ASPIRING Gweru Urban constituency legislators yesterday called for peace among their supporters before and after the elections.
They made the call during a public debate organised by Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) in partnership with the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation.
The meeting saw incumbent Gweru Urban MP Brian Dube (MDC-T), Alex Mukwembi (Zanu PF) and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)’s Josiah Makombe being given an opportunity to outline their election manifestos.
The meeting was also attended by supporters of the three parties clad in their respective party regalia.
GRRA director Cornelia Selipiwe said they wanted to promote tolerance among different political parties in the Midlands capital.
“Political contestation is only about selling ideas to the electorate and should never turn violent,” Selipiwe said.
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“At the end of the day, if you check all the parties’ slogans speak to one thing, that of change and development. There is nothing these politicians will articulate that does not centre on development. So why should people fight over political differences?”
Selipiwe added: “The different parties did their internal processes and chose one candidate to represent them. Now come August 23 these candidates will battle it out and we will only have one winner who will be the Gweru Urban MP whether we like it or not. So there is no need to fight over political differences."
Makombe said he was the best candidate because of past exposure. He once served as mayor of Gweru. Dube said he delivered on his mandate citing the construction of clinics, drilling of mechanised boreholes among others. Mukwembi said Zanu PF had started drilling boreholes to improve water supplies.
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