Dr
Tungwarara
made
the
remarks
on
Wednesday
while
addressing
party
supporters
and
residents
at
a
campaign
rally
in
Nkulumane,
held
as
part
of
the
final
push
for
Zanu-PF
candidate
Freedom
Murechu
ahead
of
the
20
December
by-election.
He
said
the
opposition
had
dominated
urban
constituencies
for
more
than
two
decades
but
had
failed
to
address
persistent
challenges
in
Bulawayo
and
other
cities.
“The
opposition
has
had
its
opportunity
for
the
past
20
years,
winning
seats
in
most
urban
areas,
but
they
have
failed
to
do
anything
meaningful
for
the
people,”
Dr
Tungwarara
told
the
rally.
He
urged
Nkulumane
voters
to
give
the
ruling
party
a
chance,
saying
Zanu-PF
had
historically
focused
its
development
efforts
on
rural
areas.
“Now
we
are
saying
to
you,
the
people
of
Nkulumane,
take
this
opportunity
to
try
Zanu-PF.
Just
try
and
see
what
we
can
do
for
you,”
he
said.
“For
a
long
time,
the
ruling
party
has
concentrated
on
rural
areas
and
consistently
provided
for
the
people
there.
Give
us
a
chance
in
urban
areas
and
see
what
we
can
deliver.”
Zanu-PF
National
Political
Commissar
Munyaradzi
Machacha
accused
the
opposition
of
failing
to
address
basic
service
delivery
problems
such
as
sewer
reticulation
and
refuse
collection.
He
said
Zanu-PF
would
be
able
to
resolve
these
challenges
if
voters
gave
the
party
a
mandate
in
the
by-election.
Machacha
also
described
Murechu
as
obedient,
trustworthy
and
hardworking,
saying
he
would
bring
positive
change
to
the
constituency
if
elected.
In
a
separate
interview
with
the
Centre
for
Innovation
and
Technology
(CITE),
a
Nkulumane
resident
said
Murechu
had
taken
the
initiative
to
assist
elderly
community
members.
“He
has
done
some
great
work
in
our
community.
Some
elderly
people
had
gone
for
a
long
time
without
electricity,
and
he
helped
them,”
the
resident
said.
Elderly
residents
from
neighbouring
Emakhandeni
also
praised
Mr
Murechu
for
supporting
the
elderly
and
vulnerable,
saying
his
work
within
the
party
demonstrated
his
ability
to
represent
the
constituency
in
Parliament.