Cllr Moyo (left) looks on as Zanu PF youths work on the Rutenga flea market.

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – As the countdown to the July 30 harmonised elections continues, the Zanu PF district youth structures here have upped their campaign in areas deemed to be opposition strongholds, supporting developmental initiatives in Ward 18, Rutenga growth point.
In the recent past, the youths have been doing such activities as clean up campaigns, covering potholes on the ward’s roads and providing free labour for the renovation of the Rutenga Flee Market.
Speaking to TellZim News, Zanu PF youth political commissar for Ward 18, Clifford Sithole said they have organised themselves to provide maximum support to the developmental vision of their election candidates.
“So far, we have organised clean up campaigns and we are filling potholes in roads that are within Ward 18. Recently, we also provided free labour when our legislator Joosbi Omar and Councillor Canaan Moyo collaborated to connect taped water to the growth point’s public toilets.
“We are now providing labour for the renovation of the Rutenga Flea Market which is being renovated with the helping hand of Cde Omar. After ensuring an inevitable victory for all our candidates in this coming election, we are now confident that several projects that are lined up for the youths will be implemented,” said Sithole.
Ward 18 vice youth chairperson, Memory Moyo said although youths in the district did not manage to sail through in the Zanu PF primary elections at local government level, the agenda of young people will still see the light of the day if Zanu PF wins.
She said as youths, they were satisfied with the current winning council candidates regardless of their ages.
Mwenezi district is perceived as a traditional Zanu PF stronghold, with all 18  council seats currently held by the ruling party.
There are, however, such wards as 2, 5 and 18 where the opposition seems to have made some serious inroads.politics

Upenyu Chaota

Thousands of rural dwellers in Masvingo province are worried after they received text messages asking them to vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa as well as respective Zanu PF parliamentary candidates.
The message, that were received beginning on Monday and are reportedly coming from Mnangagwa himself, has struck fear in many villagers who think the President and his ruling Zanu PF party knows everything about them.
Even some aspiring Zanu PF MPs from Masvingo who declined to named for fear of victimisation said they were equally worried with the latest development.
The aspiring MPs said they were busy doing some fire-fighting since their mobile numbers were also made public ‘by someone up there’ without their consent.
As a result – the MPs complained – some ‘rogue’ elements in their constituencies now have their numbers which they are now using to send ‘all sorts of insults and abusive messages’ to counter the ‘President’s’ unsolicited messages.
“It’s something that was rushed and implemented without even our knowledge and consent. I also received the same message in the morning and the next thing I am getting a chain of messages from my political opponents insulting me. Imagine even after the elections, over 25 000 people in my constituency now have access to my mobile number and they will be harassing me all the way,” said Zanu PF aspiring candidate in Masvingo province.
However, Zanu PF provincial chairman Ezra Chadzamira downplayed the issue saying there was no harm in people receiving ‘just a text message from the President’. He even said instead of crying foul, the people of Zimbabwe should be happy to have a rare opportunity to have a direct communication from Mnangagwa.
“I don’t see what the fuss is all about. Why would people get mad at Zanu PF for sending them text messages? How often does one get a message from the President? People should be grateful and not just throw stones. How many people have your number from which I can get them from?
“We did our research and we got the numbers. Opposition members are crying the loudest but what harm does a text message cause. Just ignore it and move on,” said Chadzamira.
However, members the public who once surrendered their voter slip serial numbers to Zanu PF during the voter registration period said they were worried with Zanu PF’s maneuvres since they do not know the amount of their personal data stored at Zanu PF offices.
“My mother in Masvingo rural phoned me informing me about that development. She was extremely worried and she wanted assurance from me that Zanu PF did not have mechanisms to see who she will vote for,” said another informant who spoke to this publication.
Another resident in Masvingo, Thomas Mbetu castigated Zanu PF for sending him the unsolicited message.
“I was shocked to receive that message from Mnangagwa. I am extremely worried because I did not give anyone my numbers except the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) and now it shows my privacy has been invaded and I am not sure what’s next,” said Mbetu.
Another resident from Mashava, Davison Mugodzwa said Zanu PF was fooling itself thinking that people still likes it.
“We don’t want such messages in our phones, they (Zanu PF) stole our data and they are now using it against us. That will not even change my thinking but it will instead consolidate my belief that Zanu PF is full of thieves,” said Mugodzwa.
When contacted for a comment on Tuesday afternoon, ZEC Masvingo Chief Elections Officer, Zex Pudurai said he was not aware of the development.
He said it was impossible for his organisation to give political parties the people’s contact numbers before referring all questions to the ZEC head office in Harare.
ZEC chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba told a press conference in Harare earlier this week that her organisation was not in any way involved in releasing voters’ data to Zanu PF.
“I urge all members of the public to contact either NetOne or Econet to stop sending you those messages in the same way you opt out from receiving telemarketing adverts.
“We will however investigate the source of the information and where there is any leak of information we will take appropriate measures,” said Chigumba while addressing a press conference.politics

Anesushe Mamhute

CHIREDZI – Independent aspiring councillor for Ward 3 in Chiredzi Urban, Charles Maporisa last week committed his time and resources to renovate a family’s dilapidated house.
The Mudara family’s ramshackle house stood opposite that of sitting councillor, Tarusenga Makamba’s own homestead for several years before Maporisa’s intervention.
The breadwinners of the family died over 20 years ago and the family has been finding the going very tough, with one of the children having been retrenched from his job at Edgars in 2002.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Paddington Mudara said he was surprised that help had come from where he least expected.
“There are so many people I had expected to help us but that did not happen. I am happy however that the assistance has come from somebody who has not even made it to public office,” said Mudara.
Volunteers under the supervision of Donald Manyora gave free labour in replacing wrecked trusses and iron sheets to the tune of US$350.
In his remarks, Maporisa said his was a simple act of goodwill and not a form of political posturing.
“Members of the community requested that I give a hand to the Mudaras by repairing their home which was now in very bad shape with the roof almost falling off.
“This is not the only needy family in the community and it is my hope that I will be able to help more families to have a decent roof over their heads,” said the aspirant.politics

Lovemore Chinoputsa expressing a point

TellZim Reporter

The people in Zaka Central constituency have said they are going to vote for leaders who are capable of spearheading development in their area.
At a public discussion meeting organised by Cotrad at Four Miles (Four Maira) in Ward 8 of Zaka Central last Wednesday, speaker after speaker pleaded with aspiring candidates to depart from the traditional culture of only humbling themselves during campaigns only to turn into demigods soon after being elected into office.
The villagers who attended the meeting said it was frustrating that politicians often took the people for a ride.
“We have politicians who believe that people in rural areas are fools and they come here and slaughter cattle for us to eat towards elections but then dump us soon after elections…that must stop,” said one participant during question and answer.
MDC Alliance candidate for Zaka Central constituency, Lovemore Chinoputsa said he did not have personal funds to donate for developmental projects but promised that once elected into office, he would work with the community to spearhead development.
“Where do you think I should get the money from in this country at the moment? I live an honest life and I am not a thief so I don’t have dirty money to buy votes. All I can promise is that I am educated enough to help the people in my home area to promote development. I will be with you all the time. You will give me ideas, and I will run around looking for people to help us implement the projects,” said Chinoputsa.
Zanu PF candidate for the same constituency, Davison Svuure did not turn up for the event amid rumours that he cannot face the people who have doubted his claims that he is a qualified engineer.
Local government candidates from MDC Alliance and Zanu PF as well as an independent attended the meeting.
Villagers thanked Cotrad for coming up with the platform which they said had allowed them to interact with aspiring candidates.politics