Tinashe Sambiri- President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s controversial Goats for Votes campaign has reached Chirumanzu, with over 150 women receiving goats under what is officially dubbed the “Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme.” While presented as an economic empowerment initiative, critics view the scheme as a thinly veiled attempt to secure rural loyalty ahead of future elections.

Fronted by the Young Women for Economic Development (YW4ED), a shadowy affiliate with links to the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, the scheme has raised eyebrows for appearing more political than developmental. Beneficiaries are being handed goats in what observers describe as a “patronage pipeline” dressed up as empowerment.

“I want to thank our President, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, and our mother, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, for giving us goats,” said one beneficiary, echoing what critics say is the script of public gratitude engineered to elevate the ruling elite’s image. “As young women, we can be self-reliant,” she added, though questions remain about the long-term sustainability of such handouts in the absence of broader support systems.

According to Dorcus Masango, Midlands Provincial Chairperson of YW4ED, the programme is a continuation of Mnangagwa’s supposed rural industrialisation drive. “The President is saying no one should be left behind. Encouraged by the support from our President, we want to thank him,” she said, sidestepping concerns about how livestock distribution translates into structural economic reform.

Honourable Rutendo Mpofu, Women’s Quota MP for Midlands, also praised the initiative: “This project has the power to change everything for our women in rural villages.” Yet, such optimism rings hollow in a nation where similar vote-linked schemes—fertiliser handouts, borehole drilling, and food parcels—have historically disappeared after elections.

Critics argue that while the goat distribution may provide short-term relief, it fails to address systemic issues like access to markets, veterinary support, or training in livestock management. Instead, the scheme is being rolled out with heavy fanfare and media presence, serving more as a public relations exercise than a genuine empowerment tool.