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Nduduzo Tshuma, Zimpapers Elections Desk 

“My Presidency should not be perceived as a rise in the fortunes of a region, a tribe or a totem. My presidency is about a united Zanu-PF, a national party with a national outlook. I stand, therefore as the President of a united, non-racial Zimbabwe, itself home to many tongues, dialects, cultures, colours and age groups. I am a President of women and men; the young and the old; the able-bodied and physically challenged; the rich and the poor; the well and the sick. I am an emissary of all the veterans and heroes, dead or alive, who through their blood sketched the cause and mission which my presidency must promote, must actualise and advance.”

These were the words of President Mnangagwa on December 15, 2017, as he officially opened the Zanu PF Extraordinary Congress in Harare that ratified his elevation to the helm of the ruling party.

This was after a wave of events in both party and Government that set off a chain of events leading to the recalling of former President, Cde Robert Mugabe, and the elevation of President Mnangagwa.  

Among the audience at the Extraordinary Congress was Zanu PF Matabeleland North chairperson Cde Richard Moyo. 

Seated as the only provincial chairperson who had not been removed from his position since his election in 2009 and weathered waves of toxic politics in the party, bore witness as President Mnangagwa led the party and Government on a new path of inclusive development.

Cde Moyo who was to contest in the 2018 polls representing Umguza constituency, win and subsequently appointed Matabeleland North Minister for Provincial Affairs and Devolution is convinced that at the end of his five-year term, President Mnangagwa has lived up to his word to be the President of everyone.

That address, Cde Moyo believes, laid the foundation of the Second Republic’s inclusive development agenda which has found expression in President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind in the country’s developmental trajectory. 

Matabeleland North stands as a shining example of how the President has walked his talk on his philosophy that Cde Moyo is calling on the nation to give him a second mandate in the August 23 elections.

“This is the President we have been looking for. When he came to power, the President paid special attention to the Matabeleland region, particularly Matabeleland North because many high-impact projects have been initiated here,” said Cde Moyo.

“People have seen the transformation brought about by President Mnangagwa and some of us actually wish that he had been President much earlier and we would be far. Zimbabweans need to extend his mandate by another term so that he fulfils his mission to transform Zimbabwe and we ought to give him a chance because he has shown beyond doubt his love for the country.”

Cde Moyo said the Second Republic has managed to stabilise the economy despite attempts by detractors to frustrate its efforts. 

“They are burning the midnight oil to derail us. Look at what happened to the rate and prices when the President proclaimed the election dates.  They want to sabotage him and frustrate the ruling party’s chances of retaining power but it won’t work because the Government’s works are there for everyone to see,” he says. 

Cde Moyo said while every district in his province has high-impact projects, Binga, in particular, is testimony to how the President is serious about leaving no one behind. 

“Before the coming in of the Second Republic, Binga was lagging behind in terms of development, it was a reference point for those in search of manual labour but within a short space of time, President Mnangagwa has changed that.

“When the President visited the area, traditional leaders appealed to him for empowerment projects, and as a listening leader, he allocated all the 17 chiefs fishing rigs. 

“The President also allocated five rigs for women and the youths respectively,” said Cde Moyo. 

“The chiefs did not have water but all the 17 chiefs have solar-powered boreholes for water provision to the people. The community also benefitted as more than 50 boreholes were drilled in the local community and now they are following up solarising them.”

Cde Moyo said First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her Angel of Hope Foundation, has complemented her husband by building the recently commissioned ultra-modern hospital in Chisizya to ease access to health for the people.

Cde Moyo said the setting up of the Binga Polytechnic has been well received by the local community whose youths no longer have to provide manual labour but learn life-changing skills.

“At first they did not believe all these promises because probably of what they had experienced before but now they are convinced that the President is a man of his word. The Government has equipped the Binga mortuary with freezers and electricity and there is also a solar power backup,” said Ce Moyo. 

“There are other infrastructure development projects in the district covering roads, the aerodrome among other projects have lifted Binga thanks to the Second Republic.” 

The district received a major boost in investment following the setting up of the Lubu Coking Coal Project.

The mine’s target is to produce 20 000 tonnes of washed coking coal a month. The coking coal project, which has now been renamed Muchesu Coal, covers 19 236 hectares of the highly prospective Karroo mid-Zambezi coal basin.

