Zanu PF national deputy secretary for youth affairs who is also Gutu West legislator John Paradza has said the revolutionary party will not allow the winds of change sweeping across Southern Africa to blow in Zimbabwe, saying they will safeguard Zanu PF and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule at whatever cost.
Paradza was speaking during the party’s Provincial
Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held at the party stand in Clovely in
Masvingo recently.
He said no one will succeed Mnangagwa without the
incumbent’s blessing so people needed to safeguard the party to avoid what
happened in Botswana and Zambia.
“If we voted for a President in 2023, we have to follow him
until he willingly says he is stepping down. Do you think there is someone who
would come and replace President Mnangagwa without getting his blessing first?
How will that happen?
“So let’s fix the Zanu PF party, we don’t want a repeat of
what happened in Botswana and Zambia to happen in Zimbabwe. As a province we
should remain focused, if we look at some of you, you don’t have grassroot
supporters but you want to divide people,” said Paradza.
Zambia and Botswana saw the election of opposition parties
marking a waterloo to the revolutionary parties’ control of Southern African
countries.
In South Africa the revolutionary party ANC had to form a
coalition with major rivals, the DA, after failing to secure majority vote,
with a similar situation still causing unrest in Mozambique where the ruling
party Frelimo failed to secure a landslide.
Despite President Emerson Mnangagwa’s repeated assurances
that he will step down in 2028 at the end of his constitutional term, Paradza
said that will not stop them from pushing for the extension of his rule saying
anyone against that risks being expelled from the party.
“Everyone who is here is where he or she is because of
someone, so what we are discussing here can be fulfilled whilst you are not
there. If we see that you are no longer toeing the line we can sit aside and
discuss then fire you.
“We follow President Mnangwagwa whether the constitution is
there or not, because some would want to hide behind the constitution. Let’s
wait for him to say I am going then we ask how we are going to proceed,” said
Paradza.
He said they were supporting him because of the vision
which he has to fulfil despite the constitutional restriction.
“When we say 2030 he will be there we are talking about his
vision because it’s him who was shown the vision by God so we want to follow
him with his vision. We hear some of you saying we don’t want so and so, how
can we not want that person when all of us were given the posts by him.
“You will be shocked when the President leaves, I will be
ahead supporting his successor and you will be surprised, it’s all about
loyalty to the party,” said Paradza.
Masvingo party leadership has reignited debate by endorsing
a slogan urging Mnangagwa to seek a third term in office saying they started
with the slogan and no one was going to stop them.
Speaking at the same meeting, provincial chairperson Robson
Mavhenyengwa said people were misleading others saying the slogan was banned
whereas all the 10 provinces endorsed the resolution that Mnangagwa should go
beyond 2028.
“We have a resolution that I have to share with you because
it applies across board. I hear the 2030 resolution being distorted by some who
have not understood it. All executives agreed in Bulawayo and all the 10
provinces agreed that since the President proposed the 2030 vision, we want him
to continue as Zanu PF secretary and President until 2030.
What he said was just the procedure but the resolution had
already been passed,” said Mavhenyengwa.
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