ZANU-PF is discarding the “pasi/phansi/down with” slogan in
favour of progressive chants that build the nation.
Addressing a Zanu-PF Bulawayo inter-district meeting
yesterday at Davies Hall the party’s national political commissar
Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) also said the party was
considering doing away with the staging of mass rallies. Local and more focused gatherings would be
held instead.
He said the slogan was not part of the revolutionary ethos
and has been used to divide the party.
Some individuals with sinister agendas, he added, were
chanting it to settle personal scores with others.
“Some slogans are dividing the party. Those who went to war
know that there was no slogan which was chanted without being approved by the
leaders.
This is so, especially in regards to “pasi/phansi/down
with” slogan.
“We have realised that whenever someone has a personal
issue with a cadre they are quick to denounce them through pasi sloganeering,”
said Lt-Gen Rugeje.
He said some of the slogans were creating demi-gods among
party members which were destroying the party.
Lt-Gen Rugeje said the party’s commissariat department was
working on a framework of slogans than can be uttered by Zanu-PF members.
He said after coming up with possible slogans his
department will forward them to the Politburo for approval.
“Let us chant pro-developmental slogans instead of slogans
that praise individuals. We can only chant slogans that praise our President
since he is the one we chose to represent us for the coming elections,” Lt-Gen
Rugeje.
He said also in breaking with the past the party will
desist from holding rallies in stadia.
Going forward, Lt-Gen Rugeje said, the President will be
meeting people at their local areas.
He said Zanu-PF will be focusing on campaigning at cell
level and President Emmerson Mnangagwa who will soon be visiting provinces will
meet them in their localities.
“Let’s go and campaign at cell levels. We have a programme
where the President visits all the provinces. We no longer want that when the
President comes we converge at Barbourfields Stadium or White City Stadium.
“Let us go to where there is a community project or problem
so that when the President comes, he reveals how Government is going to deal
with the problem and project,” said Lt-Gen Rugeje. Herald
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