Bulilima adds voice to extend President Mnangagwa’s reign

ZANU-PF members from Bulilima District in Matabeleland South province have backed calls for President Mnangagwa to remain in power beyond 2028.

The district also recommended the decentralisation of the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology programmes to district level as part of their recommendations to be tabled during the party’s 21st National People’s Conference to be held in Bulawayo next month.

The district held its meeting in Plumtree town last Friday, which was chaired by the District Co-ordinating Committee chairperson, Cde Felix Ncube and attended by senior party members who included Dr Evelyn Ndlovu who is also the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution and provincial political commissar, Cde Washington Nkomo.

Emerging from the closed door meeting that lasted almost five hours, DCC chairperson, Cde Ncube said they came up with over 30 resolutions, which they will present at the people’s conference between October 22-26.

“The first and major resolution, which was unanimous was the endorsement of our First Secretary and President, Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to extend his term of office beyond 2028, on that we were all very clear. He has done a lot for the country and as such we feel he has unfinished business,” said Cde Ncube.

He said at district level, they remained proud of what the first citizen had done for them, which included appointing individuals from the district to high positions in Government. Besides Dr Ndlovu, who previously held the portfolio of Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, the district also boasts Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu who is the provincial party chairperson and Minister of Industry and Commerce as well as Cde Dingumuzi Phuthi, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services.

“We also resolved to present to the party our position that the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology must be decentralised to district level so that our people can easily get oriented on the ethos of nationhood. As a district, we will also be happy if more dams are built so that we increase irrigation projects. At the moment, we have two dams, Nata and Amanzamnyama but more need to be constructed,” said Cde Ncube.

The party’s school of ideology is aimed at preparing basic orientation course, which is designed to offer ideological orientation to all sectors of the Zimbabwean society “leaving no one and no place behind”.

The school is not unique to Zimbabwe as there is the Nyerere School of Leadership in Tanzania, which incorporates all the former Frontline States now known as the former Liberation Movements, OR Tambo School of Leadership, an educational institution established by the African National Congress to build its ideological, intellectual and organisational capacity. Angola, Namibia and Mozambique have their own ideological schools too. The idea of schools of ideology has served a lot in terms of articulating the political parties’ ideologies.

Cde Ncube said the district will also formally congratulate President Mnangagwa on his new role as the SADc chairperson, which he assumed following the successful hosting of the 44th SADC summit in Harare last month.

“The SADC summit was one of the most successful events in the region’s history, all because of the visionary leadership qualities and skills of President Mnangagwa. We are, as a district going to formally and officially congratulate him on both the successful hosting of the event and his chairmanship,” said Cde Ncube.