by Prosperity Mzila
Only three days to go and Zimbabweans are ready to the cast their votes, making a decision on who should lead Zimbabwe. It’s not business as usual. This election is set to define the trajectory of our Nation going forward.
It is however; to the Nation’s advantage if people would apply their minds and not emotions when casting their vote. The Government under the leadership of President ED Mnangagwa has ensured that the election playing field is level; food is available in the shops, free speech, media freedom, no political violence and free, fair and transparent elections are beckoning.
The time for electoral coercion was phased out on the 21st of November 2017 when former president Robert Mugabe resigned from office following calls from all Zimbabweans that he steps down. President Mnangagwa made a pledge for free; fair and credible elections, a move that ensured every aspiring candidate got a chance to present themselves to the people without fear. This opportunity presented a perfect opportunity for candidates not only to promise their constituencies but also to deliver tangibles. President Mnangagwa went all out, calling for all class sections of the country’s population, to lend an ear to their aspirations. He listened to the Chiefs, the students, the captains of industry, the youths, the women and the informal traders. He also listened to the different tribes and races that make up the people of Zimbabwe. He listened and implemented.
The most amazing thing about a listening President is that he will not impose anything on anyone, but will move himself to serve the people according to their aspirations. A point to note would be the issue of Matabeleland and how President ED addressed the issue of devolution that was misrepresented by Mthwakazi Republic. President Mnangagwa ensured that devolution can be achieved without splitting the country into two, by ensuring that resources produced in Matabeleland are used to develop Matabeleland before going to other regions. Mthwakazi Republic is misguided to think they can succeed in splitting the country into two.
A listening President is far better than a President who presumes that people are gullible as such would buy into his rhetoric of building tomato airports in the mountainous Murehwa area. MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa never took the time to listen to the people displaying his autocratic tendency that his word is final. His disregard for women and their participation in politics are also tell-tale signs that Chamisa is a patriarchal leader with little to no regard for women. Yet President Mnangagwa has approached women and asked them to air out their grievances, of which the major one of them was on empowerment and failure to secure loans. President Mnangagwa after listening to women went ahead and commissioned the launch of a women’s bank that had taken decades under the Mugabe regime to get off the ground.
A listening President in the person of President ED Mnangagwa met with the students from Primary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions, to hear their grievances. He took time to listen, discovering and learning that students were turned away from school for lack of paying school fees. He promised that no student should be turned away for not paying school fees much to the relief of both parents and students. Tertiary students bemoaned the lack of allowances during attachment to assist them with transport to and from their workplaces which is a necessity to complete their degree. The President took note and addressed the issue by appealing to captains of industry to assist students with allowances. The issue of grants and accommodation during their duration at tertiary institutions was also presented to the President who promised to address their issues.
A listening President is better than an orator who builds castles in the air and takes little regard to the plight of the people. President Mnangagwa became the first President ever to visit Matapi flats, in Mbare after fire destroyed homes with promises of re-building these after the elections. Previously former president Mugabe never took the time to visit Matapi in Mbare even though it had been struck with disasters a couple of times rendering people homeless. Nelson Chamisa, Mai Mujuru, and other aspiring leader from the opposition, turned a blind eye to the disaster yet they still expect the people of Mbare to cast their vote in their favour.
It is time for people to cast their ballot for a listening President. Recently, President Mnangagwa signed investment commitments to the tune of US$20 billion a situation that can take care of our graduates as these commitments create employment. Soon unemployment will be a thing of the past. The European Union, the West and the Asian and Arab communities have expressed faith in the economy of Zimbabwe and continue to bring Foreign Direct Investment. It can only be wise to vote for a President who is focused on re-instating the bread basket status of Zimbabwe and also to restore the dignity of the people of Zimbabwe. It is no longer politics as usual but what is best for our country and the people of Zimbabwe. Vote ED Mnangagwa.
