Online Reporter
ZANU-PF will host its 22nd Annual National People’s Conference in Mutare next week, in the province that served as the bastion of the decisive and victorious stage of the second Chimurenga.
Our Zimpapers Politics Hub Senior Reporter, Joseph Madzimure, (JM) caught up with Zanu- PF spokesperson, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, (CM) to discuss the relevance and importance of the conference. Below are excerpts of the interview.
JM: Can you take us through on the significance of this conference at the crucial time in the trajectory of Zimbabwe?
CM: The conference is an important process in the delivery of the mandate given by the people in 2023. It also serves as a platform for members to assess achievements, challenges and opportunities, ensuring a cohesive approach to the party’s economic policies and initiatives moving forward.
The conference also helps to reinvigorate the party structures, introspect and debate. The party has set up various committees, which will plan and strategise for the upcoming year.
The forthcoming conference, set to be held from October 13 to 18 at Mutare Polytechnic, is not merely a ritualistic or any political gathering; it is a significant event on the party’s calendar, a moment for reflection, celebration and strategic planning.
JM: What is the success rate in implementing resolutions made at last year’s conference in Bulawayo?
CM: The success rate of resolutions is phenomenal. At a glance, this may be hidden to the eye of the viewer who doesn’t understand the processes of conferences.
Resolutions are not normally designed for completion in one year; they usually overlap the yearly cycles, but yearly targets towards their final achievement are set, reviewed, and realigned where necessary. With this in mind, it is with great pride and elation that we inform the nation that most of the targets on resolutions have been surpassed.
JM: Why is it important to host the conference in Manicaland?
CM: Manicaland is the bastion province of the decisive and victorious stage of the Chimurenga II national liberation struggle. The 1974 victory of Frelimo saw the late former Mozambique President Samora Machel open up the 1000km swath of the eastern border highlands to guerrilla warfare by emboldened Zanla combatants.
Manicaland was both the recruitment and the infiltration frontier. Signature Zanla battles at Ruda and Ruwangwe Camps, Grand Reef Airport, and Mavonde-Monte Casino have etched Manicaland in the memories of Zimbabwe’s modern military resurgence.
They proved resilient and victorious in the war against Renamo, the cat’s paw of Apartheid South Africa as it waged a proxy war against the fledgling independent State of Zimbabwe.
The battles of Casa Banana, Gorongosa and Mutwara are high water beacons of Zimbabwe at war. These victories chastised apartheid South Africa of illusions of sustained sub-regional military supremacy. The victories opened the road to Namibian independence in 1989 and majority rule in South Africa in 1994.
JM: What economic benefits are likely to be accrued by having the ruling party’s conference in Mutare?
CM: The conference comes at a moment of convergence of positive economic fortunes for Manicaland. The Second Republic, under President Mnangagwa, is seeing Manicaland finally cast away the curse of negative geopolitics to firmly and squarely restore its economic vitality. For six decades since 1965, Manicaland has been buffeted by economic headwinds.
The 1965 United Nations sanctions against Smith’s illegal Unilateral Declaration of Independence(UDI) throttled exports through the eastern gateway to trade through Beira Port.
The 1975-76 border closure as the Chimurenga II resumed effectively, smothered economic activity. The Renamo war foreclosed hopes of a Mozambique-Zimbabwe respite. Salisbury had to export its products 2000km away to Durban. Bravo to President Mnangagwa, as of 2025, the Mutare-Beira
Eastern Trade gateway to the littoral Indian Ocean has taken ascendancy over Beitbridge.
Agro-industry revitalisation is equally kicking in for Manicaland and its diverse micro-climates. Coffee and tea, bananas, pineapples, sugar, macadamias, flowers and blueberries are taking advantage of new trade markets opened by the Second Republic as it shakes away and shirks off the one-time stigma of a pariah nation.
Virtuous diplomacy of “friend to all; enemy to none” is reaping rewards of virtue. New tourist packages are being worked out, offering the cool highlands climate linking with the warm beaches of Vilanculos and other Inhambane oceanic havens in nearby Mozambique. All said, the bullish economic prospects of Manicaland are a pleasant backdrop to a province showered with ever-bright developmental prospects.
JM: Maybe you can also shed light on the foreign delegates expected to grace the conference.
CM: President Mnangagwa’s open-door policy, “friend to all and enemy to none” stance is a sure confirmation that foreign delegates shall indeed come to witness the special indaba.
We are expecting delegates from revolutionary sister parties such as the ANC of South Africa, Frelimo of Mozambique, Swapo of Namibia, Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania, the People’s Liberation Movement of Angola (MPLA), China, Russia and other friendly countries.
JM: If an investor is willing to invest in Manicaland, what advice will you give them?
CM: Manicaland Province, located in Zimbabwe, has several economic benefits that contribute to the overall economy of the country. The province is rich in minerals, particularly chrome, gold and emeralds. Mining activities in these sectors provide employment and generate significant revenue through exports.
In terms of agriculture, the province has fertile land suitable for various agricultural activities.
Key crops include tobacco, maize, and horticultural products, which contribute to food security and export earnings.
On tourism, attractions such as the Vumba Mountains and various national parks promote eco-tourism, providing jobs in hospitality and related services and generating foreign currency.
Investments in infrastructure, such as roads and utilities, improve connectivity and facilitate trade, boosting local businesses and attracting further investment.
Economic activities in mining, agriculture, and tourism create jobs, reducing unemployment and improving living standards for residents.
On trade links, the province’s strategic location allows for trade with neighbouring countries, promoting cross-border commerce and enhancing market access for local products.
