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ALL roads lead to Zaka, Masvingo province today 16 July, where President Mnangagwa will address a Zanu-PF star rally at Chinorumba High School ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections next month.

The rally, which is the fourth after Chipinge, Bulilima and Magunje, is yet another tour de force as the revolutionary party flexes its muscles and displays the best organisational skills, putting it ahead of its political rivals contesting for power next month.

Masvingo province is renowned for sugarcane production, tourism and also houses water bodies like Lake Muturikwi and Tugwi-Mukosi.

Tourism sites in the province include the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, Save Valley Conservancy, and Gonarezhou National Park which is part of the Gaza Kruger Transfrontier and all these are either being transformed or upgraded under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.

So far 677 projects have been implemented in Masvingo and of these, a total of 537 have been completed while 140 are ongoing

10:06 A bumper crowd is already swelling as the revolutionary party seeks to consolidate its dominance in the country’s political landscape.

The Head of State and Government who is also the ruling party’s First Secretary will deliver a chronology of the party’s changing developmental projects which inevitably is expected to endear the party with the electorate.

Several dignitaries have since started arriving and taken their seats.

They include the following Cabinet Ministers and deputy Ministers, Cdes Oppah Muchinguri, Winston Chitando, Ezra Chadzamira, Tinomuda Machakaire, and David

Marapira who is also the Zanu PF candidate for Zaka Central the venue for the rally is being held.

11:58 His Excellency the President and Zanu PF’s First Secretary Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa and the two Vice Presidents and Second Secretaries of the ruling party Cdes Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi have arrived at Chinorumba High School the venue for which the revolutionary party has convened a star rally as tens of thousands supporters anxiously wait to be addressed

12:47 President Mnangagwa, his Vice Presidents and senior Government and party officials have now taken their seats to signal the commencement of official proceedings of the star rally to drum up support for the August 23 2023 harmonised elections.
Traditional ceremonies in honour of the local leader Chief Nhema and other traditional leaders now being conducted amid applause from the crowd

13:22 President Mnangagwa shake hands with all Zanu PF candidates for the 23 August 2023 harmonised after they were introduced at the rally by the party’s National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha

13:33 VP Chiwenga now on the podium to invite President Mnangagwa to deliver his keynote address

13:40 He tells party supporters that the purpose of the gathering is the 23 August 2023 event where they are expected to defend the ethos of the liberation struggle, and defend the party that brought independence for the country.

VP Chiwenga says President Mnangagwa deserves another mandate to lead the country so that he continues developing it

13:41 For the country to develop, he says, there was a need to desist from drug abuse

13:43 He calls for peace and unity to persist until the election day

13:52 President Mnangagwa now on stage to deliver his address and commences with his trademark slogans “Nyika Inovaka nevene vayo igotongwa nevenevayo ichinamatirwa nevenevayo”

13:56 He starts reminiscing about his exploits in Chief Nhema’s area in the early 1960s during the liberation struggle and he acknowledges that the current Chief Nhema might not be aware of this information.

14:00 President Mnangagwa also recollects contributions made by other fighters like Mbuya Nehanda. He recited how the party kicked off its campaign starting with the Chipinge rally where thousands attended and was followed by another one in Bulilima in Matabeleland South province

14:03 He asserts the country’s sovereignty saying: “Those keen to join us should do so in our own songs.”

The President says he operated in Zaka district as a liberation fighter under the names; Ruka Chivende and Smart Tembo

14:04 He says he is aware that some political party is launching its campaign in Gweru, and they are duty-bound to observe peace
14:05 President Mnangagwa  says political parties are free to conduct their political activities without hindrance as long as they do so within the law

14:06 Western countries imposed sanctions hoping to incite people to turn against the Government and Zanu PF but you shamed them

14:08 What we want, he said, is that there be food self-sufficiency in the country. We have put measures to achieve that objective and in places like Zaka which is in Region Four there is need for small grains.

14:11 Masvingo will have energy self-sufficiency soon with measures that we are putting in place at Tugwi Mkhosi

14:13 We are currently drawing 600MW for Hwange and an additional 300 MW from Kariba courtesy of our bilateral cooperation with China which has granted us facilities to uplift the lives of ordinary persons.

14:18 We have achieved food security in the country because of the agricultural model that we are pursuing. No one should starve in the country, says the President.

14:26 The country’s economy has continued to grow on the strength of mining and Agriculture. Agriculture has now grown to around US$8 billion while mining has grown from US$2,8 billion to US$12 billion since the inception of the Second Republic

14:30 Water problems in Bulawayo will become a thing of the past owing to the construction of Gwayi Shangani among other intervention measures. We now want minerals like lithium to be beneficiated before exports and Bikita Minerals has to do alike. They were covertly exporting lithium but I called them at State House where I reprimanded them and warned them

14:33 He commends Zanu PF supporters who came in their thousands saying that had been the trend in previous rallies.

14:35 Our drone has counted you and you are more 124 000 people who have attended, says President Mnangagwa

We have sent a drone to the CCC rally in Gweru and it emerged that only 15 000 people attended it. They should hold their rally in Peace, says the President

14:38 President Mnangagwa implores party leaders to be humble saying it is the electorate, those they lead who are bosses

14:43 We have engagement and re-engagement policies grounded on the desire of becoming a friend to all and enemy to none, he said.

14:49 He says during US/Africa Business summit held in Botswana last week, Americans left where they were staying upon realising that it was adjacent to where he and other African leaders were residing. He said initially Americans had expressed reservations about his attendance to the summit, but Botswana leader, President Masisi was unwavering in inviting him.

14:52 President Mnangagwa invites Lands and Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka to explain what the Second Republic has done to develop the country

15:06 President completes his address