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Levi Mukarati in Gweru
A carnival atmosphere grips Zimbabweans each time the song Kutonga kwaro by Jah Prayzah is played at a gathering. It has become a theme song for President Mnangagwa’s private and public engagements. And yesterday was no different.

The song blasted from a powerful public address system, bringing back memories of November 18 last year as the President greeted a bumper crowd at an open space in Mkoba, Gweru. Youths sang to the track as they waved zanu-pf white and green caps in support of the leader.

The caps were matched by T-shirts, turning a vast area, usually reserved for urban agriculture, into a sea of green and yellow. Those capable of taking aerial photographs undoubtedly produced marvellous shots that must send opposition political parties back to the drawing boards.

Indeed the zanu-pf juggernaut was in the Midlands Provincial capital, Gweru. Gweru woke up on Wednesday to zanu-pf campaign vehicles honking horns, distributing party paraphernalia informing residents of a youth convention to be addressed by President Mnangagwa.

In the past, such vehicles would zoom past potential supporters, leaving them dumbfounded. Residents would be marshalled to venues where the former president Robert Mugabe was due to address them.

Popular vending markets would shut down until the party members had finished their business. But this time around it is a different political game.

Zanu PF mobilisation teams could be seen in the afternoon of Wednesday informing people about the event while distributing party campaign caps, T-shirts and fliers.

At around 11pm, the central business district of Gweru was almost disserted. As early as 7am yesterday, one could sense the situation had changed. Vehicles, lorries and busses from various districts made a beeline for the event venue.

Ironically, the traditional shouting and non-observance of road regulations that used to characterise events of such magnitude in the past were nowhere to be seen.

Party members were in the town for their event; it was a weekday and they seemed cognisant of the need not to interrupt people going about their business activities. Indeed Zimbabwe is open for business. Before 8am, the venue had already been packed as youth anticipated the arrival of President Mnangagwa.

The discipline exhibited as Zanu PF members took to their sitting positions while being handed party regalia resembled what obtained in Manicaland when the President addressed thousands of party members in Sakubva Stadium and Murambinda Growth Point a fortnight ago.

The arrival of the party leader and Presidential candidate in the July 30 elections triggered wild cheers and whistling as the crowd waved in joy to the leader.

President Mnangagwa has been saying “The voice of the people is the voice of God”, and he took time to interact with the support base as he immersed himself into the crowd in an open truck to greet them.  “Discipline, discipline, discipline,” President Mnangagwa reiterated as he emphasised the revolutionary party had taken a new route.

The President maintained he was a servant of the people and the numbers at the event had brought him joy. “Your numbers have brought joy to me, this is the first time we meet as your President,” he said.

“You are the people of God and your voice is the voice of God, hallelujah. “You have a role as the youths to safeguard the country’s heritage and this can only be achieved through voting Zanu PF in the next election,” he said. “It is you and your Angel that only know if your promise to vote for me in the election is true, Hallelujah.”

The President addressed the gathering for about an hour but the crowd remained on their feet to listen to the message of great business and job opportunities Government was opening for the young people.

It can be concluded that each individual came, listened and went back home convinced #EDHasMyVote.