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Ray Bande in CHIMANIMANI

Zanu PF has expressed confidence of retaining the Chimanimani East Ward 16 council seat in the March 14 by-election.

The seat, which covers areas such as Gwindingwi, Silverstream, Duri, among other villages, fell vacant following the death of Cde Tendai Nyabaya.

He collapsed during the party’s annual National People’s Conference last year and died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Speaking to hundreds of Zanu PF supporters at Duri Business Centre in Chimanimani District at a rally to drum up support for party candidate Cde Charles Chinamira, Chimanimani Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe faced a number of challenges that mitigated against efforts to revive the economy and Government was working on addressing them.

“I have no doubt that we will all come in our numbers and vote for our candidate,” she said.

“We have faced numerous problems as a country. We are in the second consecutive drought. Only last year, we faced Cyclone Idai. These problems have left Government having to direct resources that were meant for infrastructure and economic development to rescue and recovery efforts.

The Government, Sen Mutsvangwa said, was well aware of issues to do with provision of food and was certain that no one would starve because enough grain was being imported.

She said Zanu PF was a revolutionary party and just like other revolutionary parties, it was there to stay in order to deliver complete emancipation of its people.

“In Mozambique, there is Frelimo, in Tanzania there is Chama Cha Mapinduzi, in Angola there is MPLA, in Namibia we have SWAPO, in South Africa there is ANC and you hear someone saying Zanu PF is dead,” she said.

“People can get angry, yes it’s normal, we are human, but after all is said and done we need to sit down and see where our challenges are coming from so that we craft solutions.”

Sen Mutsvangwa praised rural women for working hard to raise children.

“As women, we have a God-given gift that we should always cherish,” she said.

“It is a gift that we must never underestimate. The onus is on us as women to teach our children the right thing.

“Let us teach them about the responsibilities they have to this great nation. Let us teach them not to yield to the whims of those that come in the night to bribe them with money.”

Cde Chinamira, who will battle it out in the by-election against MDC-Alliance’s Lazarus Murada, said villagers in his area were aware of Government efforts in addressing the economy.

“I am quite confident that I will win the by-election,” he said.

“This is because of the unity that exists here and the knowledge among villagers that Zanu PF, led by Cde Mnangagwa, is making efforts to redress the challenges in our economy.

“Obviously, that will not be achieved overnight, but we will certainly conquer.”

Chimanimani East legislator Cde Joshua Sacco said they were more concerned with widening the winning margin.

“We know we are going to retain the seat. In fact, as a party we are geared to prove that people still have confidence in us in spite of all the challenges that we could be facing as a nation.”

Chimanimani East Ward 16 has never been won by any other political party except Zanu PF since independence in 1980.