I will serve for two terms and go — Marara

ANESU MASAMVU

MDC Alliance candidate for the Harare Central constituency Norest Marara (pictured) says he will serve the constituency for two terms and leave if elected into office.

The shipping and logistics expert will tussle it out in the March 26 by-election with ZANU-PF’s  Loice Magweba, Lead president Linda Masarira and Murisi Zwizwai representing the Citizens Coalition for Change.

“I do not intend to be career politician, I want to serve a term or two and bring change, new ideas, post 10 years I would have made my mark, there is nothing new that I can do,” Marara told Business Times.

He said it is crucial to elect competent people in Parliament as the house is a very “serious platform” where the laws of the country are promulgated and shapes the direction which the country should take.

“It is where the business of the country is planned, so we need people with experience and I am very much experienced.

“I am grounded in the politics and I have been nurtured since 1999 so I am quite experienced on the political end and the business end. With all those credentials I feel I am the best candidate for the position of MP in Harare Central,” the logistics expert said.

He said an MP must be someone who has done “something successful at a personal level, someone responsible, someone who has run some venture and even failed than to just elect people on the basis of political affiliation”.

Marara claims he is coming into the race to change the lives of the electorate, make his mark and leave at the appropriate time.

“I really wanted to grow my business first; this is precipitated by the fact that I have seen a lot of friends who have taken politics as a career and when they leave politics by other circumstances they end up being charity cases,” he said.

Marara who is running freight businesses in Botswana and South Africa told the Business Times that despite being a member of the MDC since its formation he was happy on the outside but now feels it is the time to come and contribute towards national development using the business skills acquired over the years.

He is currently the MDC-T National Secretary for Business and Party Projects.

Marara said he was motivated to actively participate in politics as some of the people representing the electorate were below par.

“The calibre of the people that I have seen in Parliament and in councils is not inspiring, the ZANU-PF government has run down the country and the problems have manifested into all facets of our lives, from poor infrastructure, social services, unemployment, among other challenges, so my thrust is to take my business experience into politics,” he said.

Marara took a dig at former MP Zwizwai who has been at the helm of the constituency for close to 20 years.

“The one we intend to replace or the one we are contesting with, Murisi Zwizwai has been in Parliament for 20 years and he still wants some more.

“This is not the culture that the MDC-T espouses and this is not the MDC-T that we know. It is a party that was formed on the basis of change, our war cry was change.

“He is actually on record saying the late former President, Robert Mugabe must go.

“Mugabe left but here we have 20 years in power and he still needs another mandate, this is not the future we want, we want leaders that come and go,” he said.

Using the experiences in the shipping and logistics industry, Marara promised to push for laws that improve efficiency particularly at points of entry and exit.

He pledged to make Harare central a trading hub that will connect to the world.

“I would like to work cooperatively with other MPs, Senators, councillors and central government to set up a trade and investment office, the overarching strategy thrust is to bring trade and business opportunities into the capital to enable an increase in the base of tax rates and most importantly to create employment,” he said.