ZANU PF is oiling its information department to take up
space on social media and employ communications experts as it prepares to
saturate the nation with an explanation of its policies in government.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, aware that the austerity
measures taken by his government have hit people hard and driving the majority
into poverty, has called on party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo to step up
information dissemination by explaining why people are suffering.
“I am aware that our current austerity measures are causing
some hardships to our people. But this is necessary for us to have a stable and
growing economy, which is in sync with others in the region and elsewhere. If
we choose populist policies, we will be doing a disservice to our country. So
we must brace up and endure the hardships, albeit always explaining to our
people what we are trying to do,” Mnangagwa said while addressing the
politburo.
Mnangagwa said Moyo was supposed to use all means at his
disposal to ensure that everyone gets the message and begins to support the
party’s vision.
“As we approach the first anniversary of the Second
Republic, we must intently introspect the degree we have achieved that which we
promised our people as
outlined in the People’s Manifesto. I challenge the
information and publicity department of the party to develop a communication
strategy that will highlight our successes since being elected into office,” he
said.
Mnangagwa urged his party to unite, saying there was a call
to service and only a united party could finish the race.
He contradicted his Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo,
saying the hard times would ease up by year end, while the minister said it
would take three years.
“Our victory in July 2018 was a call to service. Our task
remains enormous, but if we remain united nothing is impossible. As I
highlighted in the past, the situation will begin to get better by the end of
the year,” Mnangagwa said.
Party spokesperson Moyo said Zanu PF would need money to
occupy the social media space, and would be taking a leading role in the media
space as they sell their agenda.
“As you know, I am the national spokesperson of the party
and naturally, the nation must be kept informed of developments and what the
party is doing, of
course … it is the duty of the party to pronounce on such
developments and that’s something we are making all efforts to strengthen our
department, in terms of expertise, in terms of technology, in terms of other
necessary requirements, which can make the department tick. So all this
involves money, information is not a cheap area,” he said.
Zanu PF has already set up a media centre at its
headquarters and said it would be recruiting information experts and powerful
opinion shakers as they seek to win the public relations front.
The party already has a massive presence on social blogging
site led by a clique which calls itself “varakashi”, which is always all out to
discredit the opposition and prop up Zanu PF agenda.
Mnangagwa said it was important for his party legislators
to continuously explain the party manifesto at a time his government faces
threats of mass action
over the ever-increasing cost of living against poor
salaries. Newsday
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