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We can’t attend rallies on empty bellies: Zanu PF supporters

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ZANU PF supporters who snubbed President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia separate rallies in Bindura recently said they could not go to rallies on empty stomachs.

ZANU PF supporters who snubbed President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia separate rallies in Bindura recently said they could not go to rallies on empty stomachs.

BY SIMBARASHE SITHOLE

Mnangagwa was supposed to address a rally in Bindura before officiating at a graduation ceremony at Bindura University of Science Education while the First Lady was hosting a family fun day at Chipadze Stadium, which residents snubbed.

“Things are very difficult these days so we will be busy hustling to have food on the table, we cannot go to rallies on empty bellies,” a party supporter who preferred anonymity said.

According to provincial social welfare offices, 70 080 people in all the Mashonaland Central’s eight districts are in need of food aid following last season’s poor harvests.

The opposition MDC claimed that the snub was a sign people in the Zanu PF stronghold were fed up with the ruling party, which has presided over a failing economy.

Zanu PF scooped all the 18 parliamentary seats in the province in the 2018 polls.

MDC provincial chairperson George Gwarada said the snub on Mnangagwa and First Lady was telling. “People in the province are tired of the Mnangagwa regime. This is clearly shown by poor attendance at their functions, despite trying to bus people from all the districts. In short, Mash Central is just fed up with Zanu PF,” he said.

Gwarada implored Mnangagwa to save himself further humiliation by accepting dialogue with MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

“There is only one way to save Mnangagwa from further humiliation, that is dialogue with Chamisa, but he (Mnangagwa) has to be sincere in saving the people of Zimbabwe, not selfish gains.”

The First Family’s programmes allegedly flopped because of factionalism rocking the Zanu PF provincial leadership ahead of the district co-ordinating committee elections.

Zanu PF politburo member and Bindura North legislator Kenneth Musanhi, who had organised the flopped rally, said Zanu PF was still solid and people were just trying to portray a picture of a divided provincial leadership, but on the ground, the leadership was united.

“The province is solidly behind President Mnangagwa and the reports of factionalism are just being spread to tarnish the provincial leadership,” Musanhi said.