TellZim Reporter

Citizens Coalition for Change president Nelson Chamisa said when he gets in power, he will make Midlands the administrative capital of the country since it is central.
Chamisa was addressing a rally at Muchakata business Centre in Masvingo Central and said he will do away with provincial names that he said were tribalistic.
“We need to make the Midlands our administrative capital because it’s central, the parliament and other government institutions will be moved to Gweru. After that we will make Bulawayo our industrial hub while Chipinge and Mutare concentrate on horticulture.
He said the number of provinces will be reduced from 10 to five and be named from the cardinal points North, South, East, West then Central and said Bulawayo will be made the industrial hub of the country.
Mutare and Chipinge will concentrate on horticulture while Masvingo will be Culture and tradition hub since it houses the Great Zimbabwe where the country’s name was derived from.
“Our provinces will be North, South, East, West and Central, we cannot continue having tribalistic names,” said Chamisa
He went on to say he will have a lean cabinet of 15 ministers or less saying the current government had more ministers and that was wasting resources.
“Our cabinet will be lean, of at most 15 Ministers not our current government where we have useless ministries where you can have a minister of lizards,” said Chamisa
He went on to endorse CCC councilors and MPs who were present saying people should vote for them if they want him to accomplish his promises.

Brighton Chiseva

Citizens Coalition for Change president Nelson Chamisa has said once his party gets into government he will review the Zimbabwe education system and scrap the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA), school fees for primary and advanced level as well as examination fees.
Chamisa was addressing party supporters at Muchakata Business Centre in Masvingo Central Constituency.
He said his government will make sure that primary education is free and said he will make sure that the new education system is done with the input from teachers since they are the ones involved.
“We will remove Calas which are forcing parents to be in school every day, we need make sure we restore the dignity into our education system and make it the best like before. We cannot impose policies without people’s input like they did with Education 5.0. Ours will have the input of headmasters and teachers for they are experts in that field.
He said education for primary level and ‘A’ level should be free and parents will only pay up to form four saying the mechanisms for that to happen were already there.
“In Zambia they are saying free education at primary level, if you go to South Africa they don’t pay examination fees, it’s the responsibility of the examining authority. You can’t say you want to have an exam and you say grade seven pay exam fees. No grade seven exam, no form four or ‘A’ level exam fees. If people pay fees then that’s it,”
“Under our government, parents will only pay from form one to four just to exercise their responsibility, at A level the government should take over, after that loans for tertiary education are then activated said Chamisa.
He said when he gets into power to fix the economy, Zimbabwe will use a basket of currency but mainly USD but for a shorter period before introducing own currency.
“When we get in power, we need to fix the economy, but to do that we need to address the issue of currency. We will use a basket of currency but mainly USD but that will be for a short period. We will then introduce our currency that is stronger than pound, Deutsche M9 ark, yen and yuan. It’s possible and what makes the currency stronger is the type of leadership,” said Chamisa
On social services he said the registry office would be computerized such that when a child is born it’s automatically recorded and all services needed will then be activated.

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Renowned Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist, Cephas Magezani’s house was recently gutted by fire during the night on July 19, 2023, a day after suspected Zanu PF supporters had burnt and torn CCC’s Chiredzi South candidate, Douglas Gumbo’s posters, TellZim News can report.
Police are said to be investigating the matter which happened which many believed to be a politically motivated incident.
Magezani confirmed the incident to TellZim News and said though he was not running for any post, his influence in opposition politics is very significant and said the incident could be a warning to him and other party supporters.
“It’s nothing else, from my perspective other than political violence. A day before, Zanu PF supporters who we suspect had been sent by Zanu PF candidate Joey Sithole, burnt down Douglas Gumbo, our candidate for Chiredzi South,’ posters and a day after, I woke up to the shock of my life seeing my house which I use as a storeroom, gutted by fire. There is no such coincidence,”said Magezani
He went on to say the incident was not the first time as he was once abducted and tortured in 2008 having joined opposition politics during the inception of the Movement for Democratic Change in 1998.
“This is not the first time facing politically motivated incidents. In 2008 I was abducted by suspected Zanu PF goons and many thought I was not going to make it. This is the same skill they are trying to use to scare people,” said Magezani.
Efforts to get a comment from Zanu PF’s Sithole were fruitless as his call went unanswered several times.
A former police officer and businessman, Sithole is set to battle it out with CCC’s Gumbo in Chiredzi South.
In Chiredzi Central, the Forever Associates for Zimbabwe (FAZ) an alleged parallel structure of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) has been openly spray painting and tearing off campaign posters for CCC’s Ropafadzo Makumire who will square it off with Zanu PF’s Francis Moyo and independent candidate Gibson Hwende.

Beverly Bizeki

In a bid to push for peaceful elections in the upcoming polls, Head Hands, Heart and Health (4-H )Zimbabwe Foundation, a non-governmental organization that promotes peace has embarked on a training programme for peace monitors drawn from various political parties.
The three day training workshop was held at Urban Lifestyles Hotel in Masvingo and it started on July 25, 2023. It was attended by youth leaders from Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC A), Free Zimbabwe and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
Speaking at the event, 4 H Zimbabwe Director John Muchenje said the workshop was meant to assist youth in maintaining peace during elections since they are a vulnerable group often used by political parties to perpetrate violence.
“We have seen that these young people are more vulnerable to issues to do with violence and they are always available when they are called by party leaders to perpetuate violence that’s why we are targeting them to make sure that we change their behavior, perception and beliefs in terms of political tolerance.
“They should not see each other as enemies but as Zimbabweans outside our affiliated political parties. So our message to the young people in Zimbabwe is let us respect each other, we might differ in terms of our political affiliation, our ideology and our beliefs but Zimbabwe is for us all.
“As we campaign let all young people in Zimbabwe be peace ambassadors, let them preach peace to make sure that we have a peaceful election in Zimbabwe,” said Muchenje.

