BRILLIANT MUKARO

GUTU – It’s been long since quality candidates were seen in rural constituencies particularly in Gutu.

Gift Gonese is one such aspiring Parliamentary candidate who is bringing hope to the far-flung remote Gutu East Constituency. Gonese is a former Bank manager and has worked for one of the largest and most reputable banks in the country.

He told The Mirror that he was throwing his hat into the ring not because he is looking for opportunities in politics but because he wants to assist his home area.

Gonese wants to represent the Nelson Chamisa led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in the 2023 national elections.

“I am here not because I am looking for a job like many MPs who came before me. I am not looking for luxury cars and neither am I into it because I want to buy a house or gain wealth for myself. I already have those. I have come here for development,” said Gonese to villagers he met during a tour of the constituency last week.

He added, “I want to improve the livelihood of the people of this area so that they become prosperous and enjoy life.” 

For a man who has been in the banking sector for considerable time, Gonese already has business strategies for the constituency.

He left small business entrepreneurs in the area smiling after he offered to start a revolving fund. The fund will operate at all business centres in the constituency.

At Munjera Business Centre in Ward 18, Gonese who sits on boards of various companies said he will assist people to venture into poultry, piggery and operation of small businesses.

He spent two days; from January 30 to 31 2022 familiarising himself with party branches flanked by his campaign manager Desire Tichazorwa. Gonese said that he was going to roll out the projects ward by ward.

The operation of the revolving fund is such that one retailer will be provided with capital to order goods or to start business. Once he sells his goods and is on a sound footing, he will pass on that financial capital to the next person in line.

Gonese has already started projects in Wards 39 and 15 where groups of 10 women each are given 50 chicken plus feed until the birds are ready to sell.

Other groups were given five pigs each to rear so that when they multiply, some will be given to the next group.

Gonese is building houses for the constituency’s most vulnerable identified by the local communities. So far houses have been built in Ward 15 and 39.

Tichazorwa said the current programme is to popularise CCC and its leader Nelson Chamisa. He said that Gutu East is responding well to Chamisa’s call for 6 million votes through interface and tangible projects in the communities. Tichazorwa expressed confidence that CCC will make a clean sweep of all wards at stake in Gutu East.

He said that the programmes being undertaken by Gonese dovetails with Chamisa’s DURA blueprint which emphasizes on the uplifting of rural communities.

“We stand firm with Chamisa. We want people to familiarise with the new party name, colours and symbols. The dream of a Great Zimbabwe can only be achieved if our President gets into power with a resounding win together with the councillors and MPs,” said Tichazorwa.

Gonese was born in 1971 and grew up in Rwodzi village under Chief Chimombe in Gutu. He attended Gomba Primary School and Chingombe Alheit Secondary School. He did his tertiary education at the University of Zimbabwe and graduated with a Masters in Business Studies he is doing a PHD.

He started working as a Banker in 1996, working for First Capital Bank. He is currently into Capital Funding and is running a private school. https://masvingomirror.com