{"id":82354,"date":"2023-08-21T20:05:33","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T18:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power"},"modified":"2023-08-22T00:16:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T22:16:26","slug":"zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.cc\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power","title":{"rendered":"Zanu PF flexes muscles, shuts down business centres, buses and dumps thousands of villagers to Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally in show of power"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. <\/strong><\/span>CHILDREN of primary school going age stood along the almost 50km long dusty Lalapanzi to Shurugwi dirt road, waving in awe and excitement at hundreds of buses carrying thousands Zanu PF supporters to Tongogara Business Centre, Saturday.<\/p>\n

For an area not used to that much traffic, President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally provided them with a front row seat to witnessing the ruling party\u2019s financial muscle, here exhibited in its ability to bus thousands from across Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n

Bus after bus, trudged towards Shurugwi, leaving behind fumes and clouds of dust that will be talked about for ages in the backwood.<\/p>\n

Abandoned by parents whose presence had been \u2018requested\u2019 at the rally\u2019s venue, the curious children could even afford getting dangerously close to the Yu Tong, FAO buses which are more modern as compared to those that ply their route.<\/p>\n

Homes and shops as far as St. Michaels were ordered to close, in what a villager said was \u2018normal.\u2019 The Dengamombe, Nhema and Muchakata areas were virtually emptied.<\/p>\n

Fambisai General Dealer, a somewhat busy shop in the dry region, and various others past St. Michael\u2019s Primary school were locked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were told to shut our shops because of the rally,\u201d said attendant moments after officers from the President\u2019s office had been deployed there.<\/p>\n

An opportunity to make a killing was missed, although that could be questioned considering over 150,000 packs of chicken and chips had been ordered from popular outlets Chicken Inn and Chicken Slice.<\/p>\n

Six kilometres to Tongogara Business Centre, a meandering queue of hundreds was being dropped off to collect the now popular meal, party regalia, loaves of Mnangagwa\u2019s bread, Pepsi and bottles of water.<\/p>\n

An unconfirmed figure of US$2 million has been used for each of Mnangagwa\u2019s rallies.<\/p>\n

Although a considerable number looted and turned back, their action did not considerably affect attendance, the ground at Tongogara was filled to the brim.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe left Gokwe as early as 2am for this rally,\u201d said one supporter.<\/p>\n

A field had been reserved for buses coming from afar, creating a mixed bag of Ndebele, Karanga, Zezuru and Ndau speaking supporters amongst many.<\/p>\n

Oblivious to the hustle they would have to endure after proceedings villagers chanted party slogans, sang Hwenje\u2019s Zanu OF classics, while all too eager to scream ED pfe at any chance. ED pfe is one of Mnangagwa\u2019s rallying cries and is in reference to him entering State House.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose going to Gokwe please come and stand here so that we do not miss each other,\u201d a villager shouted just outside the venue.<\/p>\n

Mnangagwa had left in his presidential chopper moments ago.<\/p>\n

His case was not unique; a few metres from where he stood an elderly woman from Mberengwa could not find her bus home. She told journalists they had arrived at Tongogara Business Centre early in the morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking for a bus to Musumhe in Mberengwa, we cannot locate it. We do not know whether it has left already. It is white in colour, \u201csaid a desperate looking woman in Zanu PF party regalia.<\/p>\n

For a taste of chicken and chips, a delicacy rarely found in their back of beyond, villagers have been traversing Zimbabwe, taken in tow by Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n

Their duty; fill up grounds, respond to party slogans and hopefully increase Zanu PF\u2019s chances at Zimbabwe\u2019s upcoming polls.<\/p>\n

Zimbabweans go for elections on August 23, and with an array of \u2018accomplishments\u2019 Mnangagwa has been taking the opportunity to hammer his successes and why he should be considered for a second term.<\/p>\n

For Zanu PF the rallies have been a game of numbers, played between themselves and opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. CHILDREN of primary school going age stood along the almost 50km long dusty Lalapanzi to Shurugwi dirt road, waving in awe and excitement at hundreds of buses carrying thousands Zanu PF supporters to Tongogara Business Centre, Saturday. For an area not used to that much traffic, President Emmerson Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally provided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":82353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[1493,2189,19],"class_list":{"0":"post-82354","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-africa-press","10":"tag-africa-press-zimbabwe-2","11":"tag-zimbabwe"},"yoast_head":"\nZanu PF flexes muscles, shuts down business centres, buses and dumps thousands of villagers to Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally in show of power - zimbabwe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CHILDREN of primary school going age stood along the almost 50km long dusty Lalapanzi to Shurugwi dirt road, waving in a ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Zanu PF flexes muscles, shuts down business centres, buses and dumps thousands of villagers to Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally in show of power\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CHILDREN of primary school going age stood along the almost 50km long dusty Lalapanzi to Shurugwi dirt road, waving in a ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"zimbabwe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-21T18:05:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-21T22:16:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/sites\/14\/2023\/08\/sm_1692639762.577481.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/zimbabwe\/all-news\/zanu-pf-flexes-muscles-shuts-down-business-centres-buses-and-dumps-thousands-of-villagers-to-mnangagwas-last-rally-in-show-of-power\",\"name\":\"Zanu PF flexes muscles, shuts down business centres, buses and dumps thousands of villagers to Mnangagwa\u2019s last rally in show of power - 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