The Sunday Mail
Retired Major Action Mandingo
The ZANU PF juggernaut continues. This time, there won’t be any need to waste people’s time going to the courts after elections.
President Mnangagwa’s victory in the August 23 harmonised elections will be so emphatic that the West and their quislings will be silenced.
ZANU PF is already struggling to keep up with swelling numbers attending the President’s star rallies.
Speaking before a bumper crowd at Chinorumba High School in Zaka, Masvingo province, President Mnangagwa said: “I want to warmly thank you, the people of Masvingo. Surely, your numbers have been hugely impressive. I can see people stretching for more than a kilometre. I want to speak of the figures. When we launched the campaign in Chipinge, we were anticipating 60 000 people, so we sent regalia for 60 000 people, but it was not enough.
“Then in Bulilima, we were anticipating about 70 000 people, but the regalia we sent for that number was not enough. Then in Mashonaland West, in Magunje, over 75 000 people came. But here I can see that people are stretching for over a kilometre. I think you are about 100 000.
“In fact, I am being told now that our drone technology has counted you, and you are more than 124 000. Mavhenyengwa (Robson Mavhenyengwa, ZANU PF Masvingo provincial chairperson) and Chadzamira (Ezra Chadzamira, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution), you have taken the crown.”
Prophets of doom have come up with all sorts of theories to explain the numbers, but their explanations have shown they are far detached from reality.
One of the most laughable explanations is that people are flocking to these rallies because ZANU PF is dishing out freebies that include food.
Let us get things straight.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with ZANU PF feeding its people.
If ZANU PF has the money to feed its people, then let it do so.
Just in case the country’s enemies missed the news, Zimbabwe will soon be exporting 40 000 tonnes of maize to Rwanda, marking the country’s first export of the crop since 2001.
While Cabinet has already approved grain exports to Rwanda, several countries are lining up with requests for maize. This is clear evidence that Zimbabwe is now food-secure.
So, why should ZANU PF starve its supporters? The days of politics dzenzara-nzara are over.
The prophets of doom have also been pushing the narrative that ZANU PF buses people to rallies. This is quite laughable because there is nothing wrong with ferrying supporters to rallies.
Instead of complaining about ZANU PF’s mobilising strategies, they should take time to admire the ruling party’s organisational capabilities.
When the ZANU PF machinery gets going, it is simply unstoppable.
Well, Zimbabweans are flocking to the rallies in response to what President Mnangagwa, in particular, and the Second Republic, in general, have been doing on the ground over the past five years.
In his acceptance speech on November 24, 2017, President Mnangagwa said something quite revealing.
“I have to hit the ground running to make sure that I lead in stupendous efforts we all need to summon and unleash in concert, towards taking this great nation beyond where our immediate past President left it,” he said then.
“For close to two decades now, this country went through many developments. While we cannot change the past, there is a lot we can do in the present and future to give our nation a different, positive direction.”
Indeed, President Mnangagwa hit the ground running and has kept his promise to give Zimbabwe a positive direction.
Once upon a time, Zimbabweans had mastered the art of moaning and groaning about almost everything in life, but now many Zimbabweans have a positive mentality.
President Mnangagwa has made Zimbabweans understand that with or without sanctions, the country should grow and prosper.
The time for moaning is over.
Through devolution, which is anchored in the “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” mantra, President Mnangagwa has taken Government services, programmes and projects to the people.
While the opposition has spent the last five years spewing vitriol on social media, President Mnangagwa and his foot soldiers in Cabinet have been criss-crossing the country to address people’s challenges.
Besides devolution, Government has embarked on hugely popular programmes like Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which have created a lot of excitement in rural areas. Families are now able to feed themselves at household level.
News that Zimbabwe will soon be exporting maize and wheat is confirmation that Pfumvudza/Intwasa and the other programmes which support farmers have worked wonders.
In addition, the Second Republic, against all the odds, has adopted an inward-looking approach to develop itself, and this has been well-received by many right-thinking Zimbabweans.
Without any doubt, nyika iri kuvakwa nevene vayo, brick by brick.
The only issue with these forthcoming elections is that President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF have done so much for the people such that it is a challenge to package the achievements.
What the Second Republic has done over the past five years does not require a manifesto, but a thick book on “how to suffer under sanctions and still grow your economy”.
Many countries will be knocking on our door to get a few notes on how we have managed to beat sanctions. So, dear reader, expect more and more people to flock to President Mnangagwa’s rallies.
Through the gatherings, the President is just putting the icing on the cake. He started preparing for August 23 way back in November 2017.
What we are seeing at the presidential rallies is a sign of things to come.
