We have sacred duty to lift our people out of poverty into prosperity

We publish below President Mnangagwa’s closing remarks at the ZANU PF 22nd National People’s Conference

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Salutations

THE curtain now comes down on our historic and successful 22nd National People’s Conference here in Manicaland province.

The organisation has been impeccable, break away sessions seamlessly coordinated and facilities top-notch, in line with global best practice.

Conference has once again showcased the vibrancy of our party and the growing ability of our nation to host large meetings, conferences and events.

Congratulations! Mokorokoto! Amhlophe!

ZANU PF has demonstrated that we are a mammoth, revolutionary mass movement which is transformative, modernising and ensuring that, as the people of this great country, we continue to be masters of our own destiny.

I applaud the 22nd National People’s Conference for engaging in discussions that were robust, candid and factual, as well as forward-looking and inclusive.

The resolutions of our meeting further demonstrate that we are a well-oiled machine ready to leap forward industrialisation and modernisation as we meet the growing needs of our peoples for a better quality of life.

My dear comrade delegates, the compiled report on the progress made by the party since the 7th National People’s Congress and subsequent conferences is both a source of motivation and call to action.

The party’s management must be centralised and unified under one leadership.

As highlighted in our State of the Party Report and Resolutions, we must better organise our structures and scale up mobilisation activities.

Further, the emphasis on the need to enforce the supremacy of the Constitution is timely.

Accordingly, each individual party member must subject themselves to the Constitution — the minority to the majority, lower structures to higher structures, and all members must ultimately defer to the Central Committee, National People’s Conference and finally the National People’s Congress.

The rank and file of the party must reinforce this order across every level, across all Leagues of the party.

Comrades, the conference was eventful, characterised by side events such as the commissioning of development projects.

Earlier this morning (yesterday), I had the opportunity to tour and officially open the National Pharmaceutical Warehouse facility at the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital and Mega Market Milling Plant.

Further, the exhibitions, which are growing both in terms of number and quality, symbolise that businesses and entrepreneurs, among other stakeholders, continue to have confidence in our ZANU PF brand, policies and decisions.

To cap off the events, my launch of the National Tree Planting Season must see the party being at the forefront of promoting environmental stewardship.

I want also to commend the party, various stakeholders and the First Lady, Amai Mnangagwa, for mainstreaming cross-cutting development issues, including raising awareness on cancer as well as drug and substance abuse, among other critical issues.

Comrades, I applaud this conference for coming up with our party and national strategic compass as we march forward towards Vision 2030.

This is anchored by practical resolutions and unparalleled decisions to scale up the utilisation of our God-given resources for the benefit of our communities.

Our collective determination to expand value chains, speed up rural industrialisation and increase the performance of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism, among others, must be anchored at the grassroots level.

The party must operationalise resolutions into deliverable programmes and projects.

Villages/cells, branches and districts, up to the provinces, should ensure that there are clearly laid out strategies and benchmarks towards realising the economic priorities we have set out, until our next gathering, and beyond.

We all have a sacred duty to act and work harder towards lifting many of our people out of poverty into prosperity; more so, as we transition to the National Development Strategy 2.

Through the whole of party, Government and society approach, I expect stakeholders, including ministries, departments and agencies to improve collaboration and synergies.

Be assured that the party will continue to exercise overall leadership to all sectors of the economy.

I commend conference delegates for the in-depth, pragmatic and comprehensive manner of our deliberations, as well as the iron-clad discipline, respect and focus towards party business.

The sector presentations by various ministers of Government were insightful and factual.

ZANU PF is indeed a democratic, mature and organised party. Well done!

We have stayed true to the enduring ideals of our colossal mass party, bequeathed to us by our founding fathers and forebears.

We boldly discussed the “ideas of the future” for our party.

Together, delegates guaranteed that the resolutions of the historic conference remain representative of the aspirations of grassroots communities and the necessary course of action.

Congratulations to you all! Makorokoto! Amhlophe!

As we return to our respective provinces, districts, wards and villages/cells, let us remain alive to the fact that sustainable socio-economic development will result from hard, honest work as well as methodical and meticulous implementation of the outcomes of this conference.

Nyika, inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo.

With renewed vigour and optimism, let us continue to deliver a brighter and prosperous future for the people of our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe.

We are running our own race and no one, including outsiders, should dictate anything to us. Gwendo gwedu tisu tinoziva mafambirwo arwo. Ngatishandei ndima dzedu dzatakapiwa nemusangano wedu. Tose tinofanirwa kuramba tiri musvo weZANU PF, kwete kuita nhinhi.

Further, we all remain bound by the overall decisions and outcomes of the party.

In our provinces and districts, branches and cells, let us continue advancing transformational, action-oriented and result-driven politics; the politics for economic development.

The collective good of our people and the nation as a whole is top priority.

As you go back home to your provinces, I urge you to tell our party membership that, with each passing day, week and month, ZANU PF and the people’s revolution are marching forward, strong, and gaining popularity.

Comprehensive feedback meetings must ensure that no one is left behind.

The grassroot communities, including our Diaspora structures, should be updated on the conference resolutions and made to appreciate the roles they must play for collective success.

This is how we must nurture and cement an unbreakable bond between the people and their party, ZANU PF.

Comrades, one week from now, on the 25th of October, is SADC Anti-Sanctions Day.

Through combined efforts with other countries in the region and beyond, the walls of sanctions and coercive measures must crumble.

In our respective provinces and districts, let us conscientise and mobilise our nation to resist and continue amplifying their voices towards the total and unconditional removal of the illegal sanctions imposed on our country.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Victory is certain.

Finally, I urge us all to provide leadership in our communities, in the true spirit of our revolutionary party, with unity, peace and development at the core of our party character.

Let us rededicate ourselves to wholeheartedly serve the people of our great motherland, Zimbabwe.

Stay with them in their successes, hold their hands and render them support in their time of need.

Vaudzei kuti ZANU PF yakasimba. ZANU PF inzou iri kufamba.

ZANU PF is alive, vibrant and strong; ZANU PF is the only organised, tried and tested custodian of our revolution and remains focused on bettering the people’s quality of life. Hatidzokeri shure. Ticharamba tichizadzisa zvatinovimbisa.

I once again thank you for the manner
we conducted our business and for the resolutions that will drive our party and country forward.

With these remarks, it is now my honour and privilege to declare the 22nd National People’s Conference officially closed.

I wish us all journey mercies as we travel back home.

God bless you all.

God bless Zimbabwe.

Viva ZANU PF.

Pamberi neZANU PF.

Pamberi nekubatana.

Pamberi negwara reMusangano.

Pasi nemasanctions.

Pasi nemhandu.

Viva ZANU PF.