4 H Programs Manager Didmus Dhewa said the organisation considers the plight of people with disabilities (PWDs) as they are not a homogenous group and will also hold programmes for them.
“As a youth oriented organisation, we take cognisance of the plight of PWDs and in our programming activities we have undertaken issues they have raised such as that they are not a homogenous group there is need to look at them in different categories and also come up with strategies and interventions targeting different groups hence we will have an important and unique training for PWDs,” said Dhewa.
National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Commissioner Dr Tinashe Rukuni said the peace building initiative by 4 H Zimbabwe was important as it sets the tone for conflict prevention ahead of the elections in August.
“We are proud to be associated with this peace building initiative as it sets the tone for conflict prevention and peaceful coexistence.
“We are here to share messages of peace with the youth and to make sure that we also encourage them and their political parties to ensure the upcoming elections are peaceful,” said Rukuni.

By Dr. Nicholas Aribino
(Country Director for ZIMCARE TRUST) and Dr.
Cyprian Muchemwa (Senior Lecturer at BUSE)

There is always a worrisome pattern that emerges with elections-political violence. Elections are very competitive in nature. Sometimes members of different political parties tend to approach one another with antagonism, hate language, disdain, ill-feelings, disaffection, sexual harassment, and physical violence during an electoral cycle. Homophily by political parties leading ultimately to political violence is in some cases motivated by politicians who sometimes think that the stakes are too high than our common humanity. This opinion piece seeks to flash into the minds of followers of different political parties the understanding that elections are not bigger than their neighbourhoods and their attendant relationships because of their transient nature.
Human beings have diverse political, religious, cultural and social persuasions because by definition they are constituted differently. Everyone sees and experiences the world differently and we spend much of our lives trying to understand our perceptions and the perceptions of others. The diversity that characterises humanity permeates every facet of life and as such it would be folly to expect finding human beings who think, behave and act the same. The only thing that is normal under the sun is the paradigm of difference. The differences between and among human beings should therefore not create a fertile climate for animus, but rather it should be conducive to promoting amity between and among members of the same neighbourhood. It is every human being’s inalienable right to identify with a political party of his or her own choice. An attack on an alternative voice is indeed an attack on humanity because humanity is heterogenous in outlook. As people live within their communities they should be guided by the psyche of humanity and should always remain focused in their thinking and not be swayed by politicians who sometimes think that life begins and ends with their political interests. As citizens the most important thing that should be borne in mind during electoral seasons is that elections come and go and that your neighbours will always be there. Zimbabwe boasts of educated people, but sometimes one tends to question the sanity of the so-called educated people when they dehumanise one another because of political differences. Zimbabweans should stop thinking with their stomachs in times of elections, rather they should use their feet to think. Thinking with one’s stomach implies seeing things in terms of one’s immediate physiological needs (Zvangu zvaita) while thinking with one’s feet connotes perceiving what is before oneself with a sense of direction that the country is taking. To think with one’s stomach akin to leaving one’s field unattended going to attend a day’s wedding, leaving the field at the mercy of the baboons. In your communities do not allow politicians to set you up against your neighbours because of the differences that you may have politically, culturally, ethnically, linguistically, socially and religiously. The common denominator between and among human beings is our common humanity. As we interact with one another as Zimbabweans let us not think at random as a people but rather be focused in our thinking. Focused thinking as Zimbabweans entails shared and possibility thinking as a people. Shared and possibility thinking is anchored on using our education as politicians and members of different political parties not only to read or write but also to humanise our communities. It is despicable to hurt or kill your neighbour just because he or she thinks as if there is no box in terms of what best can take Zimbabwe to another level in terms of development with widespread growth for every citizen. As we interact let us know that political, economic and social circumstances change and as they shift we should always find one another as citizens. As these circumstances change there is a social pendulum, and those with institutional power may find themselves as everyday people and some of the everyday people may find themselves within the corridors of power. To that effect, value systems, normative practices and principles should mark and punctuate our interaction.
Every Zimbabwean is at liberty to follow a political party of his or her own choice because as a citizen he or she is spoiled for choice in terms of taste. To that effect, laws that are crafted should be pregnant enough to create, embrace and enhance political participation without necessarily creating political operational silos or impediments. Every Zimbabwean should be on his or her neighbour’s keeper and should avoid antagonizing himself or herself with his or her neighbour because of heterophily by politics. Let respect and human dignity provide the compass for the interaction of citizens during elections time. Let the law be fair and protect all and sundry during the 2023 electoral season. We only have one country as Zimbabweans and to that effect we all have a duty and obligation to be one another’s keeper. As the 2023 harmonised elections beckon by let us know that there is always life after the elections. Do not bury the future of your neighbourhood with the harmonised elections that are ephemeral in outlook. Political leaders will always accommodate each or find one another other through peace brokering initiatives and end up drinking tea together, something that will be hard for you to do with an aggrieved neighbour that you would have maimed because of pernicious political polarisation. While the competitive nature of politics is normal, let us not sacrifice common humanity on the altar of politics. Political leaders must preach the gospel of peace and tolerance to their followers and also show collective willingness to agree to disagree with their political competitors, but still treat each other as co-nationals with a common past and future, because we are all Zimbabweans.