…Zanu PF worried by new voters’ roll system
…Remember what Mjr-Gen. Rugeje did in 2008
TellZim Reporter
MASVINGO – Zanu PF’s most senior member in Masvingo province and Psychomotor minister, Josaya Hungwe has said his party will not hesitate to hire the services of soldiers to thwart the opposition’s chances and make sure the ruling party retains power in the 2018 elections.
Speaking at the inter district meeting at Masvingo Polytechnic last Saturday, Hungwe said when the worst scenario comes, Zanu PF was prepared to go to war against opposition political parties.
Hungwe was quick to remind the people how army Major-General Engelbert Rugeje helped Zanu PF in the run-up to the June 2008 presidential election runoff campaign.
Mjr-Gen Rugeje was instrumental in the campaign which is widely viewed as the most violent of all elections since 1980 and, at one point, he fired his gun at Mucheke stadium to intimidate the electorate.
“Yes, we can go to war. We can hire our army…our soldiers can come in to help us. We will never allow opposition political parties to rule this country. We are going to have President Mugabe as our candidate in 2018 and his predecessors must have war credentials.
“Don’t forget what Rugeje did in Masvingo in 2008…we can call him again in 2018,” said Hungwe.
Hungwe, who mocked Dzikamai Mavhaire for joining the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF), said there was nothing sinister if the regime hires soldiers to help fight the ‘enemy’.
“We must make sure that People First does not win… this is very Biblical because it started in the Bible where the army was being hired to defend the King. In our case, President Mugabe is our King hence the need to use soldiers to defend him and his party,” said Hungwe.
Acting Zanu PF provincial chairperson, Amasa Nhenjana told the same gathering that the ruling party was worried by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) intention to introduce polling station based voters’ roll.
He said the system could help the opposition and cost the ruling party in the elections.
“We are not happy with the proposed system. As a party, we think the new system will have a lot of loopholes…they might want to rig elections in the name of new system. Let us be very vigilant and reject that proposal,” said Nhenjana.
Masvingo province unanimously endorsed President Mugabe as the Zanu PF candidate for 2018 elections.
The inter-district meeting was held for members to brief each other on the state of preparedness ahead of the party’s 16th conference to be hosted by Masvingo province in December.
The provincial party structures have already endorsed President Mugabe as the Zanu-PF candidate for the 2018 presidential elections.news
