By A Correspondent

Zanu PF Deputy National Political Commissar Webster Shamu has sparked outrage with his recent comments inviting suffering Zimbabweans to join the ruling party.

Speaking in Chiredzi over the weekend, Shamu’s remarks were seen as a cynical attempt to exploit the country’s deepening social unrest for political gain.

Shamu boasted that the ruling party’s leadership, under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was focused on development, claiming that “ZANU PF’s development-driven leadership” would continue to attract support.

However, many critics view this as a direct attempt to manipulate vulnerable citizens, desperate for a way out of poverty.

At the same event, Shamu claimed that over 200 former opposition members in Chiredzi had defected to Zanu PF, citing the “tangible progress” they had seen under the Second Republic. “I opposed the government for years but saw real development under the Second Republic. ZANU PF is the only party transforming lives,” one of the returnees stated at Chitsanga Hall.

Shamu welcomed the defectors, declaring that “ZANU PF is a home for all who want to build the nation.” This statement, however, masks the fact that many citizens are turning to the ruling party not out of genuine political alignment but out of sheer desperation caused by years of economic mismanagement and suffering.

While Shamu and other Zanu PF officials celebrate the defections, analysts argue that the party is taking advantage of Zimbabweans’ poverty. The country’s economic struggles have pushed many into making decisions based on survival rather than political conviction.

The ruling party, aware of this vulnerability, has used its “development” projects as bait to lure people into its fold.

Masvingo Province is cited as a key example of Zanu PF’s supposed “commitment” to development, with over 200 devolution projects, including healthcare facilities and irrigation schemes, implemented under the Vision 2030 framework. “We fully support President Mnangagwa’s vision as it continues to uplift communities,” said Honourable Ezra Chadzamira, Minister of State for Masvingo.

However, these so-called developments have been heavily criticized as little more than political tools to maintain control, rather than genuine efforts to uplift communities. Despite the claims of progress, many Zimbabweans still face extreme poverty, unemployment, and a lack of basic services, making it clear that the ruling party’s true priority remains securing power rather than addressing the people’s real needs.

As opposition parties remain stagnant, Zanu PF continues to dominate the political landscape, but the true cost of this “progress” is the exploitation of a desperate population. Critics argue that the party’s tactics—manipulating poverty to maintain its grip on power—are a betrayal of the very people it claims to serve.