Cephas Shava
MWENEZI– Zanu PF vice President Kembo Mohadi has expressed serious concern that if extra caution is not exercised the ruling party could, in the coming elections face a humiliating defeat to the opposition which is making considerable inroads.
Addressing local Chiefs and several village heads from across Mwenezi district who were bussed to Rutenga growth point for a Zanu PF meeting on Wednesday, June 8, Mohadi gave statistical evidence and urged village heads to work together with Zanu PF leadership so as to come up with structures that will enable the ruling party to garner a target of 5 million votes.
“In the 2018 general elections, the opposition amassed 2.1 million votes while our party garnered 2.4 million. Given that during the 2013 elections we had defeated them with a gap of one million, it means they covered the gap with huge margin in the 2018 elections. These are genuine statistics which ought us to worry much and if we are not careful we can lose the upcoming elections,” said Mohadi.
In sharp contrast to Section 281 (2) of the national constitution which refrains traditional leaders from furthering the interests of any political party, Mohadi who acknowledged the country’s economic woes which he squarely blamed on Western sanctions, described the meeting as a marriage between traditional leaders and the Zanu PF party.
He further urged village heads to rally their subjects to register and vote for Zanu PF which he claimed was the only political party with the people’s interests at heart.
“We want you village heads working together with our DCC to come up with tangible Zanu PF cells. Each village head should at least come up with three cell structures and that way we are assured to attain our 5 million votes target come next elections,” he added.
The village heads who all along were reportedly earning a paltry ZW $350 per month were among other pledges promised bicycles and an additional US$50 monthly salary starting this coming July.
Mohadi is on an eight-day tour of the province on Zanu PF party mission to mobilize traditional leaders to work with DCCs to garner rural votes in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
He is set to visit all the seven districts of Masvingo by June 14.
In Masvingo district, traditional leaders from Charumbira and Nemamwa chieftaincies exchanged blows in his presence as the battle for legitimacy rages on with the former claiming the latter does not exist.
