Valerio Forced To Drink Bottle Water During Campaign Trail

Zimbabwean presidential candidate Elisabeth Valerio has highlighted difficulties faced by millions of Zimbabweans across the country in accessing clean water.

Valerio, who is the only female candidate contesting the Presidential race in the 23 August 2023 elections, posted on social media on Monday morning that she is facing challenges accessing clean water in some parts of the country during her campaign trail. She wrote:

As I turned on the tap to brush my teeth. Bits and pieces flew from the pipes as the slow trickle of water choked and spluttered.

Turning the tap off, I resolved to use bottled water instead – but couldn’t stop thinking of everyone drinking from these faucets daily. #Water became a recurring theme on this day.

We later stopped in a small town to find food. It was there that we ran into men from #ZINWA. I couldn’t help but remind them that it was their responsibility to make sure that every citizen has access to safe drinking water and to this, they confessed that water really isn’t available. One day we will fix it, they said. Maybe Mama when you are in office.

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A short while later we were on the road, heading to #Magunje when we saw a woman by the riverside washing her laundry.

I had to ask our team to stop as I wanted to know why she came to be washing her clothes there. She told me that water at the local bhoreni comes and goes.

The river is the only option she has. Looking at the water which was littered with old plastic bottles and soap suds I thought for a moment about the fish that must once have lived beneath the surface, then looking at with young mother, I realized perhaps she needed the water more.

Several of the #UZA Councillors that I met today in Magunje, #Makonde and #Karoi all mentioned that they want to address water issues when they are in office.

Valerio is set to go up against incumbent President and ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa, Lovemore Madhuku, Blessing Kasiyamhuru, Harry Peter Wilson, Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa, Wilbert Mubaiwa, Trust Chokohora, Douglas Mwonzora and Joseph Makamba Busha.

Political experts believe that this is likely to be a two-horse race between Chamisa and Mnangagwa.

Mwonzora, on the other hand, also remains in the presidential race despite an attempt to withdraw.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) confirmed that it had received a request from Mwonzora to withdraw from the race but that this was too late to do so. ZEC said in a statement:

…Section 107 of the Electoral Act allows presidential candidates to withdraw their candidature by way of a written notice to the Chief Elections Officer no later than 21 days from polling day.

Any attempts to withdraw one’s candidature after the stipulated period will not be recognised by the law hence one’s name will remain on the ballot paper.

The Commission would also like to categorically refute allegations by the MDC T president that ZEC denied the right for some of its members to be nominated as candidates for the upcoming elections.

The Commission complied with provisions of the law and its decision was upheld by the courts in that regard.

More: Pindula News