By Thomas Pablo Mapako
President Chamisa, at the CCC political rally in Beitbridge, made several promises to the citizens. He pledged that his government would introduce free primary education from grade 1 to grade 7 and eliminate fees for grade 7 and Ordinary Level exams starting from November 2023. He also emphasized that if parents are already paying secondary school fees from form 1 to 4 or to form 6, there will be no need to continue paying school fees.
In comparison with South Africa and Botswana, he pointed out that there are no examination fees for secondary students in those countries. He believes that a country’s resources should benefit every citizen.
President Chamisa highlighted the difference between Zimbabwe and Botswana, noting that while Zimbabwe has over 60 minerals, Botswana has only one recognized mineral, which is diamond. However, Botswana has made more progress in terms of development. He attributed this disparity to a difference in leadership, stating that Botswana has fair and visionary leadership compared to Zimbabwe.
He emphasized that Zimbabwe has sufficient resources but is facing a leadership crisis with corrupt leaders who do not prioritize the development of the nation.
The President also pledged to invest in new infrastructure development, including building new cities, towns, and roads. He used the example of Zimbabwe’s lack of a FIFA and CAF approved stadium as a result of having clueless leadership.
Referring to the Aljazeera Goldmafia documentary, President Chamisa mentioned that the ZANU PF leader was implicated in illicit gold deals and associated with questionable individuals. This demonstrates that some political leaders are not committed to the welfare of the country.
He promised to take drastic measures against corruption, taking inspiration from China’s stern approach to combating corruption and the misappropriation of public funds.
The former student leader also stated that once elected into office, his government would compensate the victims of the Gukurahundi atrocities and provide title deeds to all resettled farmers and villagers. He emphasized that no one should be forcibly removed from their tribal lands by the government.
The Beitbridge rally attracted a gathering of over 25,000 people.
