2.Handeyi Kumusha/Asambeni ekhaya
Our weekend programmes in Murehwa and at Nzvimbo growth point in Chiweshe went into to confirm the nation traction of our party and its resonance with grassroots supporters in the villages in Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces.
For the first time, our thrust is going to be the rural areas in order to debunk and offload the myth that these areas are citadels of the outgoing government as led by Zanu PF.
We will intensify our forays into the rural areas to educate, engage and inform our parents and our brothers and sisters about the urgency of NOW in the context of transformation and real change.
In Murehwa, before the rally, I had occasion to meet with a wide range of stakeholders among them war veterans, farmers, tomato growers, community leaders, business persons. All these diverse groups shared with me their hopes and aspirations about the future of this country.
I got to hear the concerns and complaints from areas such as Mutoko, Mudzi and Uzumba. These concerns centred on intimidation, harassment and victimization of citizens on account of supporting the incoming government led by the MDC Alliance.
They also raised the challenges of underdevelopment, including cases where children have to walk long distances to school. I heard bizarre stories of a very few secondary schools in the area, with come bemoaning the absence of a State University.
I was also told gory stories of political violence, which stories emboldened me to conclude that this outgoing government’s commitment to free and fair elections as bold on paper weak in practice; high-sounding in words but hollow in deeds.
We intend to have more of these interactions in the rural areas and we will escalate them as we draw close to the imminent watershed moment.
On Sunday, before the rally at Nzvimbo in Chiweshe, Mashonaland central province, I first had a meeting with students from Bindura University.
Their complaints were the same from what I have heard from tertiary students across the country. These include, but are not limited to, issues to do with attachment fees, accommodation challenges, a short supply of recreational facilities, and lack of academic freedom and victimization of students.
I took the occasion to give them our vision to position Zimbabwe as a hub and champion of world-class education excellence through the provision of quality education.
I had highly enriching engagements with business people, farmers, and pensioners but particularly with survivor of political violence who included the Chironga family from Chaona in Chiweshe communal lands.
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