by Innocent Mujeri
ZANU PF members in different parts of the country have said they are not fazed by anti-Government hashtags that are trending on various social media platforms saying those hashtags had no power to sway people’s thinking against the party.
Speaking to this publication, ZANU PF District Chairperson for Chamapango District who is also Councillor for Murehwa Rural Development Committee (RDC) Ward 16, Comrade Milton Chinake, said social media hashtags had no influence on how people perceive the party as most of the members are not on these social media sites.
“We don’t know about those hashtags. Those who think that the ZANU PF Government can be dethroned by Twitter or Facebook hashtags are either dreaming or are actually mad. The people of Murehwa only know how to vote ZANU PF in power. Hashtags are for serial election losers who have a false believe that opinions of social media users can be used to unconstitutionally change the elected Government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” said Chinake.
Chinake further said the people of Murehwa are emotionally attached to their party ZANU PF and no amount of tweeting by the country’s detractors can make them hate their party.
“Our people are emotionally attached to ZANU PF. They have seen ZANU PF building schools, clinics and roads for them. They have been supported by government on their farms through programs such as Command Agriculture, Presidential input Scheme and Pfumvudza. The people now know that ZANU PF is the party that cares for them. I don’t think those anti-Government hashtags can make these people suddenly turn their back on ZANU PF,” added Chinake.
The ZANU PF District Youth Chairperson for Kandeya District in Mt Darwin, Comrade Clark Mushonganzou, also echoed Chinake’s sentiments.
Mushonganzou labelled the anti-Government hashtags “a Harare thing” as the people in the rural areas are not aware of the hashtags.
“We don’t vote using the hashtags, but we vote through the ballot. Whatever happens on Twitter or Facebook is not for us because we only listen to what the party tells us to do through official party channels. Those anti - Government hashtags are for the people of Harare because here in Mt Darwin no one knows about them,” said Mushonganzou.
Mushonganzou further said that the majority of ZANU PF members are not Twitter users, but are registered voters who know how to vote ZANU PF in power.
He further said elections are not done through social media, but, through the ballot and the people of Mt Darwin are ready to overwhelmingly vote for ZANU PF come 2023 elections.
For the past two weeks, Twitter and Facebook were inundated with anti-Government hashtags such as #ZimbabweansLivesMatter and #ZANUPFMUSTGO that were being promoted by Government detractors such as Julius Malema and Mmusi Maimane, both from South Africa and other opposition members such Promise Mkwananzi, Shingi Munyeza and Job Sikhala.
However, the anti-Government hashtags have lost steam as the majority of Twitter and Facebook users have shunned them for their divisive nature.
