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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]

VICE-President Constantino Chiwenga has said President Mnangagwa is a tried and tested leader and implored patriotic Zimbabweans to vote for him in the August 23 harmonised elections. 

With the coming in of the Second Republic under the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa, Government has spent a substantial amount of money on infrastructure projects, which are key enablers to the achievement of targets set under Vision 2030.

The modernisation and rehabilitation of the infrastructure, in particular road networks is progressing well.

Some of the successful projects under the Second Republic include the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and 8 expansion project, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport modernisation, borehole rehabilitation and drilling and the construction of the new Parliament Building.

Dam construction projects such as the Marovanyati Dam and Gwayi-Shangani Dam among others, are also on schedule.

The country has raked in over US$1,3 billion in tourism receipts.

The agricultural input schemes implemented by Government have also transformed the livelihoods of millions of communal farmers.

Transforming  agriculture  is at the centre of the national vision aimed at ensuring a prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030.

The vision embraces viability of the agriculture sector as enshrined in the ambitious Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy (2020-2025), which President Mnangagwa launched in 2020.

After achieving food security, the focus now is on industrialisation and modernisation buoyed by the mining sector that is expected to grow into a US$12 billion mining industry by the end of this year.

The Second Republic has also established iInnovation hubs and industrial parks at State universities to enable the institutions to take a leading role in science and technology development.

Universities with innovation hubs and industrial parks so far are the National University of Science and Technology, Midlands State University, University of Zimbabwe, Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), Zimbabwe Defence University and the Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Addressing thousands of artisanal miners during the Miners Forum for Economic Development (Miners for ED) interface meeting with President Mnangagwa in Gweru on Wednesday, VP Chiwenga said President Mnangagwa is spearheading the country’s economic development.

“Consistent with the collective aspirations and determination of the people of Zimbabwe to achieve an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society by 2030, the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa launched Vision 2030 to chart a new transformative and inclusive development leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said President Mnangagwa, as a leader who has seen it all from the liberation struggle, is the right person to lead the country to prosperity.

“In 1963 he went to Egypt for training before proceeding to China. President Mnangagwa was one of the members of the Crocodile Gang that operated in Masvingo and destroyed a locomotive signalling the start of the armed struggle,” he said.

“He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involved in the ‘sabotage activities.’”

VP Chiwenga  said  President Mnangagwa is the only surviving member of this group of pioneers of the armed struggle.

“Voting for President Mnangagwa is honouring and respecting the gallant sons and daughters that sacrificed their lives to bring about the independence and freedom we are enjoying today and President Mnangagwa is among them,” he said.

VP Chiwenga said voting for the same people who invited sanctions against their own country is as good as surrendering the country to former colonisers.

“In economic development President Mnangagwa is leading the process through the many programmes and policies meant to grow the economy and transform the people’s livelihoods. It is therefore important for citizens to vote wisely come  August 23 because we need to continue on this development path after the elections,” he said.

Cde Chiwenga said all structures of the party should be active in mobilising voters so that the party wins resoundingly.

“Zanu-PF affiliates should bring at least 20 people each to vote for President Mnangagwa and that way we will consolidate power and protect Zimbabwe and our God-given resources which are in abundance,” he said.

VP Chiwenga equated the country’s socio-economic revitalisation to what happened to the Israelites after 40 years in the wilderness

For 40 years, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, eating quail and manna. They were led into the Promised Land by Joshua; the victory at Jericho marked the beginning of possession of the land.

“We have been like the children of Israel who have been in the wilderness for 40 years and are now out of the wilderness as we start to enjoy the fruits of the vast resources we were given by God so that we develop as a country,” he said.

VP Chiwenga called on Zanu-PF affiliates such as Miners 4 ED to play their part in economic development.

“Under the Zanu-PF Government led by President Mnangagwa, we all have a role to play because no outsider will come and develop our country. Miners should fully exploit our mineral resources and contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030. We have gold, diamonds and now we are talking about lithium,” he said.