President gets hands-on in Ngangu clean-up

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday surprised the people of Chimanimani after he joined them in a community project to construct a damaged road in Ngangu Township as part of the National Clean-up Campaign.

Initially, the community thought the President was only in their area to address them but was shocked when he and the other political leaders joined the queue of people who were collecting stones that were being used to divert the flow of water that was damaging a newly constructed bridge.

It was a marvel for the people of Chimanimani as the President took time to work with them while barking instructions.

The Head of State participated in a human conveyor belt thatwas carrying rocks and rubble left in the wake of the destructive Cyclone Idai a fortnight ago.

President Mnangagwa was flanked by MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga while other leaders and Government officials completed the chain on either side.

To motivate the President and his workmates, Buhera West legislator Cde Saul Nzuma started singing a South African song that boosted the morale of the team.

The clean-up in Ngangu which the President specifically brought forward for his delegation of fellow political leaders and himself was symbolic as it epitomised Government’s commitment to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by Cyclone Idai.

In his address to the people gathered at Ngangu Primary School, President Mnangagwa explained the importance of the Clean-Up Campaign.

He said the nation will today join hands in cleaning their communities as part of the campaign.

President Mnangagwa said one of his deputies, Cde Kembo Mohadi, would represent him in Victoria Falls in leading the Clean-Up Campaign.

“Vice President Mohadi was supposed to be with us here today,” he said.

“I have sent him to go and represent us at the National Clean-Up Campaign in Victoria Falls tomorrow. I thought I should explain that to you.”

President Mnangagwa said his second visit to Chimanimani was in fulfilment of the agreement he had with leaders of other parties participating in the Zimbabwe National Dialogue to come and have an appreciation of the disaster that had fallen the people iof the eastern border town

He briefed the people of Chimanimani on the progress that Government had made so far in trying to locate all the missing persons after the cyclone.

He said sniffer dogs had identified 46 places where people were suspected to buried under rocks.

“If there are bodies there by now they are already in a bad state,” he said.

“There are huge boulders in the places and our military officials are not able to push them meaning that we need to deploy machinery there. The challenge is that we need bridges for us to be able to carry the machinery here but we are happy with the progress made so far to reconstruct the damaged bridges.”

The President was accompanied by VP Chiwenga, leaders of other political parties and several Cabinet ministers.