Presidential candidate Elisabeth Valerio, who leads the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA), has initiated a nationwide campaign called Citizens Engagement to mobilise voters for the upcoming harmonised elections on August 23, 2023.
Valerio aims to complete the ten-day journey, interacting with Zimbabweans and gaining insight into their lives. On the first day, she visited Chinhoyi in Mashonaland West, where she encountered various experiences. She met an elderly man living in a plastic tent who sells worms to make a living, witnessed unsafe open cast mines, observed women selling biltong, peanuts, and dried fruit late into the night, and encountered people sleeping on cold shop fronts. Valerio said:
Today we were in and around Chinhoyi. I met an elderly man who sleeps in a plastic tent by the roadside. He sells worms for a living. Close to him, dozens of young men were blasting for #gold in a trail of unsafe open-cast mines.
We saw women of all ages along the road, all peddling #biltong, #peanuts, drinks and a range of dried fruit. They were still out well after 7pm chasing trucks and other vehicles that pass them by. Some carried babies on their backs at that late hour of the night.
I’m touched by the warmth of our people. In the town of #Chinhoyi, we were greeted with smiles everywhere as people rushed to say hello. Many asked what we would leave behind for them. Hope still exists in the creases that line their faces.
A young man came to me saying he’s 27 years old and has impressive construction skills. He then told me, the money he makes can’t buy enough food for his young children. “I know with you my President, one day everything will be okay.”
After 8pm now and we’re looking forward to a warm fireplace and a hot meal, but my heart is pained as we pass dozens of people sleeping on cold dark shop fronts with only old blanket to shelter them from the night!
The experiences witnessed by Valerio serve as a touching reminder of the daily struggles faced by many individuals, highlighting the urgent need for authorities to prioritise improving living standards.
Valerio stands as the sole female presidential candidate in the 2023 election after Linda Masarira was disqualified for failing to pay the required US$20,000 registration fee on time. The prevalence of violence associated with politics in Zimbabwe has discouraged women from actively engaging in politics or pursuing leadership positions, posing a significant barrier to their participation and representation.
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