‘Tyson’ cracks whip on Bulawayo Cde Saviour Kasukuwere
ZANU-PF Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere addresses Provincial Co-ordinating Committee members at Davies Hall in Bulawayo yesterday

ZANU-PF Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere

Nduduzo Tshuma  Political Editor
ZANU-PF secretary for the commissariat Cde Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday ordered Bulawayo provincial structures to hold primary elections in the five constituencies where by-elections will be held so that the party gets the best candidates and enhances its chances of winning.

The constituencies, namely Mpopoma, Lobengula, Pumula, Makokoba and Luveve fell vacant following the expulsion from Parliament two weeks ago of 21 former MDC-T MPs who defected to form the MDC Renewal.

President Robert Mugabe has since proclaimed April 16 as the date for the sitting of the Nomination Court and June 10 as the date for the by-elections.

Addressing the Provincial Coordinating Committee at Davies Hall, the Zanu-PF provincial headquarters, Cde Kasukuwere castigated attempts by some leaders to block contenders gunning for the constituencies.

He directed that the province starts collecting Curriculum Vitaes from interested candidates tomorrow and send names to the party headquarters on Friday so that the commissariat provides ballot papers for primary elections on Sunday.

He said the names of successful candidates would then be submitted to the party’s headquarters in Harare on April 8.

Cde Kasukuwere said the by-elections were an opportunity for the Bulawayo leadership to redeem itself.

The primary elections, he said, would be supervised by the commissariat department and overseen by the secretary for youth affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi who is presently heading the restructuring exercise in Bulawayo.

Cde Kasukuwere said the province had many people who supported it but needed to be organised.

“If a party has no cells then it’s not a party because we don’t have cells in the grassroots. We shall be forever under some people who will be ruling here. We will be losing elections, but comrades let’s not get used to losing. We’re getting used to being defeated all the time.

That’s a bad culture. We want to build Zanu-PF from cells, then branches and districts,” said Cde Kasukuwere who was accompanied by party secretary for information and publicity, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.

“People are there in Bulawayo, there’s no doubt about it. We came for the President’s rally in 2013 at White City Stadium, it was full and green all over. Zanu-PF has a serious presence here in Bulawayo. When Amai Mugabe came again last December at AmaZulu Sports Club, again seas of green. Zanu-PF is here in this province.”

Cde Kasukuwere said the province would not grow with continued imposition of candidates.

“If we maintain this mentality of wanting to impose each other, closing gates, shutting people out, the party won’t grow in Bulawayo. We’ve come to open the doors for people to come into the party. This business of blocking people out of the party isn’t helping us.

“We want to be able to walk away with victory here in Bulawayo but that business comrades starts with us being genuine, honest with ourselves and ensuring that party structures are there,” he said.

“On the issue of the candidates, I’m going to open the floodgates. I’m opening the gate. Don’t tell me about qualifications, I want to open the gate first and work so that Zanu-PF wins. Don’t waste your time saying, we’ve closed. I haven’t closed. We’re going to open this game now.  We need people who are committed to the party here in Bulawayo. The more we’re out of power, the more powerless we become.

Bulawayo, now we’ve a bonanza. There’s the ball, there’s the gate and there’s no goalkeeper. Don’t impose goalkeepers so that the penalties are scored.”

He added: “You don’t block others. I want a primary election in each and every constituency. Everyone who wants to stand should contest here in Bulawayo. It appears some had become selfish about it. We’re shutting others out.

“Zanu-PF must win, I’ll come and camp here in Bulawayo. Sisonke until June 10. I will be living in Bulawayo. We must win. We want to have that feeling, this will bring us back to the days of the 90s, the days of the late Joshua Nkomo when we had MPs going to Harare saying we won elections. When you land in Harare, it’s said here is an MP,” said Cde Kasukuwere.

He castigated the province for moving a meeting because MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai was in the city.

“We can’t mobilise this week because we want to see what will happen at Tsvangirai’s rally this week. Ha! Madoda! Are you now MDC people, chairman? Meetings were postponed here, 100 reasons, Tsvangirai is coming. So you want to go to the airport and receive Tsvangirai? Isn’t it the time now to be organising our people in our structures so that we frustrate even Tsvangirai’s rallies. MDC is now finished. Both or three of them. Tsvangirai is finished, Welshman is finished, Biti is finished,” said Cde Kasukuwere.

“This is now a season of harvest. Here prey has emerged. The job has arisen. It won’t come when we’re relaxed, if we don’t show affection to the people we lead, if we don’t go to the grassroots and support Togarepi with his efforts.”

Cde Kasukuwere called on the provincial leaders to sit down and come up with strategies to win the seats.

He said all interested candidates in each constituency must go and campaign together and be given time slots to address the people. That, Cde Kasukuwere said, would prevent vote buying in the party.

He said those found buying votes would be disqualified.

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