All set for ZANU-PF annual conference

Tendai Mugabe and Walter Nyamukondiwa
ALL is set for Zanu-PF’s 14th Annual National People’s Conference in Chinhoyi this week, with the Politburo meeting in Harare tomorrow signalling the start of the party’s indaba. The Mashonaland West provincial coordinating committee member of the technical committee, Dr Millicent Mombeshora, also revealed yesterday that the giant conference venue was ready. “Almost everything is now ready except for a few minor things that were requested which now need to be added. We have enough chairs for all the delegates,” she said.

The conference is expected to come up with key decisions that would guide the operationalisation of the party’s economic blue print – Zim Asset – for the next five years.

Initially, the Politburo was supposed to meet today but President Mugabe who chairs it is in South Africa where he is attending former South African President Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.

In an interview yesterday, Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, said because of the President’s engagements, the programme had to be changed. He said tomorrow’s Politburo meeting would be followed by the Central Committee meeting to be held on Thursday in Chinhoyi.

“Because the President has to attend President Mandela’s memorial service in South Africa, the programme has to change,” he said. “The Politburo is now meeting on Wednesday afternoon in Harare and we will have a Central Committee meeting on Thursday in Chinhoyi from 10 am, where there will be a tree planting ceremony.”

Cde Khaya Moyo who is also chairing the conference coordinating committee, urged delegates to arrive early for the two meetings.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, advised all members of the two organs to attend the two meetings without fail.

Cde Khaya Moyo said the conference would be officially opened on Friday after which other proceedings would commence. “The official opening will be on Friday and from there the programme remains the same, with the closing ceremony on Saturday night capped by a music gala to celebrate the conference and also our Unity Accord,” said Cde Khaya Moyo.

He said the line-up of artistes that would perform at the gala would be announced in due course.

Cde Khaya Moyo said several events have been lined up including solidarity messages from various organisations.

“We will have solidarity messages from several organisations but next year we are going to have our congress and that is when we are going to invite fellow liberation movements and other fraternal organisations that have supported us.”

Zanu-PF provincial chairpersons said they expected the conference to come up with concrete decisions that would enable the party fulfil its electoral promises.

The party’s Harare provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi said; “The major expectation from the conference is the discussion on Zim Asset and what it entails to the economy.

“As Harare province, we will come back having been assured that more will be done so that the performance of the economy improves.”

Matabeleland North provincial chairperson Cde Richard Moyo, said his province drafted its resolutions that would be taken to the conference.

He said the resolutions centred on development and the implementation of the indigenisation programme to benefit ordinary people. “We are saying we should not just read about the indigenisation in newspapers but it has to benefit the ordinary people,” he said.

Manicaland provincial chairman Ambassador John Mvundura, said they expected the conference to come up with far reaching decisions zeroing on the operationalisation of the Zim Asset.

Workers and party members were yesterday putting final touches at the state-of-the-art conference venue.

Various activities have been lined up to dovetail with the celebratory mood engulfing the party triggered by the resounding victory at the July 31 polls.

A tent each for the 10 provinces has been put up to avoid congestion during meals, while offices for the secretariat and various officials including the President and First Secretary of the party have been put up.

Provincial chairman Cde Temba Mliswa, also said the province was geared to play host to all the delegates.