Online Reporter
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu
As the 22nd National People’s Conference draws closer, it is time once more to reflect on what makes the ruling ZANU PF the colossal party it is today.
Delegates are presently preparing for the pilgrimage to Manicaland province to deliberate on key issues and draw up resolutions that will shape the Government’s agenda.
Bear in mind that the party is always supreme over the Government.
This year’s conference, like many others before, offers the perfect opportunity to showcase ZANU PF’s ability to coordinate and run well-structured events.
My office is inundated with requests from individuals, corporates and organisations that want to be part of this momentous occasion.
Over the years, the National People’s Conference has morphed into more than a ZANU PF event — it has become a national event.
The theme for this year’s event is “Attainment of Vision 2030 through economic empowerment and value addition”.
It demonstrates the ruling party’s intention to meet the goals set in Vision 2030, as conceived by His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa.
It also spells out how economic empowerment of our people will be key to achieving an upper middle-income economy.
On the production front, Zimbabwe has become one of the most diversified economies on the continent.
However, we still need to add value to our mining and agricultural products.
We are also currently the only wheat-sufficient country in the region.
With such focus, we are set to make this country prosperous.
But our ultimate goal is to empower our people.
Focus on grassroots level
ZANU PF is a people-driven party.
It is also a tool to meet the needs of those at the grassroots level.
At every turn since its inception, our party has always strived to ensure that it pursues developmental initiatives that are responsive to the needs of the people.
This is why they are called National People’s Conferences.
Resolutions drawn up at either conferences or congresses are of utmost importance.
They ensure that the party’s desires as per people’s expectations are correctly communicated to the Government.
Each year, we give our Government, as the implementing arm of the party, a set of resolutions drawn up from the grassroots level.
This year will not be any different.
We have already instructed the provinces to start consulting the masses and compile resolutions to be presented at this year’s conference.
It is important to capture all the wishes of our people.
The conference is also an opportunity for the party to introspect and chart a path for the coming year.
Monitoring
The conference also offers the opportunity for Government ministries to report back on progress made with regard to implementing the previous year’s resolutions.
This is a crucial step that ensures that the Government is accountable to the party and the people who elected it into office. It helps to keep track of the Government’s activities.
However, the party’s supremacy over the Government should not be misunderstood.
It comes in the form of the party giving policy direction to the Government, and this policy direction is an aggregation of the input from all our people at the grassroots level.
Such a bottom-up approach to policy-making is what has sustained ZANU PF’s popularity amongst its supporters as it guarantees that their wishes, inputs and needs always find their way to those given the responsibility to implement policies. This year’s 22nd National People’s Conference will end on October 18, where new resolutions would be drawn up to give Government policy direction.
There will be more work to be done after the conference in pursuit of the people’s agenda.
The conference is, therefore, not an end but the beginning of another cycle in the journey towards meeting our aspirations.
Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General of ZANU PF. He writes in his own capacity.
