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Zanu PF’s 19th National Annual People’s Conference under way in Bindura is not only important for the party itself, but because of its electoral dominance for the country as a whole.
The party, because it controls the Executive and Legislative branches of the State, a lot lies on its shoulders in ensuring that the current economic growth spreads across the country and cascades down to the grassroots.
We are now a little over three years into the Second Republic and the major drive is to clean up our act, get the fundamentals right, and create and maintain the conditions for sustained economic growth.
That huge basket of reform is now starting to give noticeable results, and the party needs to work out how the momentum can be maintained and how successes can be built on.
The Zanu PF policy of pressing sustainable growth and ensuring that no community and no individual is left behind is built not only on its founding ideologies, but also on the practical politics, that a mass organisation can only maintain its support if it can deliver.
The days when people voted Zanu PF because it led the struggle that brought independence are largely over. Well over half the population were born after April 18, 1980 and they want today’s problems solved, not those of the last century or even the last decade.
It is fairly obvious that in less than two years, when the next general elections are held, the party will be campaigning on what it has done, rather than on what it might promise, and will be seeking support as a political party that can deliver and is a competent manager.
So this conference needs to work out how to consolidate the reforms and growth and how to build from there. The Second Republic has been delivering. Economic stability was achieved and despite the odd hiccough is being maintained.
The fiscal reforms meant that tax money was available for development and investment, so the Second Republic has been pushing development right across the country, and in light of its new policy direction making sure that everyone wins from this.
Areas which have not in recent years being recording large Zanu PF votes are there on the lists of new infrastructure and in some cases are right at the top of the list: think of the Matabeleland North and Bulawayo water pipeline from Gwayi-Shangani being laid next year.
One huge advantage Zanu PF has is its strong grassroots organisational structures in all wards and constituencies. Even in those where its candidates come second, it has a significant presence on the ground, and that allows the party not just to deal with general national concerns, but also fairly detailed local concerns.
Party structures make it clear that complaints, requests and the like can rise fairly quickly up the hierarchy.
Under the new dispensation the party has been making it clear that this rising hierarchy also comes up from the grass roots. Leadership has to be earned, not imposed.
This is rather important when you are looking for talent to main local authority councils, Parliament and ultimately the decision-making organs of the Government itself.
The growing gap between rural and urban areas, to the advantage of the rural areas, highlights this identification and nurturing of talent. Most rural district councils have a Zanu PF majority and most are fairly well run. One advantage is that the councillors are generally, almost universally, people of standing in their communities who had to face a tough primary election to win the Zanu PF nomination.
Most rural councillors are successful farmers or successful business people in other economic areas or someone else of competence and standing within their community.
It is made clear by those who select them that they are being sent to council to serve their neighbours, not themselves. The only way they can individually benefit is if their whole ward benefits.
Properly maintained roads, a functioning clinic or a great deal of pressure to have the next clinic built in their ward, and proper resources for schools will benefit all residents in a ward, including the councillor, but only as a resident of that ward.
And if some investor is interested in establishing a processing plant or some other business the smart councillor, and most are, becomes indispensable as the point person, making sure that everyone in the area is brought on board from the local traditional leaders downwards.
This contrasts with opposition-run urban councils where even opposition supporters agree that some very odd people are nominated, often with zero qualifications and zero track record except fanatical loyalty to some party leader.
And the difference shows up with far greater corruption levels and little knowledge or interest in maintaining, let alone improving, services.
Obviously in 2023, if not in earlier by-elections, Zanu PF will be looking at building support in urban areas using track records of the Second Republic.
To be blunt, if some rural council can expand its clinic system and keep its roads repaired, many might wonder why the far richer Harare City Council cannot do likewise, even at that fairly basic level.
But all these hopes, and even the goal of five million members for the party set by President Mnangagwa in his party leader capacity, are reliant on the party itself pushing its own policies of ensuring that the grassroots have not just a say but the major say, and that competent people move up the ranks based on that competence to fill the posts.
A party that is likely to campaign on track record needs to ensure that it has the people who can create a first-class track record and that the track it is putting on record is the one the general population want.
One interesting point is that this year’ conference will see few people at the central venue in Bindura and most delegates attending virtually.
This opens new opportunities for future interaction, since virtual meetings are far easier and cheaper to arrange.
So more frequent consultation immediately becomes possible, ensuring ever-better connection between the centre and the districts. Again this seems important for a mass party where people in some remote area might feel at times that their voice is not being heard. Covid-19 might well boost practical popular democracy.
Generally speaking, after a delay, Zanu PF has moved fast with the times in the last few years, remembering its founding and past, but building its policies on what is needed today and tomorrow, but remembering that it is governing the country because it won the most votes.
The party must continue to deliver on its promises and programmes so as to enlarge its support base. Zanu PF has the people that can do that, it just needs to make sure that they are continually joined by others who can do the same.
Online Reporter