Zimpapers Logo

Mashudu Netsianda, [email protected] 

ZANU-PF has said it will not waste its time deliberating on the musings by the opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) about the prospects of a rerun of elections as the revolutionary party has already shifted its focus towards developing the economy.

President Mnangagwa won in the August 23-24 Presidential elections by 52,6 percent beating CCC leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa who got 44 percent. 

Zanu-PF won 176 seats to the 103 of the CCC in the National Assembly including the 60 proportional representation women’s seats and the 10 special youth seats. The party holds 62,9 percent of the membership of the National Assembly.

In a media briefing on Saturday soon after President Mnangagwa had closed the just-ended 20th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Gweru, the ruling party’s national spokesperson, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa said the party is past elections and focusing on modernising and industrialising the county in line with Vision 2030. 

The conference ran under the theme “Towards Vision 2030 through Devolution, Industrialisation and Modernisation”.

Already, policies spearheaded by the Second Republic have improved the country’s economy. Consequently, export earnings between January and August this year grew by 6,1 percent to US$4,48 billion compared to US$4,42 billion realised during the same period last year.

“Zanu –PF delegates were all in a happy mood that the President had shepherded the party to victory in the harmonised elections. The mood was celebratory and we had no time to deliberate on the musings or rumblings going on in the CCC about the prospects of a rerun of elections,” he said.

“We didn’t discuss that because that is over, elections are done and dusted. What we focused on was the theme of the conference which is ‘towards Vision 2030 through devolution, industrialisation and modernisation’.”

Cde Mutsvangwa said while Zanu-PF fought to liberate the country with a bullet, it democratically got into power through the ballot.

“We fought for our freedom but came to power through the ballot box, not the bullet-to-office method. We take the job of ruling the people of Zimbabwe seriously and we always try as much as possible to be accountable to the people of Zimbabwe so that we can earn their vote,” he said.

“We don’t take their vote for granted but we take it as an affirmation of our rule which makes us win elections.”

Cde Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa emerged as an undisputed winner in the elections which were declared credible, peaceful and fair by a number of international observers.

“We are happy that the conference took place soon after the harmonised elections which Zanu-PF won overwhelmingly and our President emerged as the undisputed victor against a raft of candidates which includes CCC leader Chamisa,” he said.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is the one which declares the winner of elections, and they did their job and our President emerged the winner. It was not surprising that there was a jubilant and celebratory mood among the 2 000 delegates who came from all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe to attend the conference.”

Cde Mutsvangwa said the conference happened at the time Sadc was hammering the West for persisting in imposing the illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, which are also affecting its neighbours and the entire region. 

The Sadc Anti-Sanctions Day on October 25, meant to call for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West, was adopted by Sadc at its 39th Summit at the recommendation of the late President of Tanzania, John Magufuli. 

The declaration of the Anti-Sanctions Day is a product of President Mnangagwa’s engagement and re-engagement policy.

Cde Mutsvangwa said the Second Republic is well on course to meet Zimbabweans’ aspirations of improved living conditions and development, which leaves no one and no place behind. 

He said Zimbabwe was now able to export and contribute to the global food chain in the global market, scoring success in cereals, horticulture and citrus, which is now being exported to China. 

“We are also scoring success in nuts and berries, which are being exported as far afield as Hong Kong. These are successes in agriculture because the President is particularly emphasising scientific farming with Intwasa/Pfumvudza being the cornerstone of food security at the household level and irrigation climate-proofing our agriculture from vagaries of the changing weather,” he said.