Online Reporter
Samuel Kadungure in MUTARE
Zanu-PF is the engine of national development and the party must continue focusing on membership growth, strategic planning, and mobilisation to win elections, President Mnangagwa has said.
In his keynote address to mark the official opening of the 22nd Annual National People’s Conference at Mutare Polytechnic grounds yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the party should remain steadfast in defending unity, peace, democracy, and national sovereignty.
He said Zanu-PF should also honour the fallen heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom and prosperity, and never betray their legacy.
The President said there is a need to consolidate the influence of the Women, Youth, and Veterans Leagues, recruit new members from diverse backgrounds, and harness their skills for the party’s benefit.
The conference, which closes today, is held under the theme — “Attainment of Vision 2030 through Economic Empowerment and Value Addition” — which provides an opportunity to refine and refocus the ongoing people-centred revolution to develop, modernise, and industrialise the country, for the shared prosperity of all communities in the country.
President Mnangagwa emphasised that the upcoming implementation of the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2 and harmonised general elections are of utmost importance, and the party’s machinery should remain well-oiled to serve the people and advance national development.
“Focus must be on guaranteeing the growth of our party membership in readiness for the harmonised general elections. Responsive strategies and approaches must be advanced to consolidate the visibility and influence of the Women, Youth and Veterans Leagues. Political mobilisation by the party with its affiliates is our daily responsibility.
Let us carry on recruiting and welcoming new members from all walks of life and harness the diverse skills of the membership for the ultimate good of our revolutionary movement. Tinoramba tichivaka musangano wedu, nguva nenguva.
“We are a united, peaceful, unitary and indivisible great nation of Zimbabwe. This conference is a demonstration of this unity. Hatisikudzokera shure. Ticharamba takabatana, tichironga budiriro yenyika yedu, pamwe chete, isu, vene veZimbabwe,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the Central Committee reviewed its activities undertaken through the various departments of the party during the period under review.
“The Central Committee Report before us highlights that Zanu-PF is growing, modernising and extending its influence. The departments of the party are more robust, in line with the expectations of the membership and generality of Zimbabweans,” he said.
The President said grassroots empowerment initiatives are ongoing under the auspices of the leagues of the party and in all the programmes undertaken in the period under review, no one and no place was left behind.
“As a liberation movement, the party has remained engaged with progressive parties in the region and beyond. We are doing our part towards promoting the values of Pan-Africanism, unity, justice, peace, security and sustainable development for all, particularly for us in the Global South,” said President Mnangagwa.
He expressed gratitude to the party structures for demonstrating true leadership in various facets of society, including building stronger families, combating drug and substance abuse, promoting productivity, and driving industrialisation and modernisation of the economy.
“Our colossal mass party is indeed the engine-room of national development, a responsibility which we do not take lightly. The collective wisdom of this National People’s Conference must be harnessed to proffer innovative programmes to accelerate the ongoing development processes.
“In marching forward, the DNA of Zanu-PF will never change and must never be tampered with. The party must not shy away from continually adapting and responding to the requirements of the changing times. These new realities include urbanisation, increased ICT usage and highly mobile, educated and empowered people,” he said. President Mnangagwa said Vision 2030 is fast approaching and party strategies and programmes should be ready to lead an empowered upper middle-income society.
“The Zanu-PF constitution and correct party line should be ingrained in the hearts and minds of our people. This will guide the party throughout any periods of modernisation and transformation. Individually and collectively, through actions, speech and conduct, every cadre of the party has a duty to guarantee the dominance and popularity of Zanu-PF”. The President said the Conference is called upon to put in place the requisite building blocks to fortify this fundamental thrust.
“Tose tinosungirwa kubatana, nekuchengetedza kuzvitonga kwedu kuzere, sevana vevhu,” he said.
The President also challenged the conference to assess the performance of all party programmes and projects, with the purpose of collectively proffering positive recommendations that will address any emerging development gaps and oversights.
“Throughout the prosecution of the armed liberation struggle and since independence, the party has always demonstrated an ability to adapt strategies to realise the desired end goal. We are a people’s movement that decisively and boldly reviews our own approaches in the best interests of the people of our beloved country. This culture should never stop.
“Zanu-PF is a strong and united party, with a constitution, sound ideology, clearly laid out structures and revolutionary principles that do not change according to preferences and the self-interests of cliques.
“Kwete. Musangano haukwani muhomwe yemunhu. Hausi wangu, hausi wedu se vatungamiri; Zanu-PF ndeye ruzhinji rweZimbabwe. Zanu-PF is not private property; it can never fit into anyone’s pocket; this is a mammoth revolutionary Party. Hatisi musangano we-mazvake mazvake. Tinomira pazviga zvedu, zvido zvevanhu, uye tinotevedza gwara remusangano, gwara rehondo yechimurenga. We are a party that upholds its constitution, including the laws of this country, as we advance our national interests. Kure kwemeso, nzeve dzinonzwa”.
President Mnangagwa called upon all structures of the party to expose and reject perpetrators of tribalism and regionalism, among other narratives that divide the party.
“Corruption, corruption, corruption, of any kind, has no place among the rank and file of the party membership and indeed, in our country. It is cancerous to the ongoing national development agenda,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also reiterated his anti-corruption stance during the 17th National People’s Conference at Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province, in 2018.
“To achieve the modern, prosperous society we envision to become, we must cleanse ourselves from the retrogressive tendencies such as corruption, self-centeredness, economic sabotage, indiscipline and immorality, among other ills.
The Party should never be a haven for any of these vices. We must be honest, hardworking, transparent, disciplined and selfless in all our activities,” he said.
“These are values and the national ethos which must be ingrained in us, to bequeath to future generations. That position still holds. It remains the correct party line. Excesses, wanton acts of commission and omission for corrupt ends, risk alienating the party from the masses and must be expunged from our body politic. Discipline and integrity of all Zanu-PF members should be above question. I expect the conference to be emphatic on these matters”.
The President said Zimbabwe is not for sale and spreading false information, denigrating one’s country, the leadership, and people can never be good for national pride, image and dignity.
“Let it be clear that those opportunists who tarnish our country for short-sighted, ulterior political motives will never succeed. Zimbabwe is a constitutional democracy with strong governance systems and institutions. Nyika ino haitongwi paSocial Media. Hayisi yekutamba nayo; yakatengwa neropa rerusununguko, ropa revana veZimbabwe vakarara kumasango. Pasi nenhubu,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also thanked Manicaland province for a job well done in organising a seamless conference.
“Ino iProvince ine nhoroondo yehondo yerusununguko. Vana vekuno vakawanda, vakaenda kuhondo. Manicaland has a rich revolutionary history and communities. Like others across the country, they contributed with their blood for the liberation, freedom and Independence of our motherland, Zimbabwe,” he said.
“You generously hosted and provided sanctuary to many of the country’s sons and daughters of the soil who passed through the valleys, rough mountains and rivers of this province, to join the armed liberation struggle”.
President Mnangagwa said Manicaland was a strategic entry point for freedom fighters into the sister Republic of Mozambique.
“It is a befitting tribute that we launched our campaign for the 2023 Harmonised General Elections in Chipinge. Last year, the nation converged in Buhera District for the 44th Independence Anniversary Commemorations. We take the opportunity of this conference to draw inspiration from the province’s resistance against colonialism, oppression and settler domination,” he said.
Ends
