Self-exiled former Zanu PF political commissar and Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who has joined the presidential race for the August 23 harmonised elections yesterday said President Emmerson Mnangagwa must not weaponise institutions against opponents.

Kasukuwere, who was hounded out of the country during the November 2017 military coup that toppled the late former President Robert Mugabe, is in South Africa.

In his “roadmap to a better Zimbabwe” address in South Africa yesterday, Kasukuwere said he entered the presidential race knowing that it was never going to be easy because he believed in the cause.

“We trust that now we are in an election period you (Mnangagwa) can’t weaponise institutions against your opponents. I am sure this is an election that everyone wants to proceed smoothly so that the outcome is not contested.

“We have to take security issues into consideration, you don’t board the plane (as) passenger 34 and just rock up without doing some preparatory work. We did exactly that to see the reaction and very interesting results came our way,” he said.

He continued: “Yes, we were concerned and we are still very concerned (security-wise) and will be raising these issues with relevant institutions. We have our Sadc body; we have the monitoring teams that will be coming into our country. It’s important that every contestant is protected, is secure.”

Kasukuwere said good treatment of opponents had a positive impact on the country’s tattered reputation and would restore Zimbabwe’s image in the international stage.

“So, allow our country to be back on the international stage and we the participants and contestants are all able to say this was a good election, we had a good fight, but at the end of the day we are still brothers and sisters.”

 “After counting (the votes), and somebody has emerged (the winner) and we know we will be emerging very strong, then you can start arresting others if you want to arrest others, but the game is not about arresting people, let’s go to the ground and campaign. Let’s tell the people what we can do or that we can’t do.”

Kasukuwere said he would be in the country soon for his campaign launch.

Kasukuwere said the country was at a decisive moment as it was contesting degeneration and elite capture of the State and regression to the past.

“Post-2017, November, together we all gave the new dispensation the leadership space to govern, the leadership space to unite our people, the leadership space to provide a new vision and direction for our great country.

“In his 2018 campaign, Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to deliver healthcare for all, the answer is failure, he promised to create jobs for the youth, I am not sure if any one young person has been able to get employed in the past five years, he failed.”

Kasukuwere said Mnangagwa has failed to deliver on all his electoral promises as evidenced by the collapse in infrastructure and public health service.

-Newsday