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National People’s Conference scheduled for Bulawayo early next month.
The city council has reportedly hatched a plan to block the revolutionary party from using its pavilion at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds, which is the venue for the conference.
However, in an interview with our Bulawayo Bureau after a closed meeting on preparations for the conference last Friday, Zanu-PF national secretary for information and publicity, Cde Rugare Gumbo, said his party was not worried about such arrogance.
He said the party received resounding support from many organisations to use their facilities at ZITF.
“The Bulawayo City Council has only one pavilion office from the many that are here. When the provincial party leaders approached them to use their facilities they refused,” said Cde Gumbo.
“It is their right to refuse or give us the permission to use their offices. That is not an issue to us and what matters is that we have already got all the offices we wanted from other organisations.”
On the conference, Cde Gumbo said the party’s leadership was satisfied with the preparations made so far.
He said all the sub-committees have made reports to the national co-ordinating committee, which is chaired by the party’s national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo.
“From the brief we received from sub-committees and the host province, Bulawayo, everything is in place and going well,” said Cde Gumbo.
“We have inspected the venue and its facilities and we are quite happy with what has been done.”
Cde Gumbo said the programme for the conference was ready.
He said this year’s conference would be unique in that the party would seek to address the developmental concerns of Zimbabweans.
“We will deliberate much on the agricultural sector and the progress made. Cde Joseph Made will lead the discussion on this subject.
“We will also table the indigenisation agenda and Cde Saviour Kasukuwere will lead the discussion. People are worried about empowerment issues and there are a lot of misconceptions about these programmes,” said Cde Gumbo.
“A lot of people are frustrated and there is a lot of talk that these programmes were benefiting Zanu-PF supporters alone and that is what we want to address.
“As a party, we want to listen to the people and address their concerns. We have to do this because Zanu-PF is the only party that can do what people want.”
Cde Gumbo said empowerment programmes were meant to benefit all Zimbabweans regardless of political affiliation.
He said the sanctions remained a contentious issue in Zimbabwe and the forthcoming conference would discuss that.
Cde Gumbo said Zimbabweans were suffering because of the illegal economic sanctions imposed on the country.
Meanwhile, Cde Khaya Moyo said the national co-ordinating committee for the conference would meet on Thursday in Harare.
He urged the party members to work tirelessly towards ensuring that the conference became a success.
Cde Khaya Moyo challenged the youths in the city to clean all graffiti on the walls and pavements before the conference kicks off.
He said it was embarrassing that the party youths were not doing anything to remove graffiti that denigrated President Mugabe and the party.
Cde Khaya Moyo said Bulawayo province should ensure that all graffiti was removed by the time the conference starts.
More than 6 000 delegates are expected to attend this year’s conference, which runs under the theme “Defend national sovereignty consolidate indigenisation and empowerment.”
Online Reporter