‘Conference to rejuvenate ruling party’

Joseph Madzimure

Zimpapers Politics Hub

ZANU PF will emerge from the 21st Annual National People’s Conference, which opens in Bulawayo tomorrow, rejuvenated, stronger and focused on coming up with policies that improve the quality of people’s lives, President Mnangagwa has said.

Addressing the 124th Session of the Central Committee in Harare yesterday, the President said the party’s meetings were not mere talk shows, but platforms that produced binding policies and resolutions that will transform people’s lives.

“The supremacy of the party over Government is a standing principle, which compels the party to supervise and oversee functions of Central Government,” he said.

“Policies, directives, programmes and projects enunciated by the upcoming conference must, therefore, find place in Government plans and the requisite resources allocated.

“Our meetings are not talk shows. Hence, members are urged to be mindful of the need to conclude outstanding business, including pertinent resolutions of the 20th National People’s Conference and 7th National People’s Congress.”

The 21st National People’s Conference is being held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo, under the theme, “Industrialise and Modernise Towards the Attainment of Vision 2030”.

It began with a Politburo meeting in Harare on Tuesday, followed by the Central Committee yesterday.

Today, delegates are travelling to Bulawayo ahead of the conference’s official opening tomorrow by President Mnangagwa, who is also the party’s First Secretary.

He is also expected to preside over the conference’s closing ceremony on Saturday.

In his address to the Central

Committee, President Mnangagwa said the collective expectation of the conference is to see the party emerge “rejuvenated, motivated, stronger, more united and focused on realising the necessary results to improve our quality of life”.

“Zanu PF inzou isingamire kana ikanzwa kuwukura. Tinoramba tichingofamba, tichingofamba, tichingofamba.

“We remain engrossed on wholeheartedly serving the people of our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe,” he said.

As architects and defenders of the revolution, the President said party leaders must continue to carry the weighty obligation of providing leadership towards advancing the founding provisions of the party constitution, ideology, principles and values.

He emphasised the need for every leader of the party, including ordinary members, to contribute and abide by the party rules.

“Our rhetoric and actions as cadres must be reflective of this reality, both during the day and at night, in public and in private,” President Mnangagwa said.

This conference, he said, is defining as it marks the beginning of the third decade of convening such meetings.

“This is testament that Zanu PF is a constitutionally entrenched revolutionary mass-party, with a long, rich history and proud liberation war heritage,” President Mnangagwa said.

Since its formation in 1963, Zanu PF has always championed and promoted constructive debate as well as internal democracy.

President Mnangagwa urged party members to stick to the party values and ethos, saying the party will not tolerate any waywardness.

“We have always rejected any practices and conduct that are inconsistent with our laws and regulations as outlined in the party constitution,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the current crop of senior leaders has a duty to carry on with the rich, deep-rooted tradition, in the footsteps of luminaries and founding fathers of the revolutionary party.

He applauded Central Committee members for diligently superintending over the implementation of various party resolutions, policies, programmes and decisions.

During the Central Committee meeting, a minute of silence was observed in honour of departed heroes and heroines who passed away this year.

The Central Committee meeting received comprehensive reports on the state of preparedness to host a successful conference, an update report on activities of the Commissariat Department and the state of party structures.

President Mnangagwa also outlined progress made on the restructuring exercise.

Zanu PF members, he said, must always be educated on the importance of genuine and correct party structures, starting at the lowest level, the cells and villages, moving up to branches and districts.

“If each level is correctly constituted, then the party has a sustainable base and solid foundation. There is a need to always guard against infiltration and waywardness within party structures.

“We must decisively deal with abuses and not abandon our structures. Only hidden agendas create such abuses. The solution to challenges, for example within DCCs, is not to destroy the structure, but correct the anomalies through strict adherence to the party constitution, rules and procedures.

“As a critical decision-making body of our colossal mass party, Zanu PF, it is incumbent upon us, the Central Committee, to ensure that all members continue to toe the correct line of our party,” said President Mnangagwa.

The 21st National People’s Conference, he said, should serve to remind all party structures from the cell/village upwards, of the unstoppable nature as well as the organisational and leadership capabilities of the revolutionary mass party.

The Central Committee Report was yesterday distributed to members. It contains key highlights of the performance of the party this year.

President Mnangagwa said it was pleasing to note that all party departments put up a fair performance, with increased operational efficiency through the re-organisation of departments, including the addition of new ones, as well as staff rationalisation.

“The comprehensive departmental reports will form part of the primary documents to the respective sector committee discussions during conference. We must consider the report with the view of an endorsement for subsequent adoption at Conference,” he said.