Philanthropy earned Sanyatwe Nyanga North seat
THE metamorphosis of Cde Chido Sanyatwe into the darling of the electorate has its genesis in philanthropy works started in 2011 when she provided food aid to a few less privileged in the Fombe part of Nyanga North constituency.
Her humane face and motherly love saw her philanthropy work extending beyond food aid to agricultural inputs for the poor and paying school fees for some orphans in the constituency.
Little did Cde Sanyatwe knew her with her kindness and love for the vulnerable was, her political stock was rising like a phoenix.
When Nyanga North went to vote on Monday, 14 167 people who were touched by her benevolence repaid by electing her their MP for the next five years.
She thumped MDC-Alliance’s Mr Chenjerai Solomon Matoro, Mr Maxwell Kapomba of the People’s Rainbow Coalition, Mr Bruce Blessing Kicheni of #FZC, Mr Lovemore Chibvura of National Patriotic Front and independent candidate Mr Sarudzai Chatsanga.
She became the first female MP for Nyanga North since in 1980.
“I never imagined that such a lot of people would one day entrust me with the mandate to represent them in Parliament,” she said.
“I would like to thank everyone who participated in electing me to such a position. I promise to be their servant,” said Cde Sanyatwe, who started her political journey from humble beginnings after being transferred from Harare to work in Nyanga.
“It has been my wish to serve people of Nyanga North for a very long time. It all started in Fombe village where I started off assisting the less privileged and later helping the elderly with agricultural inputs and food. When I realised that there were many orphans who needed financial assistance, I initiated a programme to pay school fees for them,” she said.
Cde Sanyatwe joined the Zanu PFcell in Guramatunhu branch and rose through the ranks to become a member of the provincial women’s league, where she served as the vice secretary for business and liaison in 2013 and later to her current posts as the league’s provincial secretary for administration.
Cde Sanyatwe said all who hail from Nyanga North, regardless of political persuasion, should help in the development of the constituency.
“This is one of the areas which has been neglected economically for a very long time. We need to make sure that we work hard to develop Nyanga North. I will welcome members of other political parties who want to work with us to develop the area,” she said.
Cde Sanyatwe said during her five-year tenure she will be working tirelessly to address the socio-economic and infrastructural developmental challenges bedevilling the drought-prone and marginalised constituency.
“The constituency need boreholes, irrigation facilities, education, health, sanitation, irrigation and agriculture, roads and transport especially the construction of Rwenya Bridge. I am appealing to the Government and other development partners to assist with funds for the reconstruction of Rwenya Bridge which connects Nyanga and Mashonaland East. The bridge was swept away by floods many years ago,” she said.