…Mnangagwa delaying to gazette delimitation report unconstitutional
…our plan is to win Zim for change
Emmanuel Chitsika
Current Zimbabwean government under the brand ‘New Dispensation’ has been labelled ‘New Desperation’ for relegating the general populace into the pools of poverty through presiding over increasing levels of unemployment the young people found themselves in, an opposition youth leader has said.
Speaking to the media in Masvingo on February 19, 2023 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) national youth taskforce coordinator Takudzwa Ngadziore said young people’s dreams of working for and in the country have been dealt a major blow by ‘Crocodile politicians’ who seem not to care at all.
“The country’s leaders are crocodile revolutionaries who think they understand where we are coming from and going, but they only understand the struggle for power retention and accumulation. The so-called ‘New Dispensation is now New Desperation’. Zimbabwe is not even under developed but has rather failed the test of being an under developed country and is way below the level of being under developed because of the leadership vacuum. The office of the president is vacant and there is no one there except for the property in there.
“The State which ideally should be a parent for its citizens has failed to play the role. I appreciate the role media is playing as the ‘fourth estate’ to make sure we have these platforms but not being a prophet of doom, but from an understanding of the situation obtaining the information gap is likely to widen because Zanu PF is afraid of the realities obtaining on the ground
“Zimbabweans can no longer support poverty, unemployment, forced mobility and oppression. They said the country has moved from austerity to prosperity but rather it’s a movement from austerity to poverty because the country that used to be the ‘bread basket’ is now the ‘begging basket’ of the region. Austerity policies are neo-liberal in nature.
“Young people who graduate from colleges and universities are driven through forced mobility looking for jobs in other countries and that is the narrative we want to and have the electorate aware of,” said Ngadziore.
The youthful former Zimbabwe National Students Union president also vowed CCC is positioned to lead Zimbabwe through a change of leadership.
“We have come up with the Register Elect and Protect (REAP) initiative on various social media platforms while on the ground we are traversing across the length and breadth of the country making sure we make people aware of the initiative.
“REAP is an inter-generational consensus to win Zimbabwe for change and transformation by ushering in a new prosperous era under the capable leadership of President Nelson Chamisa.
“CCC has embarked on a drive to reach out to people by people, person by person, street by street, village by village so that we re-energize the spirit of the revolution that is coming and are already in. It would be lie for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to think they are going to face the next day in power. Their days in power are numbered. We are busy setting forth to look forward to issues after them in the presidency,” said Ngadziore.
Ngadziore also went on to say President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s failure to gazette the delimitation report within the stipulated time frame is unconstitutional and that Zanu PF has always breached the supreme law of the land.
“We understand that we are dealing with people who are afraid of change. The issue of (delimitation) boundaries is an important one so that political parties become aware of the constituencies at ward level and parliamentary seats.
“That failure to respect the constitution just tells you something on their fear of where we are coming from and going. CCC position remains that the constitution must be respected, have the constitution followed, delimitation report gazetted and the final response to it determines who we will face come election day,” he added.
He described as propaganda actions by Zanu PF information publicity structures to portray the party as most followed when in actual fact; its support base has dwindled.
“Zanu PF has felt the growing popularity of our president (Chamisa) and responded by coming up with ‘storm troopers’ Varakashi because they know very well that their party no longer commands a huge following on the ground and thus seek to push false narratives.
“Tafadzwa Mugwadi (Zanu PF information director) is always importing pictures trying to portray that Zanu PF has many supporters but that is not the case. The rallies are becoming too artificial with the intention of trying to dispel evidence that they no longer command as many followers as the may think.
“There also have been incidences of vote buying to falsify the declining support base. Whenever the President jets into the country from international tours, people are bused to the airport to sing which to us is a sign of desperation on the part of the party,” he added.
Ngadziore however said the continued incarceration of Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala is part of the ‘bruises of the struggle’ but the party remains in solidarity with their cadre.
“The plan that comes through us is that of solidarity anchored on pillars of solidarity, justice and freedom which we believe in as social democrats. President Chamisa regularly visits Sikhala and his welfare is one of the things we do care for.
“But since we are dealing with a dictatorship, these detentions are part of the bruises emanating from the struggle we are faced with. There is no way we can tell the media that we will take out Sikhala from Chikurubi but our plan is to win Zimbabwe for change and then change the narrative in which people who air their voices are abducted, arrested, detained, tortured or even imprisoned.
“Sikhala as the brother I know, is not phased because he always speaks to courage and bravery that is he is not moved at all,” added Ngadziore.
