The ZANU PF structures in Masvingo Province have openly declared their support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030.
This proclamation came during a provincial inter-district meeting held at the Masvingo Polytechnic on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by a host of senior ZANU PF officials, including the party’s national political commissar, Munyaradzi Machacha, as well as prominent politburo members from the province, such as Lovemore Matuke, Paul Mangwana, John Paradza, and the provincial chairperson, Robson Mavhenyengwa.
The Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira, a central committee member, was also present.
The ZANU PF leaders argued that this extended tenure would provide Mnangagwa with enough time to continue his vision of transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income society.
Speaking to The Herald, Mavhenyengwa said ZANU PF Masvingo Province wanted President Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028. He said:
The message was clear from everyone who was in attendance at the inter-district meeting, that the ruling party in Masvingo wants President Mnangagwa to remain in office beyond 2028.
We know that constitutionally the President is not supposed to continue in office after 2028, but we are saying if it’s possible, if there is an opportunity to do so, we will humbly request that he remains in office up to 2030.
We want him to continue up to 2030, as a province. This is not a personal decision from me but its coming from the party members in Masvingo Province.
We are saying we are seeing the infrastructural projects that are taking place, the developments that are taking place that is in sync with President Mnangagwa’s vision to make Zimbabwe an upper middle-income society by 2030, so in our view it will be better if the President remains in office up to that year so that he can see through his vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy.
ZANU PF Masvingo provincial secretary for commissariat, Brian Munyoro, said ZANU PF Masvingo Province unanimously wanted President Mnangagwa to continue leading the nation beyond 2028. Said Munyoro:
The province (ZANU PF Masvingo) has spoken and that is our position as a province that President Mnangagwa should remain in office up to 2030.
We are happy with the good work he is doing and we are fully behind the good work he is doing, and as ZANU PF Masvingo we want him to continue up to 2030, so that he can complete his vision of making Zimbabwe an upper-middle-income economy.
Addressing the meeting, Machacha said he will deliver the message from ZANU PF Masvingo Province to the President. He said:
You have made me happy, you were singing here (Masvingo Polytechnic), there is nothing that happens in this country without having started in Masvingo and you know very well that the other time you sang (in 2017) kuti kumagumo kune nyaya (there is trouble at the end) and we indeed saw the end that you were talking about.
I was saying President Mnangagwa spoke in Mutare, where he said that now that I have served my two terms (up to 2028), I now want to go and rest, I need to look for someone who will walk in my footsteps and complete my vision (2030), but now Masvingo again is saying the President should remain. So what will I go and tell the President?
In response to Machacha, the delegates shouted in unison that the President should remain in charge beyond 2028. Said Machacha:
But the President is saying he wants to rest? Hallelujah, fellow Cdes, you are giving me a challenging task but I promise you that I will execute the task that you have given me.
After Mnangagwa declared he had no intention to run for a third term as president, political commentators expressed scepticism, saying Mnangagwa’s statement was a mere “public relations stunt”.
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