‘Conference a game changer’

Chief Reporter
President Mugabe has introduced new approaches to developmental discourse in Zanu-PF, and this saw the party’s 2015 Annual National People’s Conference emerge with robust strategies.
At the conference in Victoria Falls, Cabinet ministers unpacked Zim-Asset in plenary sessions after which delegates digested policy matters under thematic committees.
These committees and provincial chairpersons then came back to plenary with recommendations on various economic issues.

This was the first time the ruling party used such an inclusive approach that employs Cabinet ministers as the nucleus from which a pool of ideas is expanded.
All deliberations were compressed into resolutions, which will constitute programmes of action for 2016.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, party National Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo said President Mugabe — who lead the conference’s management committee — was instrumental in crafting the new “professional approach”.
“The professional approach that we adopted was the reason why we came up with a successful conference. The strategy was well-thought out. It was His Excellency who led us in coming with such ideas in his capacity as head of the management committee of the conference, which includes him and his two Vice-Presidents.
“The programme rolled out in Victoria Falls was a culmination of all the meetings that were held prior to conference. So, when we got to conference, we then gave the grassroots the opportunity to speak.”
Dr Chombo added: “This was a unique way of interacting with the public. President Mugabe had given a political speech and the Minister of Finance, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, had gone on to give a speech on Zim- Asset.
“Then the ministers who handle the actual portfolios had a chance to speak about the specifics, which are the particular deliverables that are in line with what the people seek. This would give the people something to take home. It was the first time in the history of the party that such a strategy had been adopted.”
Dr Chombo said conference resolutions would be released in due course.
Next week, The Sunday Mail publishes the full interview with Dr Chombo