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Sydney Kawadza Mash West Bureau Chief
Thousands of Zanu-PF supporters from Mashonaland West Province turned the streets of the small farming town of Chegutu into a sea of green and gold as they trekked to Pfupajena Stadium for a rally addressed by President Mnangagwa yesterday.

The Zanu-PF First Secretary and President marvelled at the large crowd and admitted the province had demonstrated its claim that it is “Mash Best”.

Accompanied by First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF Second Secretaries and Vice Presidents Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi, the party’s National Chairwoman Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, President Mnangagwa exhorted the thousands who attended the rally to turn their numbers into votes for the ruling party.

“Tauya kuno nhasi kuMashonaland West uko kwatiri kuita rally yedu yeZanu-PF. Ndirikufara kuona kuwanda kwamakaita, zvaratidza kuti zvatinogara tichiudzwa nevatungamiri venyu kuHarare kuti Mashonaland West inongova musvo weZanu-PF, ndangozvionera ndega.

“Zvino uyu musvo uyu dai wazoratidza musi wa30 July kuti mazvirokwazvo ndeweZanu-PF. Asi mamwe maprovince arikuti Mashonaland West, haaa, hativerenge isu tinobuda shudhu saka kuti musasvogwa nevamwe itai kuti nemi munobudawo shudhu.”

President Mnangagwa also took time to remember two Zanu-PF youth leaders from Mbare who perished in a road accident while on their way from a convention held in Gweru on Thursday.

The members are Cde Vengai Munaki, the Zanu-PF Youth League chairman for Mbare and Cde Omega Jokonya.
They died on the spot when the kombi they were travelling in was involved in an accident just before the Half Way roundabout in Selous. Zanu-PF supporters arrived in Chegutu from all corners of Mashonaland West Province for the rally. The party supporters used all forms of transport including buses, lorries and other vehicles to reach the stadium where various entertainment groups performed.

Singing revolutionary songs, jubilant Zanu-PF members became the centre of attraction for the normally quiet farming town.
They were in a jubilant mood as they waited for President Mnangagwa and his delegation who were still at the recently re-named Jason Siyaphapha Moyo Air Force Base.

With Jah Prayzah’s hit “Kutongwa Kwaro” reverberating across the stadium, President Mnangagwa, who was walking hand-in-hand with the First Lady, arrived to a thunderous welcome from the crowd.

His arrival was also met with excitement and ecstasy as marshals struggled to control the crowd which wanted to see their leader at close range.

The excitement continued as President Mnangagwa, the First Lady and Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi took to the high table and the crowd breached the barriers to dance in front of their leaders.

President Mnangagwa, who has also become very popular for his dances, led the crowd through their paces with dust rising from the dancing crowd.

Senior party officials who attended the rally included Politburo members Cdes Engelbert Rugeje (political commissar), Mabel Chinomona (national secretary for women’s affairs), Christopher Mutsvangwa (science and technology), Prisca Mupfumira ( environment and tourism), Victor Matemadanda (war veterans), Christopher Mushohwe, Sibusiso Moyo, Edna Madzongwe, July Moyo and Omega Hungwe.