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Zanu-PF launched its manifesto in Harare yesterday, marking the official start of its campaign for the July/August harmonised elections.

Yesterday’s event followed the staging of the party primaries from Sunday to Thursday through which it came up with a list of members to contest in the forthcoming elections for positions of councillors, representatives in the National Assembly, Senate and women’s quota.

Results that had been released by yesterday show a few upsets, younger cadres defeating veterans as the party renews itself.  In other areas, the stalwarts and incumbents won, a few sailing through unchallenged.  Ministers Cdes Mike Bimha, Chris Mushohwe, Martin Dinha, Faber Chidarikire and Abednico Ncube and former ministers Chris Mutsvangwa, Tabeth Kanengoni, Paul Mangwana, Nyasha Chikwinya and Andrew Langa are among the heavyweights and sitting legislators who lost to younger rivals.

Elsewhere old timers such as Cdes Tshinga Dube, Joshua Malinga, Obert Mpofu, Josiah Hungwe, Patrick Chinamasa, Webster Shamu, Monica Mutsvangwa, Prisca Mupfumira, Thokozile Mathuthu, Tambudzani Mohadi, Tsitsi Muzenda, Cain Mathema, Simon Khaya Moyo, David Parirenyatwa, Sydney Sekeramayi, Sithembiso Nyoni, Joram Gumbo, Herbert Murerwa, Lovemore Matuke and July Moyo won or were retained.

By and large, there are many newcomers joining the list of official candidates and as many veterans keeping their positions.

However, some disputes arose in some constituencies and the Politburo is sitting today to discuss them.  It is possible that some results will be upheld and others nullified, a decision that will necessitate re-runs.

With the primaries basically done and the manifesto launched, the revolutionary party’s mass mobilisation machinery is now in motion.  Zanu-PF’s 2018 election campaign message will revolve around “Visionary, Inspired, Transparent, Accountable, Principled and Servant Leadership.”

By its very nature, the manifesto launched yesterday highlights the achievements that the party has scored over the past five years, more interestingly since President Mnangagwa took over in November last year, and outlines the plans that the party has for the next five years when, as highly expected, the electorate retains Zanu-PF in power in the forthcoming elections.

The latest edition of the important document is not as voluminous as previous ones so cadres can carry it around in their pockets. It is written in easy-to-understand language and is so far available in Shona, English, Kalanga and Ndebele. Work to translate it into other languages is in progress. In doing this, the party has come up with a document which is more accessible in many respects.

Zanu-PF is the party of liberation and has led the country since 1980. It has scored many achievements since then including prosecuting the land reform programme, delivering health, education, infrastructure, national unity, peace and holistic development. The party and its Government have scored many successes since November last year.  It has attracted investment commitments of more than $11 billion in five months, has restored people’s freedoms, has eliminated tension and fear among the people, is getting the country back in the international family of nations and is promising a more prosperous and stable economy.

“We as members of party must recognise the party’s rich ideology,” said President Mnangagwa while launching the manifesto and the party’s 2018 election campaign.

“I call on all of us to be honest and honourable to ourselves and the public. Let us put differences aside and campaign for a thunderous victory for our party. A divided house cannot stand. Where there is unity God commands his blessings towards unity. No other party can put Zimbabwe in good hands.

This manifesto is there to guide the next Government. The focus of our party is no longer politics alone, but politics and economics. Days of politics are over. We cannot stop other parties to go for politics but we need to put food on the tables of our people,”

“The days of imposition and chicanery are dead and buried. Never again to be resurrected no matter a person’s standing. We do everything for the people. We must fully respect the rights of the people. The voice of the people is the voice of God. The task ahead of us after the primary elections is huge but we must unite. As we reflect, I encourage us to be guided by party constitution. It (constitution) obliges us to abide by it. Each member must popularise the party because it is bigger than an individual.  . . . Let’s strive to go out there and humbly ask the people to vote for you and win their minds.”

We are indeed about to witness one of the most immersive election campaigns ever seen in this country with so much verve, colour, style and, above all, substance. The ruling party has promised a multi-media onslaught that builds on the success of its grassroots invigoration campaign that its commissariat department has been on over the past few weeks. Its Youth League has also been on the ground mobilising support under its #EDhasMyVote rallying cry, targeting their contemporaries who, like women, constitute a larger portion of the 5,4 million registered voters in the country.

The party will distribute campaign regalia comprising 15 million T-shirts, 15 million caps and two million wrappers. It has acquired at least 210 vehicles emblazoned with the party’s logo, the President’s mug shot and campaign message. A good number of billboards are already up at strategic sites in many parts of the country, with more to be erected.

Campaign rallies will begin now, as will a blitz on radio, television and an intensification of the party’s social media drive.

“We are coming to occupy every inch of public space out there. We will reach everybody, win every argument and convert that reach into votes,” Cde Nick Mangwana, Zanu-PF UK branch chairman promised on twitter recently.