By Paul Nyathi
Acting President Kembo Mohadi has conceded that it was never possible to turn around the country’s economic fortunes within hundred days as was dreamt by the new ZANU PF leadership.
Mohadi said only after holding credible election will international investors begin recognising the government as legit and have confidence in investing in the country.
Acting President Mohadi said this while addressing ZANU PF members during a national cell verification meeting in Epworth, Harare, on Sunday.
Mohadi pleaded with Zimbabweans to give the President Emmerson Mnangagwa leadership a five year chance to turn around the economy and not one hundred days as Mnangagwa had promised at his inauguration.
“Give us a chance. We have been in office for only three months. Give us a five-year term and see what we can do. We have the capacity to deliver on our promises,” he said.
“For the past two decades, our economy was not performing well and don’t expect us as the new leadership to perform miracles. But there is goodwill internationally. If international investors invest here, they will not take everything away. They will create jobs for our people and as Government we will be able to get money from taxes.
“It’s not a question of chanting slogans but walking the talk. Zvido zvevanhu kumberi zvako kumashure. (People’s wishes should come ahead of ours),” said Mohadi.
Mohadi implored that the international community has demanded ZANU PF to provide free and fair elections and be recognised as a legitimate government to invest in.
“I was sent to Japan, Spain and Portugal by President Mnangagwa as his special envoy. What they all want is for our elections to be peaceful and if we fail to do that they will not recognise them. I know there are youths from other parties that are provoking us but just be tolerant,” said Mohadi.
On the cell verification programme, Mohadi said the exercise was to verify the number of ZANU PF members who are ready to vote for the party in the area.
The “roll call” for Epworth claimed that ZANU PF has 906 cells and out of 63 000 registered prospective voters in the constituency, 43 500 are people in ZANU PF structures.
ZANU PF was this weekend involved in a nationwide cell verification programme as it readies for the national elections set for July this year.