improving the standard and quality of life of the people of Zimbabwe, brick upon brick, stone upon stone. Step by step we are building Zimbabwe into a modern industrialised and prosperous country,” he said.

President Mnangagwa, who also castigated land barons, said his administration was attending to housing issues, with several complexes completed in Harare and numerous more under construction.

“We have started giving people title deeds starting with Epworth. Now my Minister of Justice is processing many title deeds to give to all deserving areas.

“For instance, we went to Hwange and Bulawayo where we witnessed people with 40 years or more staying in houses paying rent up to now, but we told them that the Second Republic is here for all and we will issue you with title deeds,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said his administration was mobilising domestic resources to modernise and upgrade the national infrastructure after busting sanctions imposed 23 years ago by the West.

“We decided that we ourselves shall build our nation. Beitbridge Border Post, we built on our own, there is no debt. The Harare-Beitbridge Highway was also constructed by local contractors.

“Construction of Mbudzi Interchange is underway, no white people are constructing it but our own people. Kunzvi Dam is on course, the upgrading and modernising of Robert Mugabe International Airport has been completed,” he said.

The President also said new industries are being opened with existing ones expanding as evidenced by the commissioning of new plants by industrial giants such as United Bottlers, Chibuku Breweries, Pepsi Varun beverages, Olivine Industries and Khaya Cement.

He said his administration is proud that it eliminated the perennial challenges of load-shedding and fuel queues.

In terms of food security in urban areas, the President said he had directed the Lands and Agriculture Minister to avail free inputs consisting of fertiliser and seed to urbanites to engage in peri-urban agriculture.

On provision of potable water, President Mnangagwa said the Presidential Borehole Drilling programme would be availed to all residents free of charge.

“We have drilled boreholes and the water is for free courtesy of the President. We Zanu PF will not stand by and let our people suffer at the hands of these clueless opposition-led councils,” he said.

Prevail International Group managing director Paul Tempter Tungwarara thanked the President for commissioning one of the boreholes drilled in Harare.

“We are very much excited to be spearheading the Presidential water scheme and we are going full swing even after elections until every Zimbabwean receives water from the President,” he said.