Shamu: Copac data should not be tampered with

national commissar, Cde Webster Shamu said yesterday.
Speaking at the Bulawayo Provincial Inter-district conference held at Stanley Square in Makokoba to review Zanu-PF programmes and projects in the province, Cde Shamu, who was the guest of honour, said his party remained resolute and guided by the 11th Annual National People’s Conference held in Mutare in December.
The party agreed that the constitution-making process needed to move forward with speed.
“We remain resolute as a party, guided by resolutions 1, 2 and 3 of the 11th Annual National People’s Conference that the process must move forward with speed in order to complete the drafting of new constitution and hold both the referendum and elections this year.
“In doing this, Zanu-PF will hold steadfast to the views collected from the masses countrywide during the Copac outreach programme.
“What the people have said to Copac on the new constitution is sacred and must not be tampered with,” he said.
He said the constitution-making process had now gone past the stage of collation of data with Zanu-PF not amused by the delaying tactics employed by MDC-T to prevent the holding of elections this year.
Turning to the recent Sadc Summit in South Africa, he said it was important to effectively communicate with all Zanu-PF members and dispel any misconceptions that the party was losing diplomatic support in the regional bloc.
“Lately the opposition media has been awash with claims that Sadc has withdrawn its support for Zanu-PF; that the MDC-T authored Livingstone document, which places the blame of escalating violence in the country on Zanu-PF was adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the recent, Sadc meeting in South Africa,” said Cde Shamu.
“Contrary to these claims, Sadc threw away the MDC-T Livingstone document choosing to only note its existence and not endorse it as a summit document.
“The facilitator’s report restricted itself to the issue contained in the Global Political Agreement and refused to accept MDC-T’s attempts to introduce new issues such as security sector reforms.”
Cde Shamu took the opportunity to commend the Zanu-PF leadership in the province for creating harmony.
“Cde, Chairman Dakamela, your province has made us proud in a manner which you have been able to resolve contradictions among party cadres; contradictions which at one time threatened to hamper progress in the party.
“United you have indeed become a formidable team in Bulawayo province,” he said.
On the Western economic sanctions on the country, he said the embargo is illegal and comprehensive and not targeted as the West claims.
“But our people know that, that is not true, and nowhere in Zimbabwe has that lie been better exposed than here in Bulawayo where industry has virtually been closed, leaving thousands of people unemployed.”
He said the Government launched Anti-Sanctions Petition Campaign calling for the immediate and unconditional lifting of the illegal sanctions.
By the end of May, 2, 3 million people had appended their signatures on the anti-sanctions petition.
He urged Zanu-PF members in the province to speak against the illegal sanctions.
He urged Zanu-PF members to continue diligently referring to the party’s resolutions, decisions and directives guided by the party’s constitution in line with pronouncements made by Cde Mugabe.
He commended Bulawayo province for being the first of the party’s 10 provinces to hold its provincial inter-district conference this year.
“It is gratifying to note that Bulawayo province has responded positively to the call for restructuring, and that as a result you have 108 districts from the previous 52, which means that we should have more cells and branches since the party’s support base has widened.
“Kusobala ukuthi ibandla lethu liyakhula. (It is clear that our party is thriving).”