This article was written by Our reporter on 15 July, at 00 : 23 AM
MORE than 2,000 MDC-T supporters in Chegutu West who recently defected to Zanu-PF held a march at the weekend in a show of support for President Mugabe ahead of the harmonised elections on July 31.
The display dubbed: “The Two Thousand Man March”, was meant to introduce the defectors, who dumped MDC-T citing unclear empowerment strategies.
The defectors surrendered their MDC-T regalia and membership cards to members of the Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial leadership and Chegutu West candidate Cde Dexter Nduna.
The event saw Zanu-PF aspiring candidates who lost in national assembly and local authority primary elections pledging to work with the winners to ensure a resounding victory for the revolutionary party.
The defectors in their testimonies said they had been promised a lot of empowerment programmes by the MDC-T since 1999, but nothing materialised.
“I was the first MDC-T chairman in Chegutu district, but to date I have nothing to show that I am empowered. I am still, if not worse, the same person I was in 1999,” said Sylvester Guvheya.
“We were at the forefront of setting up MDC-T structures here, but we realised that this is not a people-centered party.
“I have now seen the light because for the few days that I have been in Zanu-PF, the leadership has initiated a number of projects and we are beneficiaries.”
Another defector, George Vhurumundu, who led the campaign team in the district, said they felt used by the MDC-T.
He accused the party leadership of concentrating on empowering themselves.
“It is all about infighting and nothing tangible which benefits the members,” said Vhurumundu.
“If you raise a complainant, no one attends to it, a clear sign that the leadership is concerned about itself, forgetting the people who matter.
“We were lost for the past 14 years and I am happy we have been accepted back.
“Our aim is now to ensure the revolutionary party records massive success in the elections.”
Nduna said the electorate should vote for development and economic empowerment than the reversal of the gains of the liberation struggle being advocated by the MDC formations.
He urged supporters to maintain a similar voting pattern, voting for a Zanu-PF President, national assembly member and councillor.
“We do not want zigzag when voting, a situation where you vote for candidates from different political parties,” said Nduna.
“Our aim is to reclaim the seat we lost in the last elections and all our candidates will be Zanu-PF. President Mugabe’s victory is our victory.
“We want to continue with economic empowerment. It is a shame that a party like MDC-T that has never brought any empowerment programme to the people wants to reverse the indigenisation and empowerment programmes being done by Zanu-PF. It simply shows that they are not for the people.”
Nduna said the MDC-T councillors who had brought down service delivery in the town should never be given another chance.
“Since 2008, most of them are concentrating on grabbing stands and market stalls at the expense of ordinary Zimbabweans.
“Mistakes of that nature should not be repeated in the forthcoming elections,” he said.
He thanked Clever Kunonga whom he defeated in the primary elections for showing political maturity.
“If we work together we will bring good results for the party,” said Nduna.
Mashonaland West Zanu-PF provincial executive member Chingasiyeni Gambanga said a wise vote was one that preserved the country’s sovereignty.
“That vote lies in Zanu-PF,” she said.
“Let us remain united and defeat our enemies. The unity exhibited by those who lost in the primary elections should guide us to victory.”
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posted by MrK @ 3:51 PM
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