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Mashudu Netsianda and Thupeyo Muleya, Chronicle Writers

WITH two days left before the by-elections, Zanu-PF has implored the electorate in the affected constituencies to vote for continued development and economic growth as evidenced by several major infrastructural developments being implemented by the Second Republic across the country.

Yesterday, the country’s two Vice- Presidents Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Cde Kembo Mohadi addressed rallies in Bulawayo and Beitbridge to drum up support for the ruling party’s candidates for the Lobengula-Magwegwe and Beitbridge National Assembly seats, Cdes Menziwa Dube and Thusani Ndou, respectively.

At Mhali Primary School in Bulawayo, VP Mohadi who is also Zanu-PF’s Second Secretary, urged the electorate to vote for the ruling party saying it is the only party that has proved to be development and people-oriented.

He highlighted some of the key transformative projects being spearheaded by Government.

“As the  Second Republic, when we came in, we noted that the first threat that we had was food security, we decided to come up with measures that were going to mitigate against food security. We built dams and under every water body that we have in Zimbabwe, we decided to create an irrigation scheme,” said VP Mohadi.

“We no longer import grain because we have enough. We have enough wheat and we are going to export some of the surplus. From 1980, we were not food secure, but with the advent of the Second Republic, within five years we are now food secure, and you must give us credit for that.”VP Mohadi said a victory for Zanu-PF will ensure that the Government continues with its people-centred programmes.

“We are going for these elections, which we would want to win and once we win, we need to further our programmes and the objective of the Government and Zanu-PF is to realise Vision 2030, a vision in which we envisage that every Zimbabwean will have attained a middle and upper-income society,” he said.

“In terms of roads, we have rehabilitated our roads to transport our produce or export to other countries. We have also upgraded our ports of entry to facilitate a smooth flow of traffic hence we have rehabilitated Beitbridge Border Post, the busiest port of entry in sub-Saharan Africa and also rehabilitated the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.”

VP Mohadi said the Government is also working on addressing power shortages.

“As the Second Republic, we managed to put two more power generation plants in Hwange and these are Units 7 and 8, which are giving us a combined 60OMW. We have also done the Kariba South,” he said.

“For now, we have a shortage of power because we generate the bulk of energy from the Kariba Dam, and now the levels are low and there hasn’t been inflows into the dam from the Zambezi River due to climate change. We are now busy working on having more solar power plants to augment the little that we have.”

VP Mohadi said in the next five years, the Government will deliver its promises.

“Right now, we are busy rehabilitating the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road. We are almost done with the Beitbridge-Harare Road and we will move to the Harare-Chirundu road, which is infrastructure development,” he said.

“Let us shun regionalism and work together as Zimbabweans regardless of our tribal differences. We can only be able to re-industrialise Bulawayo and develop it if we work together and vote for Zanu-PF because that is where the light is and that is where life is.”

VP Mohadi also donated mealie-meal and handed over 20 computers to Mhali Primary School. VP Chiwenga who was at Bishopstone Estate in Beitbridge, said the Second Republic has delivered on its previous and current electoral promises and urged the electorate to vote for Zanu-PF candidates.

He said already the Government has covered enough ground in terms of implementing high-impact programmes in a short space of time.

These, he said, include, the US$300 million Beitbridge Border modernisation project, construction of roads and dams, rural transformation, agriculture and irrigation development, urban renewal, devolution and ICT development.

VP Chiwenga said some of the high-impact projects in Beitbridge include the construction of a 5,1 km dual carriageway linking the port of entry and the major highway to Bulawayo and Harare, the construction of 220 houses for border workers, the rehabilitation of irrigation projects and building the capacity of crop and livestock farmers to increase production.

Other initiatives include the building of a new fire station, new clinics, new schools, and animal plant and quarantine in Beitbridge.

“This by-election gives the Beitbridge West community an opportunity to right the  wrong when they voted for a legislator from a Western-sponsored opposition party, the CCC,” said VP Chiwenga.

“We are now at this stage because of their disorganisation and lack of ideology and hence we need to unite and vote for Zanu-PF to ensure we have a full complement of our team to drive development from the grassroots level,” he said.

“We are not a party that thrives on theories or folk tales. Our strength is on delivery and you have all seen what we have done in terms of development since coming in as the Second Republic.”

The Vice-President said Zanu-PF is a revolutionary party with the people at heart. He also donated 10 000 chicks to villagers in Beitbridge West.

He said several Presidential Inputs scheme being rolled out in the country including distribution of small grains, cattle goats and poultry had started bearing fruits in the district.

“To make sure people benefit from water bodies around them already, we are implementing the massive fisheries project at Zhovhe Dam in Beitbridge West where fingerlings to be distributed to thousands of beneficiaries are being produced,” said Vice-President Chiwenga.

“In addition, work is already underway to rehabilitate River Ranch, Khwalu, Jalukange, Domboilidenje, Lilombe, Ndambe and Shashe irrigation schemes to address food nutrition security.”