Source: RDCs mobilise voters for 2018 | The Herald June 7, 2017
Herald Reporter
Chairpersons of the country’s 60 rural district councils have said they are making progress in mobilising people in each ward to register as voters and eventually vote for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in the harmonised elections next year.The council chairpersons met in Bulawayo yesterday under the auspices of the Association of Rural District Councils (ARDC), where they reaffirmed their commitment to the project.
In their meeting, the councillors noted that it was important for the Registrar- General’s Office to visit rural areas to issue identity cards to villagers to enable them to register as voters.
They were concerned that there were many youths in the rural areas who had reached the voting age of 18, but were yet to obtain identification particulars required for them to register as voters.
ARDC president Dr Killer Zivhu, who is also the Chivi Rural District Council chairperson, launched the mobilisation campaign strategy last month targeting to garner at least 2,3 million votes for President Mugabe and Zanu-PF in next year’s harmonised elections.
The campaign strategy would entail that all Zanu-PF’s rural councillors ensure people in their wards register to vote, and do so for President Mugabe and the ruling party next year.
Speaking after the meeting in Bulawayo yesterday, Dr Zivhu said a lot of progress had been made by the councillors in mobilising the people to support the ruling party.
“We met as the national executive of the rural district councils and we are happy with the progress we are making in fulfilling what we have set before us – that is mobilising votes for the President and the party,” he said.
“At the meeting, we all as rural district councillors reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that we leave no stone unturned in our work for the President and the party and achieving the targets we have set.”
Dr Zivhu said those who intended to derail the programme would not succeed. “The councillors are committed to the extent that they are carrying the programme on foot in their areas. It is such commitment like the one exhibited by ex-combatants who did not need vehicles in carrying out the liberation struggle.”
“We understand there are those who are out to derail the councillors’ programme by character assassination of the members of our association. We want to tell them to back off. We are going to surpass our targets.”
Dr Zivhu said at their meeting, councillors thanked President Mugabe for initiating Command Agriculture that has ensured sufficient food in most rural areas.
He said the rehabilitation of the Harare-Beitbridge highway, the recent commissioning of Tokwe Mukosi Dam and the implementation of various projects under the Zim-Asset would help uplift rural areas.
The councillors are holding meetings and rallies in their wards throughout the country to educate people on the need to go and register as voters, and why they should vote for President Mugabe and the ruling party in 2018.
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