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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ZANU-PF is set to launch the hashtag #edfirst ahead of the 2023 elections aimed at highlighting the successes of the new dispensation.

Addressing a Zanu-PF Midlands provincial meeting in Gokwe recently, national Political Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda said President Mnangagwa is the party’s sole candidate in the 2023 harmonised elections.

He said #edfirst will be launched soon.

“We are going to launch #edfirst aimed at highlighting the successes of the new dispensation soon. We are launching #edfirst and no one is going to start to speak without telling us about ED Mnangagwa and the good that the new dispensation has done. President Mnangagwa while leading the new dispensation has recorded many successes which ought to be highlighted now. We are solely behind his candidature as the party leader in the 2023 Presidential elections,” said Cde Matemadanda.

 He said revived District Coordinating Committees (DCC) will strengthen party structures.

Cde Matemadanda said they are targeting to double support for the President.

“We are targeting 5 million votes by 2023. In the last election 2,5 million people voted for President Mnangagwa and we are doubling that figure. It means from the cells to the province; we must stop fighting and work on recruitment of more party members. We want to double the 2018 vote so that we have the 5 million votes we need for our President,” he said.

 “So, we are working on restructuring all cells by end of June, by end of July we work on branches and come August we work on the provinces. We are working on reviving the DCC and we are going to see each provincial leadership exchanging provinces to see the revival of DCC across the country.”

Cde Matemadanda said the ruling party wants to reclaim all Parliamentary seats it lost to the opposition MDC Alliance.

The MDC Alliance, he said, was losing the plot as it is busy blaming the ruling party for its internal squabbles.

He said the real threat to Zanu-PF was now coming from within as some members plot against the party’s leadership and structures.

 “To us there isn’t any opposition out there. The MDC Alliance is busy blaming is for its problems. We don’t care about them because we are a people driven party and our goal is to provide a good life for our people. But at the moment we feel we have opposition from within our party.

“We have people who want to assume leadership at all costs without following the laid down procedures. But it must be noted that succession starts from the cell to the District. That is why we are reviving the DCC structures,” he said.

 Cde Matemadanda said Members of Parliament and councilors who got more votes than President Mnangagwa must give the party their strategy amid indications that some of them were working against the party’s leadership.

He said MPs given food aid by President Mnangagwa for distribution in their constituencies should complete the task in time so that no one dies of hunger.

“President Mnangagwa is sourcing food aid for our people and MPs should take the food to the people. Some become busy to distribute and some stand accused of giving only their relatives and friends and this is causing conflicts. The food from the President must reach the intended beneficiaries,” said Cde Matemadanda.

Meanwhile, the provincial leadership handed over washing soap, hand sanitisers and rice donated by President Mnangagwa to Gokwe South District Hospital.

The goods were handed over to hospital authorities by Politburo members Cdes Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Jorum Gumbo.