“This is a huge project that will benefit the people of Binga in terms of development and jobs, the President will be commissioning the project soon,” said Cde Moyo. 

He said the massive Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme, which is expected to produce crops three times per year, had been lagging behind due to some technical issues but they have since been corrected, “and everything is set now, they have planted their winter crop. Lives will change because of the project.”

Minister Moyo says the Second Republic’s response to the plight of the San community in Tsholotsho is another example that President Mnangagwa is a listening leader. 

“The San Community was forgotten and did not enjoy equal status in the community. The President deployed a ministerial team to find out what they needed and now schools and clinics are being built there. The Government unrolled a documentation programme targeting the San community with relaxed conditions while the youths have been accommodated into the security services through quotas. They asked for a traditional leader the Government responded and now they are led by Chief Goledema, their inaugural traditional leader,” said Cde Moyo.

Elsewhere in the province, Cde Moyo said the Lake Gwayi-Shangani project had moved with tremendous speed thanks to the financial support and political will of the President. 

 “Lake Gwayi-Shangani is going to be a game changer in the province as a whole and also eradicate Bulawayo’s perennial water challenges. The project was mooted in 1912 and it is only after the coming of the Second Republic that the dam has taken shape and for the first time, the dam will hold water this year. 

“The pipeline will have irrigation schemes, at the site, there will be a 10 000 hectare irrigation scheme to boost food security in the province. Along the way, districts like Tsholotsho, Umguza, Lupane, Binga, Hwange up to Bulawayo will benefit,” said Cde Moyo. 

“Look at the power supply, the President saw it fit to increase supply hence the addition of Units 7 and 8 in Hwange which have been synchronised into the national grid and now load shedding is a thing of the past. There are other projects involving rural electrification including the recent Sebhumane Primary School in Nkayi District. More than 730 entities in Matabeleland North Province including schools, health institutions, Government offices, villages and chiefs’ homesteads have been electrified.” 

Cde Moyo said the Second Republic’s “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” mantra saw the establishment of new coke processing companies such as Dinson Colliery Company while local companies like Hwange Colliery Company Limited are on the rebound.

“In terms of mines in Matabeleland North, we relied on Hwange Colliery which was facing a number of problems but ever since the coming of the  Second Republic, we have seen a number of new players in the coal mining sector that has resulted in the employment of our youths. Hwange Colliery is also going through a turnaround,” he said. 

Cde Moyo said the Second Republic has revived irrigation schemes in the province while setting up new ones that has seen communities immensely benefiting.  

“The Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme in particular has transformed the lives of the people where workers at the scheme are getting monthly salaries and after they sell their products, they also get dividends from their profits. The villagers in the area have built beautiful homes and also invested in livestock. We have had people coming here from other areas to learn how things are done at Bubi-Lupane,” he said. 

The disbursement of devolution funds, Cde Moyo said, has seen the province getting a clinic in every ward to cut the distances villagers have to travel for health care while schools and other amenities have been constructed. 

He said Lupane State University is involved in a breeding programme and is assisting locals with improving their livestock. 

“The institution is setting up a satellite in Victoria Falls to teach hospitality. Hwange now has a teacher’s college and the upgrade of the Victoria Falls International Airport has seen more tourists coming in,” said Cde Moyo.

The state-of-the-art Matabeleland North Provincial Hospital in Lupane is another long-term dream that is being fulfilled by the Second Republic. 

“All along we have been relying on the Roman Catholic-run St Luke’s Hospital for health care but the provincial hospital is a massive project and the first of its kind, it suffered a number of false starts but the Second Republic has really pushed the project,” said Cde Moyo. 

On being retained as provincial party chairperson since 2009, Cde Moyo attributed the feat to discipline and unity of purpose.

“Being chairperson doesn’t mean I have to do things alone but we consult each other and we are loyal to the leadership, we do not do factionalism here. 

“That is why when one engages in factionalism, they are exposed and isolated and the rest of the province remains united,” said Cde Moyo.

He said the ruling Zanu-PF party will easily romp to victory in the August 23 elections.

“We are the best in terms of everything. Just look at the launch of our campaign in Manicaland and Matabeleland South, those numbers prove that we are the most loved political party in the country,” said Cde Moyo.   

“Already, we have won 92 council seats without anyone casting a ballot thanks to our order and refined systems under the visionary leadership of our President. I really don’t see anything or anyone standing in our way to victory. Victory is certain.”