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Zanu-PF National Political Commissar, Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje (right) is joined in song and dance by Bulawayo provincial chairman, Dr Callistus Ndlovu (centre) and the party’s provincial secretary for administration Cde Elifas Mashaba, during a meeting at Davies Hall yesterday

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
ZANU-PF is discarding the “pasi/phansi/down with” slogan in favour of progressive chants that build the nation.

Addressing a Zanu-PF Bulawayo inter-district meeting yesterday at Davies Hall the party’s national political commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) also said the party was considering doing away with the staging of mass rallies.  Local and more focused gatherings would be held instead.

He said the slogan was not part of the revolutionary ethos and has been used to divide the party.

Some individuals with sinister agendas, he added, were chanting it to settle personal scores with others.

“Some slogans are dividing the party. Those who went to war know that there was no slogan which was chanted without being approved by the leaders.

This is so, especially in regards to “pasi/phansi/down with” slogan.

“We have realised that whenever someone has a personal issue with a cadre they are quick to denounce them through pasi sloganeering,” said Lt-Gen Rugeje.

He said some of the slogans were creating demi-gods among party members which were destroying the party.

Lt-Gen Rugeje said the party’s commissariat department was working on a framework of slogans than can be uttered by Zanu-PF members.

He said after coming up with possible slogans his department will forward them to the Politburo for approval.

“Let us chant pro-developmental slogans instead of slogans that praise individuals. We can only chant slogans that praise our President since he is the one we chose to represent us for the coming elections,” Lt-Gen Rugeje.

He said also in breaking with the past the party will desist from holding rallies in stadia.

Going forward, Lt-Gen Rugeje said, the President will be meeting people at their local areas.

He said Zanu-PF will be focusing on campaigning at cell level and President Emmerson Mnangagwa who will soon be visiting provinces will meet them in their localities.

“Let’s go and campaign at cell levels. We have a programme where the President visits all the provinces. We no longer want that when the President comes we converge at Barbourfields Stadium or White City Stadium.

“Let us go to where there is a community project or problem so that when the President comes, he reveals how Government is going to deal with the problem and project,” said Lt-Gen Rugeje. — @nqotshili