ZANU-PF Has Transformed Lives, Says Vice-President Mujuru

Acting President Joice Mujuru welcomes Malawian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Jane Kambalane at her Munhumutapa offices in Harare on June 5, 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Zanu-PF has transformed lives: Mujuru

July 30, 2013
Herald Reporter

ZANU-PF policies and programmes have transformed several lives of people in the country since the attainment of independence as many opportunities have been opened up for them, Vice President Mujuru has said.She said policies such as land reform programme had now seen several people prospering hence it was prudent for Zimbabweans to vote for Zanu-PF to safeguard the gains realised over the years.

VP Mujuru said this while addressing a campaign rally in Harare East constituency where she was drumming up support for the constituency candidate, Cde Noel Mangondo, vying for National Assembly and Cde Mavis Gumbo and Cde Amos Chaniwa who are contesting to be councillors.

“In the rural areas, many people have bought vehicles for themselves after they sold their tobacco produce, their life has significantly improved. This is because of Zanu-PF policies,” said Cde Mujuru.

VP Mujuru urged business persons to enter into partnership with rural people through contract farming, saying they would reap high returns from the arrangement.

“I was in Buhera today, which is a dry region. They have started tobacco farming. All what you need is to partner them, they have the land but they might not have money, that is where you can come in as business persons,” she said.

She said the advent of the MDC-T in local authorities such as Harare saw many diseases owing to the party’s failure to administer the city.

“In Harare, in this day and age, we had archaic diseases like cholera and typhoid, very soon we shall have diseases like bilharzia,” she said.

VP Mujuru said when she was Minister of Water, she initiated a lot of projects like how to tap water through dam projects but the MDC-T abandoned them, a situation that had seen several cities going with no water.

“There was nothing that has come from the inclusive Government. We were just quarrelling, the only positive thing was the referendum and the Constitution, issues to do with development like road construction were never on the MDC-T agenda,” she said.

She reminded party supporters of the repressive regime of Ian Smith that did not allow blacks to go into certain areas reserved for whites.

VP Mujuru recounted an incident where her late husband, General Solomon Mujuru, in the early 80s came back home with a torn shirt after he had a brawl with officials of one Harare hotel who did not want people with no suits and only accommodated club members.

She said it was critical to educate young people, most of whom trivialised the liberation struggle, how life had been changed tremendously owing to war waged by living and fallen heroes.

Meanwhile, VP Mujuru yesterday said the provision of affordable water for domestic and agricultural purposes constituted one of the greatest challenges of sustainable development in rural parts of Manicaland.

Cde Mujuru, who was addressing Zanu-PF supporters at Gaza Business Centre in Buhera, said the drier parts of the province’s quest for growth would continue to suffer from erratic rains and severe dry spell, if water harvesting was not prioritised.

“We want to empower the people of Buhera. Kusvika rinhi iro Marovanyati Dam randakauya kuno ndichikumukidza takangoritarira tiri kurishairwa mari. Zvimwechetezvo nemugwagwa weBirchenough-Murambinda. Ndizvo zvinhu zvekutanga zvatiri kuzotangisa kugadzirisa izvozvo,” said Cde Mujuru.

“The people of Buhera cannot forever remain marginalised in terms of the agricultural emancipation. We do not want your agricultural options to be limited to small grains, but also commercial tobacco farming, which makes the completion of Marovanyati Dam a key deliverable,” she added.

VP Mujuru said she would make sure that Marovanyati Dam, whose construction started in 2002, when she was the Water Resources Minister, was completed together with the rehabilitation of the aging Birchenough-Murambinda Road.

Cde Mujuru said the positive impact of water harvesting and its potential to improve the development and agricultural complexion of the district would be fully achieved through drip irrigation.

Marovanyati Dam was abandoned in 2007 at 40 percent completion.

“The future of Buhera depends on water resources development, which is a key component of the district’s economic and social development,” said Cde Mujuru, adding that the foundation of rural livelihoods was food security and self-sufficiency.