Acting President Kembo Mohadi has criticized the riven CCC for bleeding national resources through its leadership chaos, which has caused unnecessary by-elections that have become a strain on national finances.
Elections are generally expensive for any country, and authorities have raised concerns that allocating a budget to a series of by-elections represents unnecessary expenditure for the treasury.
The country exited coordinated elections in August 2023, but four months later, by-elections were held to replace the National Assembly and local authority members who were recalled by the disputed interim Secretary-General of the CCC, Mr Singiso Chabangu.
After the December by-election, Chabangu called for a second wave of by-elections scheduled for Saturday, and said on record that the recalls were not over yet.
The government has allocated a budget of US$11 million for by-elections in December 2023 and February 2024, with US$5 million to be spent on the December by-election, while another US$6 million will be used for elections scheduled for Saturday.
President Mnangagwa is now bound by law to declare another by-election after CCC Mt Pleasant National Assembly member, Ms Fadzai Mahiri, tendered her resignation from Parliament yesterday, succeeding Mr Nelson Chamisa, who resigned as Leader of the Opposition last week.
It is unclear how many other elected officials will follow suit.
Addressing the crowd during a Zanu PF rally yesterday at the Nkolumane Public Library grounds in Bulawayo, Cde Mohadi said Zimbabweans dodged a bullet when they ousted the opposition in the August 2023 coordinated elections.
“Look at this party that some of you voted for, it is in disarray, it no longer has a leader. “We are now wasting resources by holding by-elections,” he said.
Where did this party of you go? Even its president has abandoned the party. CCC is no longer a problem, there is nothing to go there. There is nothing left, there is confusion in the party, and there is no direction in the party.
Dissent has swept through urban centers and cities are now synonymous with dirt. “They are failing to collect garbage and now people are dying of cholera,” Mr. Mahadi said.
He was mobilizing support for Zanu-PF candidate Joseph Tshoma, who will contest the Pelandaba-Tshabalala constituency against Morbilising Tembo (CCC) and the opposition Democratic Party’s Abraham Nkomo. Mr. Gift Ostallos Siziva was disqualified from the competition.
Citing the opposition chaos, Mr Mohadi said those who previously belonged to the opposition should return to ZANU-PF because it is the only party with a solution-driven agenda and the capacity to address national challenges.
The acting president said that after the coordinated elections in August 2023, it was painful to watch voters especially in the Matabeleland region lose out by voting for the ideologically bankrupt opposition.
However, he said that after the by-elections held in December, the ruling party regained its footing by winning three out of five seats in Bulawayo. The region is seeking to obtain a fourth seat in the National Assembly in the upcoming by-elections.
The Acting President said that in the midst of the opposition-driven chaos, the ruling party has remained steadfast in transforming the country to an upper middle-income economic status as directed by President Mnangagwa’s vision.
He said that under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe is in the process of mobilizing resources to address most of the challenges affecting the country.
“Since 2018, the Second Republic has begun many development projects, surpassing the work undertaken by the First Republic. “We have been involved in large-scale infrastructure development, construction of dams and roads and rehabilitation of electricity infrastructure,” Cde Mohadi said.
“Currently, the energy challenges we face are not man-made, but a result of climate change that has led to the Kariba Dam failing to hold enough water.
“We are working on the rehabilitation of the Beitbridge Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road. This is part of the work we are doing,” the acting president said.
He said President Mnangagwa’s re-engagement campaign was bearing fruit, noting that just last week, British investors visited the country to discuss areas of cooperation with Zimbabwe.
Cde Modadi reiterated that the country would continue to leverage its resources to advance its development agenda and called on voters to vote for Cde Tshuma who stands on the Zanu-PF ticket for Pelandaba-Tshabalala constituency.
“We must ensure that Joseph Choma is elected on February 3rd. This will enable him to take your cases to the relevant offices without any challenges.
“We know that there is an issue with title deeds in the Emmenilla suburb, and we have taken measures to ensure that you receive title deeds, but this is an ongoing process,” the acting president said.
“We started the process at Epworth in Harare and we will cascade it here. All deserving individuals will receive title deeds.
Cde Mohadi said citizens must also unite and promote the development agenda, and work closely with the government.
Meanwhile, the Acting President donated 10 laptops to Mandwandwe Secondary School as part of government initiatives to support ICT teaching in schools. He also brought with him a consignment of notebooks that will be delivered to Bulawayo schools.
Acting President Mahdi also urged businesses and party members in Bulawayo to dig six boreholes and help alleviate water challenges in the city.
Judith Ncube, Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Delegation, expressed her gratitude to the Presidency for providing resources to address the water challenges.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Retired Colonel Chinga Dube also encouraged voters to vote for Cde Tshuma as he would not be new to parliamentary duty. Announce
