…as Masvingo pushes for ED third term, ignoring evictions
By Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO and the nation at large were left in shock after President Emmerson Mnangagwa remained mum on the issue of ongoing evictions in the province and other areas across Zimbabwe while addressing scores of supporters at Mushagashe Training Centre on the Robert Mugabe National Youth Day.
Mnangagwa’s address was his first public address since the evictions started and his supporters in Masvingo, who are the most affected were expecting him to say something about it, at least to validate government’s position to shelve the evictions since many are still living in fear.
He even went on to praise Masvingo for voting for him and Zanu PF, which seemed insincere since he failed to address one of the major challenges currently affecting the province.
“You had elections here and you thrashed them, well done Masvingo, today you have come in large numbers, this does not only show that you value our rich history but you are equally committed to building our great country brick upon brick, step by step,” said Mnangagwa.
The number of convictions for illegal settlers continues to rise in Masvingo with the current statistics showing that 2243 people have been arrested so far compared to 2064 last week and 597 convictions so far.
Several villagers in areas under Chief Bere, Charumbira, Nemamwa, and Mugabe are the most affected in the district and the operation has also left a tens of families homeless in areas like Chiredzi and Zaka.
Commenting on Mnangagwa’s silence on the issue, Youth Decide Zimbabwe (YDZ) Team Leader Learnmore Munhangu said it was unfortunate that the President failed to address an issue that was affecting youths on National Youth Day.
“It’s very unfortunate that the President himself failed to address the issue which is currently affecting a lot of people in different parts of the country, including the province where he made an address. Having a parent who is not always emotionally involved in your affairs, especially during times of need, is always problematic. In this particular case, the President is failing to take care of his own people as expected. We need to respect property rights as outlined in the Constitution,” said Munhangu.
He went on to condemn the whole programme saying the way the National Youth Day was being celebrated was on partisan grounds making it lose its national aura.
“As a youth organization, we are very worried about the way the National Youth Day is being conducted. The day is being conducted in a partisan and ageist manner – the day is so exclusionary, like a political rally. We need reforms in that regard.
“This day should belong to the young people, to share ideas, present their concerns and perspectives on the current social, economic, and political situation,” said Munhangu.
Labor, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) President Linda Masarira said Mnangagwa made a mistake and missed a chance to address the issue.
“The mere fact that the government held a meeting and decided to halt the evictions that were happening countrywide, is an acknowledgment of an error of judgment that had been done. As the head of government, President Mnangagwa, I presume, had to make a strategic statement to avoid commenting on the issue.
“In my view, he wasted an opportunity to rekindle hope that such a stance will never be attempted again and reaffirm the main objective of the war of liberation, which was land for all native Zimbabweans.
“Land belongs to Zimbabweans, and we should always make sure that no one reverses the gains of the liberation struggle,” said Masarira.
Political commentator Dr Wellington Gadzikwa said ignoring the matter was strategic saying talking about it could have opened a can of worms and exposed confusion that marred the whole process.
“It’s an explosive thing, something that is not good in the eyes of the people and even the supporters who are saying we support the party but we are being evicted. The evictions have been condemned by many including the government itself that’s why they said the evictions should be stopped. So he saw there was no need to talk about it since the government position is clear and talking about it would open up the wounds and start to steer up other discussions so I think it was strategic that he did not talk about it.
“He may have chosen National Youth Day to talk about youths, so talking about evictions wouldn’t make sense because when they happened under the government’s watch and it’s the same government that stopped it, which resembles some sort of confusion so talking about it could not make sense,” said Dr. Gadzikwa.
As if Mnangagwa’s silence on evictions was not enough, people were also shocked as several speakers at the event seemed to endorse Mnangagwa’s third term bid by endorsing the new party slogan which says in 20230 he will still be there.
The slogan started in Masvingo by Masvingo youths recently, starting as a mere joke but was endorsed by several Zanu PF big guns.
Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said the slogan came about after realizing that the vision 2030 of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy was coined by Mnangagwa so they cannot achieve it without him.
‘We have a new slogan after realizing that we cannot achieve vision 2030 without the man behind it. We cannot achieve the vision without President Mnangagwa,” said Mavhenyengwa before chanting the slogan.
Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Tinomudaishe Machakaire who was hosting the meeting also chanted the slogan when he took to the podium, going on to say the reason why they were saying he should be there in 2030 simply meant that he should be alive to see the fruits of his projects.
“The reason why we want the President to be there in 2030 is simply that we want him to enjoy the fruits of his projects and programs. He has to be alive to see his vision being achieved,” said Machakaire.
On his part, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said he heard the slogan before seeking permission from Mnangagwa to chant the slogan.
“I have heard a new slogan here, so your Excellency allow me to recite the slogan,” said Mohadi before chanting the slogan adding that those who were against it should walk out of Zimbabwe.
Taking to the podium, Mnangagwa said he was surprised by those who said he should be there in 2030 asking where they expected him to be in 2030.
“Those who were saying I will be there in 2030, where were you thinking I will be? The only person who knows where I will be is one being, that is God and no one else,” said Mnangagwa.
He went on to praise Masvingo voters for supporting him and the party in the 2023 elections, voters who ironically are having sleepless nights due to the current evictions.
