Takavafira Zhou: flag bearer of development

EG: What attracted you to politics?

TZ: Several groupings in Mberengwa North approached me to represent them. These include the Lemba community, non-Lemba communities, teachers and churches. They appreciate my leadership qualities and think I can represent them.

For a while I refused but in 2013 I was finally convinced that I have the qualities they desire in an MP. The poverty, misery and underdevelopment of Mberengwa inspired me to be a flag bearer of development.

EG: What are your chances of winning the Mberengwa North seat?

TZ: Unless violence increases and the rigging takes place, victory is certain. Many people say what matters most is not political affiliation but the development of Mberengwa. At the same time many MDC-T supporters are ready to chew ‘barbed wire’ for a better future.

EG: Why have you decided to contest on an MDC-T ticket?

TZ: MDC-T is a party that was born out of a workers’ movement and, as a trade unionist, it was logical that I gravitated to this party. I joined the party during its formative stage in 1999. As President of the Progressive Teachers Union I suffered at the hands of Zanu (PF)’s merchants of violence and I was unlawfully arrested more than 36 times and tortured by the police. I also come from a family of revolutionaries.

My great grandfather offered herculean resistance to the whites in 1896, while my grandfather Masarira had 33 wives and contributed a considerable number of fighters in the liberation war. It is for all these personal, family and sentimental reasons that I am attracted to MDC-T.

EG: How has the electorate received you in Mberengwa North?

TZ: I have been received with open arms. They have wanted proper representation for a long time.

EG: If you are voted into office, what projects are you going to

implement?

TZ: I have already started some projects such as sourcing textbooks and exercise books for schools. I am also part of a team that brought 55 doctors from abroad in June 2012 and treated more than 7,500 people free of charge at Mposi Clinic.

I hope to turn Mberengwa into an agricultural and mining hub. Mberengwa is a dry area that needs the construction of dams for agricultural purposes. At the same time, there is a need to assist farmers in the marketing of their products.

I will invite investors to invest in the mining industry and boost production and employment opportunities. I will also encourage sustainable utilisation of resources.

Other developmental projects that I will bring to the area include educational and industrial linkages as well as improving health centers and accessibility to such centers.

EG: How do you view the political environment ahead of elections?

TZ: The political environment is not conducive for free and fair elections. There are outstanding security sector and electoral reforms. Rogue army, CIO and police officers are busy campaigning for Zanu (PF) in rural areas and youth militia are intimidating people.

There is too much red tape in the registration of prospective voters with perceived MDC supporters turned away for flimsy reasons. The media hardly reach rural areas and communities are forbidden to access studio 7 and radio VOP let alone read private newspapers. The security of the vote and the voters must be guaranteed.

EG: What challenges have you faced in your journey as a politician?

TZ: An unlevel political playing field and smear campaigns have made things very difficult for me.

EG: Have you always harbored political ambitions?

TZ: Not really. I was content with trade unionism but I cherish democracy and freedom and the establishment of an egalitarian type of society. I have always looked for accountable leaders as opposed to crocodile liberators suffering from a liberation hangover. Every historical situation produces its own leaders and I am happy to be thrust into that leadership position by our historical context.

EG: How important do you think the forthcoming elections are for Zimbabwe?

TZ: The next elections are watershed elections that both MDC-T and Zanu (PF) are eager to win. The elections must be free and fair as SADC, AU and UN have their eyes on Zimbabwe. The great question is how to ensure such fairness given the nature of the so-called inclusive government and Zanu (PF) arrogance. Observers from all corners of the world must be allowed to be in Zimbabwe before, during and after the elections. The credibility of such elections would guarantee a better future for Zimbabwe.