FAZ shifts focus to economic development

ANESU MASAMVU

 

The Forever Associates Zimbabwe Trust (FAZ), has said that with the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, they were shifting focus to economic development until 2027 where they will return on the political scene.

FAZ, a Zanu PF affiliate organization, was heavily involved in the ruling party internal dynamics ahead of the party primary elections and also played a crucial role during the elections that saw Mnangagwa victorious ahead of nearest rival Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

The organization has attracted mixed reactions locally and internationally as they were accused of manipulating election results in favour of Zanu PF, an accusation they deny.

FAZ president Kudakwashe Mavula Munsaka (pictured) said the organization has interests in the ICT and financial service sectors and will work tirelessly to ensure economic growth for the country which should be the main target of the coming government.

“FAZ at the present moment is changing direction and the direction that we are taking is economic. We are now going to be participating in the economic emancipation of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We are going to make sure that we participate in the creation of industries in this country. We are going to make sure that we participate in the financial sector of this country, we are going to participate in the ICT sector, everywhere we are going to be there as FAZ to make sure that we create a conducive environment for Zanu PF to win the 2028 election.”

“Now it is economics, we are done with the politics, so it is now economics for the next four years. We will as FAZ rejoin the politics in 2027 as we campaign again and tell the people of Zimbabwe what Zanu PF would have achieved in the past four years, which will include what we would have achieved as an organization.”

“Firstly I would like to congratulate President Emmerson Mnangagwa on behalf of FAZ, we are very happy as an organization; this has been our push all along,” he said.

“What it means is that the country is now moving forward. We have seen the good works had done over the past five years and it was only but befitting that he be given another opportunity to continue and finish off what he started. It would have been unfortunate for us to have started afresh,” said Munsaka.

“The inauguration came at a right time, and we are very much happy and it means the economy continues in an upward trajectory.”

He said FAZ’s role in the recent elections was mainly to “enlighten” Zimbabweans to appreciate Mnangagwa’s works contrary to what he described as speculation that they were heavily involved in manipulating the outcome of the elections. “We managed to do that almost everywhere. We went door to door and preached the ED gospel. We also managed to let people know and convince them to vote for Zanu PF and the results on the table do not lie, they are a clear reflection of the work that was done by Zanu PF as a party and also by the little contribution that we made and we feel was very significant to the entire result,” added Munsaka.

On the swearing in of CCC councillors yesterday in Bulawayo despite threats to boycott, Munsaka said the development was an endorsement that the polls were conducted in a free and fair manner. “They are not working as a team,” he said. “Their president says one thing, the candidates whether MPs or councilors are saying other things.”

“Their president is saying let us boycott, let us not go for inauguration, let us say these elections were rigged, they were not free and fair, but the candidates are saying no, but you lost alone, we won and we want to inaugurated, we used our own resources to campaign, you never gave us any resources, so we are going ahead to be sworn in, that is what we saw in Bulawayo today (yesterday), and that is what we are going to see tomorrow (today), with the Parliamentarians.”

The FAZ boss said the opposition candidates taking over offices that they were elected into is officially endorsing President Mnangagwa.

“It is a clear endorsement, because how do you say the council election was free and fair, the Parliament election was free and fair but the Presidential election was not free and fair?”

“This is a clear endorsement by the opposition to say we won fairly and whoever lost, lost fairly. So they won fairly, I believe that, I was beaten fairly and these other candidates won fairly, even the President won fairly and the results speak for themselves.”

 

 

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