Kaukonde urges strengthening of party structures

fighting for candidates in the polls, Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde has said.
Speaking after a meeting at Sadza Growth Point in Chikomba District, Cde Kaukonde lamented the “hijacking” of the party by elements using money to gain people’s favours.
“The people are concentrating on fighting for possible election candidates when there are no structures at grassroots levels,” he said.
Cde Kaukonde hit out at the party’s leadership who are giving false reports when nothing has been done in the restructuring programme.
“I am really disturbed because we have been given reports indicating that the structures are ready and going but we find nothing when we go to the people,” he said.
Zanu-PF structures start from village, ward, district to provincial levels. “The leadership should not give us falsehoods when there are no structures in the areas and we are now going through the districts to check on these structures.”
Cde Kaukonde said the provincial leadership has started an audit to determine the structures in the districts and their strength ahead of the elections. The team has since visited Mutoko, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe and Chikomba districts. They are set to move to Hwedza district as the programme gathers momentum.
“We were not impressed at all by the situation in Chikomba district and we have instructed the provincial deputy political commissar Cde Peter Nyakubaya to set up structures at all levels in the district,” he said. Cde Kaukonde, however, stressed that the party would not impose candidates on the people but the interested cadres should be within party structures.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Retired General Solomon Mujuru, who underscored the need for discipline within party structures, also attended the meeting.
“We need to uphold discipline and the truth within the party. When we came from the war we upheld the truth even to President Mugabe leading to our sweeping victory in 1980,” he said.