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Mr George Charamba

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
ZANU-PF under the new leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has pitched its politics high ahead of the elections later this year, by expending its energies towards the improvement of the economy, a senior government official has said.

In an interview with a local radio station on Monday, Permanent Secretary of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba, said Zanu-PF was not concerned about creating synthetic crowds to create the false impression of huge following as is being done by the MDC-T but rolling out tangible programmes for the benefit of the people.

Highlighting that he was speaking as a Zanu-PF supporter, Mr Charamba said the visibility of the ruling party should not be compared to the programmes of the MDC-T and other opposition parties as it is dealing with bread and butter issues.

“Zanu-PF is visible but not in opposition terms. We are fixing the economy; we are dealing with the bread and butter issues, which at the end of the day is what determines how a voter behaves on the day. But more importantly, we have our own schedule. We don’t copy an opponent’s strategy, you pursue your own,” said Mr Charamba.

“What I see is really an excited juvenalian response to an election that looms large but a mature party doesn’t behave in that excited and excitable way.”

Mr Charamba said the ruling party takes its sweet time and makes its own calculations on how to enter the political fray.

He said Zanu-PF was unperturbed by activities or crowds said to be gathering at opposition rallies as there was not yet a rally by Zanu-PF to compare to.

“I can assure you that as we move closer to the election period you will discover the mighty machine of Zanu-PF will be unleashed. I am not worried because this is a benefit by default isn’t it? You haven’t seen the crowds that Zanu-PF is going to pull eventually have you?” he said.

“So really, nothing is great or small except by comparison. So what are you comparing those crowds to? The key thing in politics is not to behave in a panicky mode or to adopt someone else’s strategy.”

He said Zanu-PF was clear about its strategy and would not lose sleep over synthetic crowds drawn by the MDC-T.

“If you’re clear about where you stand, what your message is and how you want to roll out your strategy, it doesn’t matter what the other character is doing,” said Mr Charamba.

He said he knew from interface rallies that were addressed by the former President, Mr Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, prior to his resignation in November last year there is way in which you can actually have a roving crowd only appearing at different venues and create an environment for bandwagon effect of being a popular proposition.

President Mnangagwa has set Zimbabwe on a developmental path that includes attraction of foreign investors, hence his popular mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”.

President Mnangagwa has in the past months embarked on and toured a number of projects as part of his vision of economy revival. In February, the country received railway equipment, on lease terms, under the $400 million National Railways of Zimbabwe and Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG)/Transnet deal, whose financial closure will be reached by June this year.

Last month, during his visit to the Gwayi-Shangani dam, President Mnangagwa pledged to do everything in his ability to ensure the project is completed by next year as well as speed up other outstanding projects in Matabeleland region.

In Bubi, President Mnangagwa toured the Ingwigwisi Bridge that was built in 1996 but has not been connected to the Bulawayo-Nkayi road.

He said his administration would make sure that the bridge is connected to the main road as the government sees to it that the Bulawayo-Nkayi road project is completed.

President Mnangagwa also commissioned and switched on the $533 million Kariba South Power Station Extension Project which adds 300 megawatts to the national grid.

@AuxiliaK